Jan 11, 2022

University Place

During its first meeting of 2022, the University Place City Council elected its member Steve Worthington to serve as the city's mayor for 2022-2023. Council member Javier Figueroa was elected to serve as mayor pro tem and council member Edward Wood was chosen to lead the city's finance committee. Pierce County Superior Court judge Grant Blinn administered the oath of office for council members Figueroa, Worthington, Wood and Denise McCluskey, who were elected by voters in November to four-year terms. Worthington served as mayor pro tem under Caroline Belleci from January 2020 to December 2021. He has represented University Place City Council Position 3 since 2014. Worthington brings more than 25 years of leadership experience to his new role, including serving as city manager for Fife.

LeoStella

Loft Orbital Solutions, a space infrastructure-as-a-service provider, and LeoStella, a specialized satellite constellation design and manufacturing company, have extended their production agreement to secure multiple additional LeoStella LEO-100 buses. LeoSella's manufacturing facility uses a digital process tethered to a supply chain to make satellite production more flexible and efficient. Based in Tukwila, LeoStella is a joint venture between Thales Alenia Space and BlackSky. The company was founded to meet the growing demand for efficient satellite development and manufacturing arising from the increasing number of constellations. Loft Orbital provides rapid and simplified access to orbit for customer missions. The company has developed modular hardware and software products that enable any payload to fly on any commodity satellite bus.

Xealth

Built In announced that Xealth, a leader in enabling digital health at scale, was honored in its 2022 Best Places to Work Awards. Xealth earned a place on the Best Places to Work and Best Small Business to Work for in Seattle. The annual awards program includes companies of all sizes, and honors both remote-first employers as well as companies in the eight largest tech markets across the U.S. Built In determines the winners based on an algorithm, using company data about compensation, benefits and company-wide programming. The program also weighs criteria like remote and flexible work opportunities, programs for DEI and other people-first cultural offerings. This is the fourth year for the awards. Xealth enables clinicians to integrate, prescribe and monitor digital health tools for patients through is secure platform. Xealth spun out of Providence St. Joseph Health in 2017.

Retina Institute of Washington

Comprehensive EyeCare Partners, a vision care practice management organization, has entered into a strategic partnership with Retina Institute of Washington, a leading retina practice. Retina Institute of Washington, led by surgeon George Ko, provides diagnosis and treatment of retinal and vitreous conditions using the latest advances in medicine and technology, and has four doctors supporting three practices in the greater Seattle area. It is the third ophthalmology practice to partner with CompEye in the state. Las Vegas-based CompEye provides full-spectrum practice management and administrative services to its affiliated physicians and practices. It currently provides support services to 104 doctors, 48 clinics and eight ambulatory surgery centers across 11 practices in Nevada, Washington, Utah and Texas.

Hermanson Co.

Ammentorp

In Kent, Hermanson Co. hired Neil Ammentorp as chief operating officer. Ammentorp has over 30 years of experience in all levels of commercial and industrial construction, including a stint as vice president of operations at API Group subsidiary Metropolitan Mechanical Contractors. Hermanson says Ammentorp's knowledge of construction management, conceptual design, estimating, software implementation, facility management and predictive energy savings will help guide the company's continued growth and expanded service offerings.

G3 builders

Modica

Seattle-based G3 builders hired TJ Modica as a partner. Modica has over 25 years of experience in the construction industry, having served as project manager and senior project manager for some of Seattle's most notable construction firms. He has managed complex renovation projects and tenant improvements in the life science, mission critical, technology and corporate office sectors. G3 is a commercial general contractor specializing in complex life science projects. It was founded in 2017.

ABC of Western Washington

The Associated Builders and Contractors of Western Washington has two new members: Wide Effect Talent Solutions of Mukilteo; and Faber Construction of Lynden. Wide Effect provides construction staffing. Faber is a general contractor focusing on commercial, industrial and institutional construction, as well as civil construction and utility work.

Jan 07, 2022

Darigold

Seattle-based Darigold announced that President and CEO Stan Ryan will retire on March 31, the end of the co-op's fiscal year. Ryan joined the company in 2016 after spending 25 years at Cargill, serving as president or general manager of seven businesses in five countries. Joe Coote, current president of Darigold's Global Ingredients Division, will take over as CEO under a succession plan. Coote has been with Darigold for about a year. He has 14 years of senior leadership experience in the global and domestic dairy sectors. Darigold is the marketing and processing subsidiary of Northwest Dairy Association, which is a co-op owned by nearly 350 dairy farms in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. Darigold says it's preparing to break ground on a new dairy processing facility in Pasco.

Funko

Everett-based Funko, a pop culture consumer products company, appointed Charles Denson as board chair. Denson is president and CEO of Anini Vista Advisors and has served on the Funko board since its formation in 2017. He replaces Ken Brotman of ACON Investments, who continues as a board member. The company also announced that newly appointed CEO Andrew Perlmutter has joined the board, replacing Gino Dellomo of ACON Investments. Former Funko CEO Brian Mariotti is now the company's chief creative officer.

T-Mobile

5G Americas, a wireless cellular industry trade association, selected Neville Ray as board chair. Ray is president of technology at Bellevue-based T-Mobile, where he oversees management and development of T-Mobile's wireless network, its information technology services, and technology operations. He has been a board member of 5G Americas for over 11 years, including two previous terms as chair. Bellevue-based 5G Americas advocates for the advancement and transformation of LTE and 5G cellular networks.

RedCloud Consulting

Bellevue business management and technology consulting firm RedCloud Consulting acquired Denny Mountain Media, a Seattle-based digital staffing agency specializing in digital content, design and marketing. RedCloud says the deal adds depth and expertise in marketing and digital design, and positions the firm for ongoing expansion in a tight labor market.