As the official support publication of Whatcom Business Alliance, we report on business and commerce issues and features throughout Whatcom County.
10/31/2025
Look who’s in the PULSE photo feature of 50-year-old-plus businesses!
Throughout 2025, Business Pulse magazine is celebrating its 50th year of publication – and celebrating 50-year-old-plus businesses. In the current issue, read about the evolution of Blackburn Office Furniture & Design, Brooks Manufacturing (just purchased by Canadian company Stella-Jones), Mt. Baker Vision Clinic, and Pacific Continental Realty: businesspulse.com/sep-oct-2025, pages 10 – 13.
Pictured: Dr. Jeff Larson and Dr. Wayne Musselman at Mt. Baker Vision Clinic, circa 1984. Photo courtesy of Mt. Baker Vision Clinic.
Published by the Whatcom Business Alliance, Business Pulse has been covering the entrepreneurial spirit and economic influence of business talents in Whatcom County for 50 years. Join the WBA (whatcombusinessalliance.com/join-us), receive a complimentary subscription, and stay connected!
10/31/2025
Dann Mead Smith lays out a timeline for taxes and fees recently passed by the Washington State Legislature and signed into law by Governor Bob Ferguson. Read about the schedule as well as the perspective of the co-founder and co-director of Project 42: businesspulse.com/sep-oct-2025, page 60.
Project 42 is an organization dedicated to free markets, personal liberty, and an individual’s right to prosper.
COMPLIMENTARY SUBSCRIPTION! Join the Whatcom Business Alliance (whatcombusinessalliance.com/join-us), receive a complimentary subscription to Business Pulse magazine, and stay connected. Published by the WBA, Pulse (businesspulse.com) has been covering the entrepreneurial spirit and economic influence of business talents in Whatcom County for 50 years.
Contributor: Dann Mead Smith. Photo courtesy of DMS.
10/30/2025
Register now! Get your tickets and tables to the next event from the Whatcom Business Alliance: the Economic Forecast Breakfast on Wednesday, December 3, 7 – 9 am, at the Bellingham Golf & Country Club: whatcombusinessalliance.com/events.
Wells Fargo’s Nicole Cervi will present the national forecast and implications for your business. Hart Hodges — a professor in the department of economics at Western Washington University and director of Western’s Center for Economic and Business Research — will deliver the local outlook for Whatcom County in 2026. Tickets include a delicious, hot breakfast buffet at the Bellingham Golf & Country Club.
The WBA is grateful to title sponsor Wells Fargo and event sponsors Saturna Capital, bp, WRS, Larson Gross, and Peoples Bank. Photos courtesy of WBA.
10/29/2025
Two-term Whatcom County Council Member Tyler Byrd delivers explanation and insight on the 12 proposed amendments for Whatcom County. Only in Business Pulse magazine, read how this council member, with private-sector experience, evaluates the costs and benefits of the amendments on your ballot: businesspulse.com/sep-oct-2025, page 58.
COMPLIMENTARY SUBSCRIPTION! Join the Whatcom Business Alliance (whatcombusinessalliance.com/join-us), receive a complimentary subscription to Business Pulse magazine, and stay connected. Published by the WBA, Pulse (businesspulse.com) has been covering the entrepreneurial spirit and economic influence of business talents in Whatcom County for 50 years.
Contributor: Tyler Byrd.
10/24/2025
Whatcom business leaders, don’t miss this insightful column on why artificial intelligence matters now!
Dana Rozier, Nova Consulting AI founder, presents a practical guide, in her startingly clear style, on how business leaders, even non-technical types, can immediately implement AI. Read Dana’s column, only in Business Pulse magazine: businesspulse.com/sep-oct-2025, page 55.
COMPLIMENTARY SUBSCRIPTION! Join the Whatcom Business Alliance (whatcombusinessalliance.com/join-us), receive a complimentary subscription to Business Pulse magazine, and stay connected. Published by the WBA, Pulse (businesspulse.com) has been covering the entrepreneurial spirit and economic influence of business talents in Whatcom County for 50 years.
