washington business
Of Note
Boeing Machinists Union Rejects 777X Contract Offer
As of press time, members of the Boeing Machinists union overwhelmingly
rejected a contract extension that would have guaranteed construction of the new
Boeing 777X — along with an estimated 56,000 jobs — in Washington state. The
2-to-1 no vote came just days after nearly every state legislator voted for a package
of tax incentives as part of a special session deal to bring new jobs to Washington.
Gov. Jay Inslee said Washington will now have to compete with other states,
from South Carolina to Texas and California, for construction of the 777X and its
high-tech carbon fiber wings.
Failure to land the job could devastate Washington’s manufacturing economy,
the Seattle Times reported. According to the paper, Boeing’s massive plant in
Everett could be half-empty within eight years if Boeing decides not to build
the 777X here, not to mention the impact on thousands of aerospace-related
suppliers based in Washington state.
Rich Hadley to Retire from Greater Spokane Inc.
Rich Hadley will retire in April of 2014 after 20 years as
president and CEO of Greater Spokane Incorporated.
“I am very proud of our talented staff and exceptional
board leadership who have contributed to so many
successes over the past 20 years,” Hadley said. “It’s
time for the organization to have its next generation of
executive leadership.”
Linda Elkin of U.S. Bank and Scott Morris of Avista
will co-chair the CEO Search Committee.
Jeff Philipps, the 2013 Chair of the Board of Trustees, said Hadley has been a valuable
change agent. He noted Hadley’s commitment to protecting and expanding Fairchild Air Force
Base and his work to bring a new four-year medical school to Spokane.
“His vision, leadership, collaboration and ability to create consensus have brought significant
economic growth and quality of life improvements to Spokane and the region,” said Philipps.
UPS Begins Beta Tests of 3-D
Printing for Small Businesses
UPS is bringing
the potential of
3-D printing to
small businesses.
The company is
the first nationwide retailer to
test 3-D printing in its stores. The
service is beginning in limited areas,
with hopes of expanding it across the
nation in the near future.
The service will be especially useful
for creating prototypes, artistic renderings or promotional materials, the
company said in its announcement.
The Stratasys uPrint SE Plus printer,
known for its ability to print detailed
objects more accurately than home
3-D printers, will allow UPS stores to
produce engineering parts, functional
prototypes, acting props, architectural
models and fixtures for cameras.
“By offering 3-D printing capabilities in-center, we’re able to help
further our small business customers’ opportunities for success,” said
Michelle Van Slyke, vice president of
marketing and small business solutions at The UPS Store.
New Engineering Hall at Saint Martin’s University is Greenest LEED Building in the Western Hemisphere
Saint Martin’s University in Lacey is now home to the highest-rated LEED-certified building
in the Western Hemisphere. Cebula Hall, which houses the university’s school of engineering,
was recently granted LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum
Certification — the premier level — by the U.S. Green Building Council. It was awarded 97
out of 110 possible LEED points, earning the highest rating of any newly built LEED-certified
building in the hemisphere, and the third-highest rating on the planet.
The building, which earned an AWB Environmental Excellence Award this spring, proves
that green construction isn’t necessarily costly. Typical college buildings for non-LEED
laboratory buildings usually start at $275 to $400 per square foot. The three-story Cebula Hall cost $225 per square foot. The construction
team included AWB members Sunset Air, Inc. of Lacey; PCS Structural Solutions of Tacoma; and SCJ Alliance (Shea Carr Jewell) of Olympia.
14 association of washington business