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Wave Division Capital to buy company’s Washington operations for $1.4 billion Frontier Communications customers may submit comments to state regulators on the proposed sale of the company. The company announced in May 2019 that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its operations and all associated assets in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana…

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Pasco and Richland are beginning the new decade with new mayors, while Kennewick opted to retain its veteran. The three city councils each voted for a new mayor and mayor pro tem at their first meetings in January. The three cities have a council-manager form of government. The councils elect mayors to serve two-year terms…

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MOD Pizza confirms it will open its second Tri-City location this summer.  MOD, specializing in made-to-order pizza and salads, will be one of three businesses housed in a new strip mall taking shape in the parking lot of Columbia Center mall, the region’s largest retail center.   Charlotte Wayte, spokeswoman for Seattle-based MOD Pizza, said the chain will lease 2,500-square-feet and…

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Advanced technology helps architects better communicate with clients By Natasha Nellis The flood of technology over the past 10 years has changed the day-to-day operations of Inland Northwest architecture firms, and up-and-coming technology advances have the potential to change the industry even more, experts say. A growing industry of design and building information modeling software,…

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Steve Lee is probably the only small business owner in the Tri-Cities who isn’t complaining about government regulation.  Well, he’s not complaining about the rules governing his newest venture, Green2Go Wellness, the CBD retail and delivery business he opened in the former Franz Bakery Outlet, 419 W. Columbia Drive, in December.  That’s because Lee and his wife, Jessie, also operate Green2Go Recreational, a legal cannabis retailer with stores in…

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Employers might be tempted to take a wait-and-see attitude toward Washington’s new overtime rules that will dramatically increase pay for some salaried workers.  Unlike the new minimum wage rate and paid family leave, which took effect on New Year’s Day, the overtime rules don’t change until July 1. Between now and then is the short…

The post Employers brace for ‘monumental’ changes in 2020 appeared first on Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business.

Columbia Industries has added another business to its portfolio of profit-making enterprises to support its mission to serve hundreds of Tri-Citians with disabilities.  The Kennewick nonprofit announced it purchased Harmon Express, a Lewiston, Idaho-based FedEx Ground independent provider. The deal closed on Nov. 10. Terms were not disclosed.  Harmon Express is now rebranded as CI Express Inc. and services delivery routes in Pullman, Moscow,…

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The Tri-City Development Council is expected to name a chief executive officer to succeed its longtime leader Carl Adrian by the end of January.  The TRIDEC search committee interviewed five candidates and narrowed the field to two finalists by early January.  It was expected to make a final decision on Jan. 9, after the deadline for this edition of the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business. The online version of this story…

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By LoAnn Ayers Census 2020 is unlike any of the 23 that came before it. For the first time, in addition to mail or phone, people will be able to respond online from any device. The U.S. Constitution requires this once-a-decade snapshot of how many people live in each community. A high response rate means…

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Lamb Weston Inc., the Northwest potato giant with a substantial Mid-Columbia footprint, reported significant revenue growth in a quarterly report released in early January.  It also suggested it could be on the cusp of announcing a new production facility.   Eagle, Idaho-based Lamb Weston (NYSE: LW) reported net income of $140.4 million on more than $1 billion in revenue in the second quarter of its 2020 fiscal year, which…

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