An event featuring national speakers and activities designed to bring together job seekers, policy makers, educators, labor unions, tribes, veterans and a variety of industries is from Oct. 1-3 at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick.Called Connect Tri-Cities, the event is part job fair, scholarship challenge and conference that...
By David ForsythOne sign that an industry is maturing and becoming an important part of the regional economy is the development of an educational infrastructure that trains its existing and future workers. David ForsythAdditional support comes in the form of research from some of these same facilities. Such is the...
By Annie FowlerThe uneven blacktop is gone. So are the weeds growing in the middle of the court, and the basketball hoops that had no nets.In their place is a quality playing surface, complete with green keys and gold free-throw lines. The baskets are reinforced to withstand even the mightiest...
Members of the Benton Rural Electric Association bought out a new solar co-op program in just a week, despite declining incentives for the renewable energy source.Troy Berglund, community development and member relations manager at Benton REA, said he did not know how the program would be received.“I was...
Nearly one in five Americans now listen to audiobooks.That’s because smartphones have helped usher in a new way for consumers to digest books, and audio has quickly become the fastest growing format in the publishing industry.That’s according an Audio Publishers Association’s May 2017 survey.Despite the surge in popularity of audiobooks,...
Small businesses face a lot of challenges. And the least of business owners’ worries should be accepting payments from customers.In the modern era of chip cards, cryptocurrencies, Apple Pay, and other emerging payment methods, processing transactions can be a tedious and frustrating part of running a business.That’s where Kennewick’s BlockChyp...
It turns out data analysis isn’t just a game for number crunchers. For one Richland manufacturer, it’s also a means of finding new ways to improve medical devices and equipment.During the nearly 20 years that SIGN Fracture Care International has been treating patients worldwide, the company’s vast network of surgeons...
Deb Bowen,Executive director,Washington State STEM Education FoundationNumber of employees you oversee:Three, although we plan to grow our staff this year. Brief background of your business. The STEM Foundation serves as a catalyst in ensuring all area young people are aware of, and prepared to participate in, our vibrant STEM economy. We have...
By D. Patrick JonesThe Tri-Cities sport an enviable concentration of talent in science and technology. In economic statistics, most of these professionals show up in the sector “Professional & Technical Services”. The other sectors that contain tech workers are Information and Manufacturing. While firms of lawyers and accountants make up...
By Don C. BrunellIt is impossible to ignore Lampson International’s monstrous cranes in its Pasco assembly yard. Those gantries stand out like the Space Needle in Seattle and reach over 560 feet into the sky. Don C. BrunellLike the Space Needle, Lampson is built on a solid footing. Last month,...