Hanford Advisory Board seeks new members

The Hanford Advisory Board (HAB) is seeking new members to advise federal and state agencies on the ongoing cleanup of the Hanford site in southeast Washington.

The Tri-Party Agreement agencies – the U.S. Department of Energy, state Department of Ecology and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – are accepting applications through Oct. 31 for several vacant seats on the board.

The vacant seats are for members that represent the public-at-large and organizations from communities near the Hanford site and the region.

The HAB is a nonpartisan representative body that strives to have board members that represent a broad and balanced mix of diverse interests affected by Hanford cleanup issues. As set forth in its charter, the primary mission of the board is to provide informed recommendations and advice to the Tri-Party Agreement agencies on selected major policy issues related to Hanford Site cleanup.

Members are expected to attend quarterly full board meetings and have the option to join topic-specific committees that also meet on a quarterly basis. HAB members are not paid but do receive reimbursement for travel expenses while attending meetings.

Applications for membership at: hanford.gov/page.cfm/hab.

Commerce director makes Tri-Cities stop

Mike Fong, the new director of the Washington State Department of Commerce, paid a visit to the Tri-Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce on Aug. 23 during a stop in the Tri-Cities.

He spoke with chamber leaders and small business owners for about an hour, in a wide-ranging conversation that touched on everything from Covid-19 impacts, to the need for more bilingual resources, to the chamber’s participation in the department’s Small Business Resiliency Network.

Tony Lozano, a local small business owner who works in early learning, asked about funding opportunities, noting that child care is a top concern for workers and employers alike.

Lozano operates Fun to Learn and Lolita’s Little Ones with partner Elodia Gutierrez.

“The early education field has been underserved,” Lozano said. “It’s a domino effect for everybody. We hope that the Department of Commerce focuses on that because early education is essential for the future and for the economy. I think injecting more money benefits everybody.”

Fong agreed that child care is a critical issue in business.

“Right now, one of the top questions and concerns we get from small business and medium-sized businesses is workforce. It’s hard to find workers. A lot of that stems from child care,” he said, adding that his department “has a growing responsibility in this space.”

Fong thanked the small business owners for sharing their ideas.

“There’s a lot more to talk about,” he said. “We just started to touch on education, future opportunities, pathways to jobs. There is a bigger conversation for the Tri-Cities, this area, what the future looks like. We want to make sure that communities of color are part of this prosperity that is coming.”

Tri-City Herald announces plans to cut print editions

The Mid-Columbia’s daily newspaper is cutting back its print edition to twice a week.

The Tri-City Herald said the editions would print Wednesdays and Sundays starting Oct. 23. It will continue to be delivered by mail, with the Sunday edition arriving on Saturday.

The Herald stopped printing its Saturday edition in November 2019.

The paper’s eEdition will continue to publish seven days a week.

3 Tri-City companies named to Inc.’s fastest growing list

Three Richland companies were included in Inc. business magazine’s annual list of the 5,000 fastest growing companies in the country.

The financial services firm Epic Trust Financial Group of Richland ranked No. 1,295 with 452% annual growth over three years.

Gravis Law in Richland ranked No. 2,705 with 198% annual growth over three years.

Christensen of Richland ranked No. 4,586 with 90% annual growth over three years.

The Inc. list ranks companies according to percentage revenue growth from 2019-22. To qualify, companies must have 2019 revenue of at least $100,000 and $2 million in 2022. They also must have been founded and generating revenue by March 2019 and be U.S. based, privately held, for-profit and independent – not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies.

TRIDEC forms Energy Forward Alliance

TRIDEC has formed an Energy Forward Alliance focusing on the “transition to a reliable and resilient clean energy future in the Mid-Columbia region,” the organization said in an announcement.

The alliance is in search of an executive director.

The advertised salary range for the position is $100,000-$125,000.

The alliance will use the clean energy leadership, skills and knowledge of the region to “leverage existing clean energy technologies and develop and deploy new and additional technologies to deliver a clean energy community model that will inspire communities across the state, nation and world to participate in a sustainable future,” the announcement said.

The Tri-City Development Council, or TRIDEC, is leading the alliance and is establishing a separate 501(c)3 whose “mission will be to provide dedicated, inspiring leadership and governance to marshal the leadership, assets, funding, partnerships and collaborations needed to deliver on the vision.”

Radius Recycling announces ticker symbol change

Schnitzer Steel Industries Inc., doing business as Radius Recycling, announced that the company’s common stock began trading on NASDAQ under the symbol “RDUS” at the open of market trading on Sept. 1, which coincides with the start of the company’s fiscal year.

“RDUS” replaces the company’s current ticker symbol “SCHN,” which has been used since its initial public offering in 1993. The new ticker symbol aligns with the company’s rebranding from Schnitzer Steel to Radius Recycling, announced on July 26.

Radius Recycling has a facility in Burbank.

