Dec 10, 1996

Alliance Communications

Alliance Communications has relocated its offices back to the eastside. The new office is located in Continental Office Park at 13333 Bel-Red Rd., Suite 105, Bellevue, WA 98005-2332. The new phone number is (206) 957-0654, fax (206) 957-0818, or e-mail at: Cheri4PR@sprynet.com.

TMG/Ciber, Inc.

Technology Management Group, Inc. (TMG) has merged with Ciber, Inc. Based in Bellevue, TMG is a regional Information Technology (IT) consulting services firm providing IT consulting services throughout the Puget Sound. Ciber is a nationwide provider of IT consulting services headquartered in Englewood, Colorado. The TMG headquarters in Bellevue will now serve as Ciber's Seattle branch office.

Dec 09, 1996

ARIS

ARIS Corporation, an information systems consulting, training and software development company headquartered in Seattle, has opened a new regional consulting office in the Tampa Bay, Florida region. Richard Jagisch will act as the regional manager in the new office. This is the fifth expansion in seven months for ARIS, which was recently listed as the 241st fastest growing company in America on the "Inc. 500" list.

Dec 04, 1996

Carlson

Three new staff members have been hired at Donald Carlson and Associates Architects. Russ Brown, a graduate of the University of Oregon, has worked with several firms in Denver, including Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. His commercial projects while there include The Mellon Center and the Georgio Hotel in Denver and hospitality projects in St. Louis and Telluride, Col. He joins Carlson as project manager for Overlake School's Campus Center renovation and portable classrooms coordination, and the Lakeside School's renovations for the McAllister Fine Arts Building and the Refectory Campus Center. Lana Lisitsa, a graduate of the School of Architecture of Odessa, Ukraine, worked for the Mulvanny Partnership prior to joining Carlson. She is now project manager for the Sanislo Public Elementary School renovation and has worked on the Bainbridge Island Master Plan & Residential Development. She manages the firm's CAD system. Mark Withrow, who holds degrees in fine arts and in architecture from Louisiana State University, comes to Carlson from the Virgin Islands, where he was a principal in his own firm.

Metawave

Redmond based Metawave Communications Corporation, providers of management solutions for wireless service providers, has hired Jim McLernon as director of field services. He will help head up the company's worldwide field services group, overseeing the installation, service and repair of Metawave's multibeam antenna systems.

Dec 03, 1996

WALP

The Washington Association of Landscape Professionals has announced the recipients of its 13th annual Environmental Landscape Awards program. Winners are: Berg's Landscaping of Woodinville, two awards for the Kahle and Mellen residences; Environmental Pride Inc. of Woodinville, one award for the Pacific Regent Retirement Center; Hendrikus Schraven Landscape Construction & Design of Issaquah, two awards for the Shurtleff and McKeehan residences; Horticulture Plus Inc. of Vancouver, four awards for Fishers Mill Apartments, Eastridge Business Park, The Cove and Prairie View Apartments; Lake East Grounds Maintenance Inc. of Redmond, two awards for the Spaulding residence and Gallery Place Apartments; Ohno Construction Co. of Seattle, one award for the West Point Treatment Plant landscaping; Parkwood Services Inc. of Seattle, three awards for Robinswood House, the Koehler residence and Luther Burbank Park; Plants a la Cart of Bothell, three awards for an indoor tropical rainforest, the Pacific Institute and Country Color; Scott Koppes Landscape Designs of Issaquah, one award for the Phillips residence; Skinner Landscape Service Inc. of Mill Creek, one award for the Nelson residence; Teufel Nursery Inc. of Everett, one award for Microsoft's Redmond West Campus; and Woody's Custom Landscaping of Battle Ground, two awards for the Jacobsen and Johnson residences.

Nov 27, 1996

GM gets creative in marketing electric car

TROY, Mich. (AP) -- With the help of waddling toasters, flying fans and an army of other appliances come to life, General Motors Corp. launches a media blitz next week to introduce its electric car to California and Arizona. GM isn't saying how much it plans to spend on the campaign for the EV1, but officials said Monday the ads will saturate the four urban markets where the two-seater becomes available for lease Dec. 5. "If you're alive in these markets over the next few months, you'll see one of these ads," said Joe Kennedy, vice president of sales, service and marketing for GM's Saturn Corp. subsidiary, which will market the EV1. On the night of Dec. 5, television viewers in Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix and Tucson, Ariz., will see the introductory, 90-second EV1 commercial put together by Industrial Light and Magic, the special effects studio started by "Star Wars" creator George Lucas. It features dozens of electric appliances that come alive, squeaking and gurgling in anticipation as they hurriedly hop, roll and fly out of their suburban homes and onto the curb to witness the arrival of the EV1. In the background is a score that sounds like a cut from the "ET" soundtrack. The only voice-over comes as the car stops and the appliances crowd around it on the street: "The electric car is here." The attention-grabbing commercial is something of a departure for the normally conservative GM and even for its more creative Saturn unit, whose down-home ads featuring Saturn workers and owners have become its trademark. "We presented some very scary stuff for EV advertising, and our partners at Saturn ... went with some of these bizarre recommendations," said Steven Morrissey, senior vice president at Hal Riney & Partners Inc., the San Francisco firm that has the Saturn ad account. The campaign focuses on the uniqueness of the first electric car intended for mass production by a Big Three automaker. In one highly stylized magazine ad, the EV1 is a silvery blur racing down a desolate road. "You will never again use the words, 'Fill 'er up.' Or 'check the oil,"' the ad reads. "Never utter the need for a tune-up. Or a smog check. Nope. You will simply say, 'Unplug the car and let's go."' In addition to TV, the campaign will use newspapers, magazines, billboards, theaters and the Internet. "Teaser ads" began appearing Monday on 27 billboards in Southern California. "You can't hear it coming, but it is," they read. On Dec. 4, they'll be changed to state, "The electric car is here." Target buyers for the car are 35-54 years old, college graduates with family incomes of more than $125,000 and a strong interest in the environment and new technology. Much of the magazine advertising will appear in upscale publications, such as Architectural Digest, The New Yorker and Atlantic Monthly. The car is being targeted in the Southwest in part because California has mandated that electric vehicles comprise 10 percent of cars sold in that state by 2003. The region's warm climate and commuter lifestyle also are well-suited to the EV1's lead-acid batteries, which have a range of 70-90 miles per charge.

Nov 26, 1996

Saltmine Creative

Saltmine Creative, Inc., a Seattle-based Internet and creative development firm, will be moving its office effective Dec. 2 to 1725 Westlake Ave. N., Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98109. Their new phone number will be (206)284-7511, the fax number will be (206)284-7875.

Trillium Corporation

In attempt to diversify its portfolio into the rapidly growing electronic commerce market, the Trillium Corporation has purchased a 25 percent interest in DATA Clearinghouse Corporation. Trillium, a Bellingham-based international investment firm, will provide DATA Clearinghouse with capital and management counsel helping the company to increase market penetration in a growing electronic commerce niche -- the interchange of billing and other information between major corporations and their outside law firms. DATA Clearinghouse offers Pro/Fee Management Services, a combination of software and network-based solutions designed to enhance the solid business relationships which corporations have developed with their outside law firms. Trillium will also hold two of six board positions.

CFA

The Concrete Foundations Association has created a new site on the World Wide Web. The website contains information about the concrete foundation industry and the association. The address is http://www.concreteworld.com/cfa.