Contributor: Dana Rozier. Photo courtesy of DR.
10/23/2025
Justin Gross delivers a business owner’s guide to personal financial planning, only in Business Pulse magazine. Read how this financial planner smartly guides business owners to give attention to their own financial futures: businesspulse.com/sep-oct-2025, page 53.
COMPLIMENTARY SUBSCRIPTION! Join the Whatcom Business Alliance (whatcombusinessalliance.com/join-us), receive a complimentary subscription to Business Pulse magazine, and stay connected. Published by the WBA, Pulse (businesspulse.com) has been covering the entrepreneurial spirit and economic influence of business talents in Whatcom County for 50 years.
Contributor: Justin Gross. Photo courtesy of JG.
10/21/2025
Register now! If you missed last week’s business event presented by the Whatcom Business Alliance, get your tickets and tables to WBA’s NEXT event: the Economic Forecast Breakfast on Wednesday, December 3, 7 – 9 am, at the Bellingham Golf & Country Club: whatcombusinessalliance.com/events.
Be at Whatcom’s best business events! Pictured: 1) Last week, the WBA hosted the Leaders of Industry Issues Forum, where Washington Policy Center’s Paul Guppy delivered big-picture business analysis. 2) City of Bellingham Mayor Kim Lund wowed. 3) Port of Bellingham Commissioner Ken Bell presented a candid analysis of changes and accomplishments at the POB. 4) Business coach Tom Doll inspired a full house at the Hotel Bellwether Ballroom. 5) Networking. 6) Left to right: event moderator Pam Brady, City of Bellingham Mayor Kim Lund, event host and WBA Executive Director Barbara Chase. 7) Hotel Bellwether ballroom. Final) Thank you to our sponsors. Photo credit: Sattva Photo.
SMART, POLISHED, FUN: register for the best business events with your WBA.
10/20/2025
Do you know the term “artificial intelligence,” but are you unsure of how to use it in your work? This free WBA Lunch and Learn event is for you!
Using specific, easy-to-implement steps, Nova Consulting AI founder Dana Rozier (pictured first) will take non-technical AI learners from beginners to confident users. Washington Trust Bank’s commercial banker Rob Camandona will show practical examples of how he’s using AI to save time and drive results in daily work.
When: Tuesday, October 21, noon – 1 pm
Location: Zoom — sign up below to receive the Zoom link by email
Register for free NOW: whatcombusinessalliance.com/events
Artificial intelligence is the capability of a computer system to perform complex tasks. Learn how to use AI: expect practical examples, a safe space for beginner questions, and ideas you can take back to your business in the same day.
SMART, POLISHED, FUN: register for the best business events in Whatcom with your WBA.
10/16/2025
On Thursday, October 16, the Whatcom Business Alliance is excited to present the Leaders of Industry Issues Forum, where industry experts lead a lively discussion about policies affecting your business. We are grateful to these generous sponsors who make Whatcom a better place to do business.
10/15/2025
FEATURE STORY: “Humble, hungry and smart” at Highline Construction!
Highline Construction places a high value on a team culture where people are “humble, hungry and smart.” Read about founder Trevor Swezey and his crew’s positive culture and honest reputation in the current issue of Business Pulse magazine: businesspulse.com/sep-oct-2025, page 63.
COMPLIMENTARY SUBSCRIPTION! Join the Whatcom Business Alliance (whatcombusinessalliance.com/join-us), receive a complimentary subscription to Business Pulse magazine, and stay connected. Published by the WBA, Pulse (businesspulse.com) has been covering the entrepreneurial spirit and economic influence of business talents in Whatcom County for 50 years.
Pictured: 1) Marietta Scandinavian design build. 2) Highline Construction founder Trevor Swezey. 3) Historic remodel and addition. 4) Highline Construction founder Trevor Swezey (lower right in green) and the Highline Construction crew during a Habitat for Humanity build. Photos courtesy of Highline Construction. Writer: Matt Benoit.
