Apr 01, 2020

OneEnergy Renewables

Booth

Tobin Booth is the new CEO of OneEnergy Renewables, a Seattle-based developer of solar projects. Booth was CEO of Seattle-based Stokes Vannoy, which invests in operating solar projects. Prior to that, he founded and was CEO of Blue Oak Energy, a solar engineering and construction firm in California. After Coronal Energy and Panasonic bought Blue Oak, he was Coronal's chief engineering officer. Booth succeeds OneEnergy co-founder Bill Eddie, who continues as chief commercial officer to focus on business and partnership development.

Avalara

In Seattle, business tax software developer Avalara appointed Brian Sharples to its board. Sharples is co-founder and former CEO of HomeAway, an online marketplace for vacation rentals. Prior to that, he was president and CEO of IntelliQuest Information Group, a supplier of marketing data and research to large technology companies. Avalara also announced that Justin Sadrian, a managing director at Warburg Pincus, will leave the board when his term ends in June.

Maven Media Brands

Seattle-based Maven Media Brands said it is cutting 9% of its workforce and its senior managers are taking 30% pay cuts in response to the weakening economy in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. The company also is working to trim non-payroll expenses and has secured a $12 million line of credit from B. Riley Financial. Maven is a group media network platform.

Pyramid Analytics

Business intelligence platform developer Pyramid Analytics closed a $25 million funding round led by Jerusalem Venture Partners. The money will fund Pyramid's continuing growth. Sequoia Capital, Viola Growth and Maor Investments also participated in the funding round. Pyramid is based in Amsterdam and its U.S. headquarters is in Seattle. Pyramid enables large companies to analyze data in a modular, easy and fast way.

Mar 31, 2020

Buchalter

Bradley Hoff joined the Seattle office of Buchalter as chair of the law firm's insurance coverage practice group. Hoff comes from the law firm of Foster Garvey and has 25 years of experience representing insurance policyholders, including litigating and negotiating the resolution of disputes arising under third-party policies. He also has litigated many first-party policies and counsels clients in risk management.

Port of Seattle

The Port of Seattle's 2019 Diversity in Contracting Annual Report showed that 15.3% of port contract spending last year went to women- and minority-owned firms. The port commission in 2018 adopted a new diversity in contracting policy to address contracting disparities. The program's five-year goal is to triple the number of disadvantaged firms doing business with the port and increase spending on WMBE contracts to 15%.

USW local 7150

The United Steelworkers extended its labor agreement with Allegheny Technologies for one year. The agreement covers over 1,300 employees at Allegheny's specialty and standard rolled products businesses across the U.S., including members of USW Local 7150 working in the company's Albany, Oregon, plant.

Mar 27, 2020

Nordstrom

Seattle retailer Nordstrom has taken several measures to strengthen its financial position in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. They include: suspending its quarterly cash dividend; drawing down $800 million on its revolving line of credit; reducing over $500 million in operating expenses, capital expenditures and working capital; and suspending share repurchases. The company will also will start to furlough a portion of its corporate employees starting April 5 for six weeks. Nordstrom on March 16 temporarily closed its stores; it's extending the closures for at least one week, through April 5.

Delta Dental of Washington

In Seattle, Delta Dental of Washington pledged $10 million in financial assistance to its in-network dentists following orders by the state to halt all non-emergency dental procedures for two months in order to reserve equipment for COVID-19 health care workers. The funding consists of grants and advance payments for care. Grants are up to $15,000 and advances of up to $25,000 are available per practice. Delta Dental is a dental benefit provider covering nearly 3 million people in Washington state and the U.S.