Nov 05, 2020

Thayer Manca adds to portfolio

Local outfit Thayer Manca Residential announced the recent $65.5 acquisition of the Entrada Apartments in Tucson. Joe Manca said in a statement, “We believe Tucson is one of the most vibrant apartment rental markets in the nation. We are thrilled to add this exceptional asset to our Arizona portfolio.” TMR is planning about $5 million in renovations to the complex, slated to include a marketing rebrand, interiors work, more washer/ dryers, modernizing the fitness center, enhancing the pet park and other upgrades. The 424-unit complex is on the north side of town, in the Catalina Foothills neighborhood, near the medical district.

Bellingham apartments land $42M HUD loan

Dwight Capital of New York issued a press release this summer, which summarized nearly $300 million in financing it had secured for various multifamily properties around the county. One was the 339-unit Belleau Woods in Bellingham. Dwight's Josh Sasouness and Josh Hoffman secured the $22.3 million loan from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The 35-year, non-recourse HUD 223(f) loan allowed the owner to refinance at a very low rate, which also benefits from Green Mortgage Insurance Premium (“MIP”) reduction of 25 basis points. Developed in 2003 on nearly 16 acres, the complex has 17 three-story buildings plus a community building and fitness center. This is the fourth time that Dwight Capital has secured such a loan for the borrower, a California family group that acquired the complex in 2014 for $14.6 million. Belleau Woods is a little north of downtown, at Exit 257 from Interstate 5.

Ste. Michelle Wine Estates

Legg

Ste. Michelle Wine Estates has appointed Derika Legg as vice president, West Region. She will lead the company's sales organization in the seven-state region that includes Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Montana, Alaska and Hawaii. Legg joins Ste. Michelle from a consultancy she founded in 2016 – D2 Consulting and On The Horizon Coaching – where she specialized in helping small to mid-size beverage startups launch and expand regionally and nationally. Previously, Legg spent seven years with PepsiCo in a variety of roles including national account manager, director of innovation and senior director of business development.

Washington Wine Foundation

The Washington Wine Industry Foundation will offer more than $30,000 in scholarships this year for students studying viticulture, enology, or any related disciplines. Applications are due by May 31, 2021. Scholarships include: Foundation Fund Scholarship, which ranges from $2,000 to $10,000; Horse Heaven Hills Wine Growers Scholarship, two scholarships of $3,000 with preference to students who reside in Benton, Yakima, or Klickitat counties and whose parents are employed in the Washington wine industry; Walter J. Clore Scholarship; and the George & Susan Carter Scholarship, established to help students of limited means attain degrees in viticulture and enology. Since 2002, the foundation has awarded more than $350,000 to more than 220 students for education in the grape and wine industry. Application information is available at http://www.washingtonwinefoundation.org.

NextGen TV

TEGNA's KONG-TV announced it has partnered with GatesAir on the technological infrastructure for the launch of NextGen TV in the Seattle-Tacoma market. Pending final FCC approvals, TEGNA's independent station KONG-TV plans to begin NextGen TV broadcasts for KONG-TV and KING 5, the NBC affiliate in Seattle, in early December, with KONG-TV serving as the host, or lighthouse station. GatesAir will supply its Maxiva ULXTE-30 liquid-cooled transmitter to support over-the-air transmission of the NextGen TV signal. GatesAir will also provide installation and commissioning support leading up to the early December launch. GatesAir, a portfolio company of The Gores Group, provides solutions for over-the-air radio and television broadcasting.

Picnic Pizza System

Seattle-based Picnic, a provider of food production technology and Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS) solutions, announced updates to its automated pizza assembly system. The company also announced the addition of food industry executives to the company's leadership team: Kati Fritz-Jung as chief food scientist, Lamont Glendinning as vice president of sales, Don Coyner as brand director, and Tim Talda as vice president of engineering. Founded in 2016, Picnic provides specialized intelligent technology and solutions for the food service and hospitality industries.

Nov 04, 2020

American Board of Trial Advocates

Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis was named Judge of the Year by the Washington State chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates, a national organization that works to advance the civil jury trial and elevate the standards of the legal profession. The Judge of the Year award recognizes an individual that strives to uphold and defend the ethics and standards of the United States judiciary system. Justice Montoya-Lewis has served on the Washington State Supreme Court since her appointment in December 2019, and prior to that spent five years on the Whatcom County Superior Court. Justice Montoya-Lewis has previously served as the chief judge of the Lummi Nation, the Upper Skagit Valley Indian Tribe and the Nooksack Indian Tribe.

Gateway Mortgage Group

Gateway Mortgage Group, a division of Gateway First Bank, announced it has opened a new mortgage center in Washington to meet increased demand from local communities for home financing. The new opening in Battle Ground, brings Gateway's footprint to two in the state of Washington and more than 150 mortgage centers across the United States. Gateway is headquartered in Jenks, Oklahoma.

Traction Guest

Traction Guest, specializing in cloud-based solutions for enterprise visitor management systems (VMS), announced Alex Elson has joined as director of risk management and security integrator alliances. Elson brings over 20 years' experience in security risk management, including president of International SOS. At Traction Guest, Elson will contribute to building out the strategic partner network, expand the security integrator business, and help educate the market on the role of VMS in mitigating risk and enhancing duty of care strategies.

Metrix Engineers

Nordlund

Herrin

Renton-based mechanical engineering design and consulting firm Metrix Engineers promoted Melinda Herrin and Eric Nordlund to principal. As part of its leadership team for the past seven years, Nordlund and Herrin have been integral to the firm's steady growth. In addition to mentoring the new staff, they each exemplify Metrix's inclusive and enjoyable culture. Herrin has over 15 years of HVAC design and construction administration experience, specializing in the K-12 market. In addition to her consulting and design engineering responsibilities, she oversees the firm's Building Information Modeling management and staff hiring processes. Nordlund has over 14 years of experience, specializing in the K-12 and commercial office markets. In addition to his consulting and design engineering responsibilities, he oversees the firm's building energy analysis simulations, life cycle cost estimating and quality assurance activities.

Bassetti Architects

Denning

Gomez

In Seattle, Bassetti Architects promoted Audrey Gomez and Brittney Denning to associate. Gomez has used strong technical and leadership skills to navigate design teams through large complex projects in her four years with the firm. Most recently, she completed construction documents for the Issaquah School District design build for a new high school and elementary school. She will continue to work on K-12 projects and be a technical resource for the office. Denning led the exterior restoration for Everett High School (listed on the National Register of Historic Places) and was integral in the restoration of Lincoln High School, a Seattle landmark. She is also involved in student mentorship. Bassetti provides architecture, interior design and experiential graphic design services.

ALSC Architects

Phelps

Bishop

Johansen

ALSC Architects of Spokane promoted Tina Johansen, Troy Bishop and Kim Phelps to associate principal. Johansen is an interior designer specializing in municipal and hospitality markets. Projects she has worked on include Northern Quest Resort & Casino expansion in Airway Heights, the STA Plaza renovation in Spokane and the Yakima Convention Center expansion. Bishop is the firm's director of design. He has worked on the Northern Quest expansion, Whitworth University Athletics Leadership Center in Spokane and the expansion of Southridge High School in Kennewick. Phelps is ALSC's director of technical design. Projects she has worked on include Ridgeline High School (Central Valley School District) in Spokane Valley, the Walla Walla Community College Science & Technology Building and the Spokane Convention Center expansion. ALSC provides planning and design services.