Jan 24, 1997

Stoel Rives

Alan Merkle, an attorney at the Seattle law firm of Stoel Rives, has been appointed to the Mercer Island City Council. Merkle is a partner at Stoel Rives where he focuses his practice on construction and design law, government contracts and utility matters.

Moss Adams

Gary Grimstad and Cynthia Jensen have joined the Seattle accounting office of Moss Adams. Grimstad joins as director of High Technology Tax Practice and will work with businesses in the manufacturing, wholesale distribution, retail and high technology industries. Jensen joins as tax manager and is a licensed attorney and CPA in Washington and California.

The Image Bank

The Image Bank, a supplier of stock imagery with more than 70 offices in over 35 countries, is expanding its offices in three U.S. locations to include stock film footage. Film sales will begin this month at The Image Bank's offices in Boston, San Francisco and Seattle. The Image Bank supplies footage for television commercials, motion pictures, cable television, industrial and corporate films. Mary Lou Harris, owner and general manager of the Seattle office, will be responsible for film sales in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska.

SkillSmart

Pace Staffing Network, a Bellevue-based staffing company, has developed a new multimedia training program known as SkillSmart. SkillSmart is a self-paced learning system designed to give people job skills in a more flexible, efficient and interesting manner. All courses are on CD-ROM and fully interactive. SkillSmart offers classes in software, customer care and technical training. Dixie Scott is the director of Pace Staffing Network's SkillSmart Learning Center.

Hollywood Lights

Portland-based Hollywood Lights, Inc. has hired Jay Markham as sales/rental manager for the Seattle office. Hollywood Lights is the largest lighting equipment and temporary electrical service provider between Seattle and Sacramento.

Seattle Arts Commission

Mayor Norm Rice has appointed Roger Bass as chair of the Seattle Arts Commission for 1997. Bass is the head of school for University Preparatory Academy. The commission is a City of Seattle agency established in 1971 to increase public awareness of and support for the arts.

Lion Coffee

Lion Coffee, a gourmet coffee from Hawaii is now available in the Pacific Northwest. The coffee is available in 407 stores throughout the Northwest and locally at Safeway, Albertson's, Uddenbergs' and Stock Market Foods. Lion Coffee began roasting in 1864 and by 1890 was one of the largest coffee companies in the world.

Chase Bobko

Chase Bobko has named Diane Zytniak as director of human resources. The Seattle-based information design firm specialize in working with people who need to convert, organize and access large volumes of information.

Unico Properties

Unico Properties, Inc. has named, Lynn Amend as director of public relations. Amend will oversee communication activities for Unico Properties and its subsidiary, Unimark Construction. Unico Properties also named Craig Glazier to a financial analyst position. Glazier's focus is valuing real estate assets, tracking market trends and conducting research to support the Investment Advisory Services group.

Colliers

Todd Gauthier has joined the Bellevue office of Colliers Macaulay Nicolls as a commercial real estate agent, specializing in office and high-tech leasing and sales on the Eastside.

Coldwell Banker Bain

Harry Cummings has been named managing broker of the Coldwell Banker Bain office serving Duvall, Carnation and Monroe. He previously served as managing broker at the firm's Edmonds/North Seattle office. Coldwell Banker Bain also named four new sales associates. Mark Mangold comes to the Bellevue branch from Century 21. Also new to the Bellevue office, LeeAnn Jackson transfers to Coldwell Banker Bain from ReMax. Jackson's sales production ranks in the top three percent of real estate producers nationwide. Patricia Mason returns to the real estate business, also in the Bellevue location. Mason was previously with John L. Scott Real Estate. Elizabeth Lee joins the Mercer Island office from MacPherson Real Estate.

Eagle Mortgage acquisition

Eagle Mortgage, Inc. a mortgage banking firm, with offices in Bellevue, Everett, and Federal Way, has acquired Portland-based Home Mortgage Corp., which has three offices in the Portland metropolitan area. Terms of the transaction between the two private companies were not disclosed. Eagle Mortgage's volume of closed loans in 1996 was approximately $230 million. Home Mortgage closed nearly $200 million worth of loans last year. "We are projecting over a half billion dollars in total closed loans during 1997," Gary Carlson, president of Eagle Mortgage, said. Home Mortgage will retain its own identity in the Portland market area and all employees will be retained.

MBK Northwest buys two centers

MBK Northwest, a division of MBK Real Estate Ltd., has recently acquired two community shopping centers: SeaTac Village in Federal Way and Meridian Village in Bellingham. Future plans for the properties include enhancing and updating the centers and increasing tenant occupancy by year-end 1997. Both Properties were purchased from Meridian Industrial Trust on Dec. 31. Both are positioned across from major shopping malls and occupied by very strong anchor tenants, said Craig Ramey, vice president of MBK Northwest. SeaTac Village is a 153,000-square-foot community shopping center on 15.8 acres of land, located across from SeaTac Mall. Acquisition price was $10.8 million. Meridian Village is a 145,637-square-foot center on 14.8 acres across from Bellis Fair Mall. Acquisition price was $6.9 million.