Nov 16, 2009

Modern Machinery

Kim Eickerman has joined Modern Machinery as branch manager in Spokane. Previously, Eickerman was general sales manager at Pierce Pacific of Portland. He also developed and maintained Pierce Pacific's OEM agreements with Komatsu and other manufacturers. Eickerman is originally from Spokane and received his bachelor's degree in business management from Eastern Washington University. He has more than 20 years of industrial management experience and eight years of business management in the construction and forestry industry. As the exclusive dealer for Komatsu in the Pacific Northwest, Modern Machinery employs 370-plus workers in 11 locations. For more information, call (800) 332-1617 or visit http://www.modernmachinery.com.

Nov 13, 2009

CFO Selections

CFO Selections is expanding into Eastern Washington with the addition of Kevin Krieger. Krieger is based in Yakima and will offer consulting CFO services to small and mid-size Washington firms east of the Cascades. He has 25 years of experience and was recently manager of the Bellevue team for Lemaster Daniels' CFO As You Grow program.

Bluestar Financial Group

Bluestar Financial Group of Richland, an early stage small ticket electronic equipment leasing company, hired Richard Papworth as interim chief executive officer. Papworth has 20 years of public and private company executive level experience. He recently spent three years as the CFO of Telgian Corp. during a period of high growth.

Starbucks Coffee

Starbucks Coffee Co. hired Kalen Holmes as executive vice president, partner resources. Holmes was recently human resources general manager for the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft, and spent six years with the company.

Nov 12, 2009

Rushing

Rushing hired Tien Peng as director of Blackbird Studio, its sustainability consulting group, and Bryce Perkins in the electrical engineering department. Peng has more than 16 years of experience and has a background in mechanical engineering and architecture. A recent graduate, Perkins has been working on several of the firm's high-rise mixed-use residential projects.

MulvannyG2 Architecture

MulvannyG2 Architecture hired senior associate Yisen Li in its Shanghai office. Li has more than 13 years of experience working on corporate office buildings, mixed-use developments and city planning projects. His most recent position was at Atkins in Shanghai where he worked as a principal architect and division head.

Rice Fergus Miller

Rice Fergus Miller, an architecture, planning and interior design firm in Bremerton, hired three new staff members, bringing the firm's size to 35. Chris Lee is an interior designer who will focus on senior housing and hospitality. He previously designed retail interiors for Starbucks throughout the United States and Asia. Jim Baurichter is an architect with more than 10 years of experience. He will focus on community facilities. Elin Headrick was hired as marketing director. Headrick will work with architects, designers and the visualization lab to coordinate marketing and business development efforts.

Betts, Patterson & Mines

Betts, Patterson & Mines announced Larry Gottlieb has been elected managing shareholder of the firm. Gottlieb specializes in insurance coverage law and works on coverage and extra-contractual liability matters for insurance companies and on the defense of complex liability and damage claims for policy holders.

Big Fish Games

Big Fish Games in Seattle hired Michael Vernon as chief financial officer and Ian Hurlock-Jones as chief technology officer. Vernon spent five years with aQuantive. Hurlock-Jones was CIO of Fox Interactive Media and Buy.com.

Airbiquity

Seattle-based Airbiquity, a global leader in wireless connected services, hired Leo McCloskey as vice president of marketing and product management. McCloskey has almost 20 years experience in product management and marketing. He was vice president of marketing for IntelliTax, a provider of software and services for tax professionals. Airbiquity delivers vehicle telematics and connected services solutions worldwide.

Kuker-Ranken

Mountlake Terrace-based Kuker-Ranken promoted Joe Marlette from service technician to machine control specialist. Marlette, a graduate of Lake Washington Technical College, is selling and supporting machine control products in his new role. He has been with the company for seven years. Kuker-Ranken provides supplies to contractors, surveyors, engineers and architects.

Pape Material Handling

Randy Hall was named regional rental sales manager of Pape Material Handling in California. In his new role, Hall is overseeing rental sales and operations in Central and Northern California and in Reno, Nev. Hall has more than 10 years of experience in the equipment rental industry, most recently with United Rentals in Northern California. Pape Material Handling is part of Eugene, Ore.-based The Pape Group.

Coast|Sperry Van Ness

Coast|Sperry Van Ness said Brett Carlton and Josh Heyum recently coordinated sale of the Claremont Medical Building in Everett to Sea Mar Community Health Center. The Jansen Multifamily Team arranged sale of the Peace Arch Secure Storage in Custer to an out-of-state buyer. The Jansen Multifamily Team includes Josh Jansen, Todd Thompson and Matt Wilson.

Opus

Opus NWR Development said the Washington state chapter of NAIOP named Fifteen Twenty-One Second Avenue the Multi-Family High-Rise of the Year. NAIOP held its annual Night of the Stars awards ceremony Nov. 6. The high-rise condo project is near Pike Place Market. Opus said units average 1,912 square feet and are selling at an average price of $1.88 million.

CBA

Commercial Brokers Association will hold its Commercial Real Estate Insights event Dec. 10 from 7 to 9 a.m. in the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Seattle. The topic is “Game Changers: Leading the Economy Out Of The Recession.” Speakers will be Chris Pratley, general manager, Microsoft Office Labs; Dean Allen, president, McKinstry Co.; and Bill Pollard, co-founder and partner, Talon Private Capital. Cost is $65 per person. To register, go online to http://www.commercialmls.com or call (425) 820-3348.

USAA Real Estate

Affiliates of USAA Real Estate Co. said they have acquired partial interest in the Regency Retail Portfolio, which consists of eight grocery-anchored centers comprising 813,193 square feet. Transaction details have not been disclosed. The portfolio includes properties in major markets across the country. Top lessees include Kroger, Safeway and Longs Drugs.

Real Estate Mortgage Market Litigation

A seminar on “Real Estate Mortgage Market Litigation” will be held Feb. 11, 2010, at the Renaissance Seattle Hotel. The Seminar Group says there will be a lot of litigation in the real estate industry, with investors suing lenders, and borrowers suing lenders, brokers and title companies. To register call (800) 574-4852.