Go to: radiusrecycling.com.

Exhibit featuring farmworkers comes to WSU Tri-Cities

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month in September and October, Washington State University Tri-Cities is showing an exhibit featuring Yakima Valley farmworkers.

“Rooted: Irwin Nash Photographs of Yakima Valley Farmworkers” is on display at the Art Center in the Consolidated Information Center building through Oct. 20.

Though Nash’s project started as a freelance magazine piece, it led to 9,400 photographs captured between 1967-76, more than 40 of which will be displayed at this exhibit, documenting Chicano livelihood. Nash’s photographs, largely unknown before now, show scenes from the daily lives of the farmworkers, helping to document their histories and inspiring the community to share their stories and memories.

Soroptimists celebrate 75th anniversary

Soroptimist International of Pasco-Kennewick celebrates its 75th anniversary on Sept. 16.

The club was chartered by Soroptimist International of Spokane on Aug. 19, 1948, and has continued to grow over the years.

Today, it has 70 members and hosts two major fundraising activities each year: Dream Builders Breakfast in the spring, which has raised $40,000 in the past, and Bunco in the fall.

The club, along with its sibling, Soroptimist International of Three Rivers, works on the Tri-Cities Soroptimist Against Trafficking and the Dream It Be It programs.

Soroptimist International focuses on helping and empowering women and girls with an emphasis on education, and SIPK channels $40,000 of its funds to scholarships and awards.

New name signals launch of PTAC workshops

The Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce and Washington Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) launched the first installment of the “Yes You Can! Contracts with the Government” program on Aug. 30. The program used to be known as “Procurement Power Hour,” and is designed to provide insight into the world of procurement by bringing local business owners together in interactive, knowledge-sharing sessions.

The goal is to help businesses find, bid, win and perform on federal, state and local government contracts. With a new PTAC counselor on board since the sessions last ran, the program’s new name signals a fresh start, said Austin Regimbal, marketing and communications director for the chamber.

The workshops will cover a variety of topics. Chamber membership isn’t required – but online registration is due to limited space. Go to: washingtonptac.ecenterdirect.com/events.

Washington ranks No. 3 for best state for small business taxes

 Washington state ranks as the No. 3 best state nationwide for small business taxes. 

That’s according to a new study by Simplify LLC, a business consulting company. 

To determine which states are the most tax-friendly to small businesses in 2023, Simplify LLC analyzed federal data across five key factors that affect small enterprises: corporate taxes, personal income taxes, sales taxes, property taxes and unemployment taxes. 

Its analysis found that states with no or low personal and corporate income taxes are the most tax-friendly for small businesses, even when they have higher taxes for property, sales and unemployment compared with other states. 

Nevada is the No. 1 best state for small business taxes, fueled by no corporate or personal income taxes and, along with a handful of other states, the lowest maximum unemployment tax rate at 5.4%. 

New Jersey is the No. 1 worst state for small business taxes, driven by the second-highest per capita property tax in the U.S. and high taxes on sales as well as corporate and personal income. 

A separate Simplify analysis ranked Washington last in startup survival rate, with 40.4% of businesses started in 2016 lasting five years. Oregon ranked No. 1 on this list with a 58.2% survival rate.

Volunteer sought for Richland boards, committees, commissions

The city of Richland has six board, committee and commission vacancies, which provide opportunities for public involvement.

The following have vacancies: Board of Adjustment, which participates in public hearings on special use permits and variances; Economic Development Committee, which serves as an advisory body to set goals, strategies and policies; Library Board, which establishes policies and plans year budgets for library services; Personnel Committee, which monitors the administration, oversees violations and hears appeals; Planning Commission, which advises and oversees plans for the physical development of the city; and Utility Advisory Committee, which advises on policy and plans the fiscal operations of Richland’s Utilities.

Go to: ci.richland.wa.us/bccvacancies.

Nonprofit serving the Tri-Cities to share in Commerce grants for legal aid

Eight organizations across Washington will share in $15.4 million in state Department of Commerce grants to provide legal help to low-income immigrants, and a nonprofit serving the Tri-Cities area is among them. Catholic Charities Eastern Washington is receiving $400,000.

The organization serves Adams, Asotin, Benton, Columbia, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla and Whitman counties. It “affirms the dignity of every person, partnering with parishes and the greater community to serve and advocate for those who are vulnerable, bringing stability and hope to people throughout Eastern Washington,” the organization says on its website. It offers everything from counseling to immigration support.

State receives $4.8 million in specialty crop block grants

The state Department of Agriculture received a $4.8 million grant to fund 21 projects to “enhance the competitiveness of specialty crop products and create new market opportunities for the state’s specialty crop producers,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced in a statement.

The projects include more than $249,000 for the Washington State Tree Fruit Association, plus other projects to control pests and diseases, improve food safety and minimize recalls, train and educate growers and food processors, improve innovative technologies, and market specialty crops.