10/13/2025
Be at this week’s BEST business event! Here’s who is leading the conversation about local and state policies affecting your business: Washington Policy Center’s Paul Guppy, Mayor Kim Lund, Port Commissioner Ken Bell, and business coach Tom Doll. Be part of the conversation at WBA’s Leaders of Industry: whatcombusinessalliance.com/events.
At the Hotel Bellwether Ballroom, enjoy a complimentary wine welcome and appetizers, a cash bar, opportunities to network, and the best business conversation all week. SMART, POLISHED, FUN: register for the best business events in Whatcom with your WBA.
Pictured: 1) Paul Guppy. 2) City of Bellingham Mayor Kim Lund. 3) Ken Bell. 4) Tom Doll. (Professional headshots courtesy of panelists.) 5 - 6) networking at the 3 – 6 pm event, with complimentary appetizers and cash bar (photo credit: Sattva Photo).
10/10/2025
FEATURE STORY: limited land supply and worsening housing shortages.
Washington State’s restrictive Growth Management Act limits land supply, worsening housing shortages and affordability. Read about the Act’s impact on house prices in the current issue of Business Pulse magazine: businesspulse.com/sep-oct-2025, page 51.
COMPLIMENTARY SUBSCRIPTION! Join the Whatcom Business Alliance (whatcombusinessalliance.com/join-us), receive a complimentary subscription to Business Pulse magazine, and stay connected. Published by the WBA, Pulse (businesspulse.com) has been covering the entrepreneurial spirit and economic influence of business talents in Whatcom County for 50 years.
Contributing columnist: Mark Harmsworth. Photo courtesy of MH.
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Are You
Optimistic
About 2018?
Join the Club.
Optimism Skyrockets
in Business Community
TONY LARSON, President, Whatcom Business Alliance
At the end of 2017, we reached out to our readers via an online business survey to determine how local businesses are performing and how business leaders are feeling about 2018. The results, along with comments from key industry leaders, are published in this issue and reflect a level of optimism I haven’t seen in at least the last 10 years.
A majority of local businesses experienced growth in 2017 vs. 2016 and expect further growth in sales and profits in 2018. They also expect an increase in capital expenditures. It is worth noting that our polling was conducted prior to the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. The passage prompted immediate responses from companies like Boeing, AT&T, Washington Federal, Comcast, and Wells Fargo, just to name a few, who announced measures ranging from handing out bonuses, raising wages, and increasing spending.
That optimism is shared at Business Pulse and the Whatcom Business Alliance. In 2018, we’re improving and expanding Business Pulse in a series of moves designed to bring more value to our advertisers, to expand our readership, and to bring current readers and members more information about the people, news, issues, businesses, and trends that shape our local economy and bring success to business and prosperity to our community.
Leading the charge with the new-look Business Pulse are Associate Publisher Melissa Vail Coffman and Art Director Scott Book. The husband and wife team is a prime example of the trend cited by Dan Washburn of Windermere Real Estate in his article on Page 41. They sold their home in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood in late 2015 and used the equity to buy a home here in the Geneva neighborhood.
Melissa brings the experience of nearly 30 years in publishing, including more than a de-cade with Tiger Oak Publications, where she was group publisher of myriad titles, including the flagship Seattle magazine and Seattle Bride, and helped launch Seattle Business.
Scott is an accomplished graphic designer who has designed print publications, advertising, and business collateral for more than 25 years.
One of the most important changes in the new year is moving from four to six issues annually to provide more timely and com-prehensive coverage of the vibrant Whatcom County business community. This is coupled with a tie-in between the magazine and redesiged businesspulse.com, with the introduction of Pulse+—denoted with a “P+” at the end of articles with additional content we moved to the website.
We also are introducing lifestyle content with “After Hours” to suggest ways that busy executives might enjoy life beyond the workday.
These shifts are all driven by the growing support of our readers and advertisers who share our understanding that when busi-nesses are successful and strong, our com-munity is stronger. If you’d like to learn ways to grow your business in 2018 by promoting your company through Business Pulse, our events, or WBA membership, please call me at 360.746.0411.
We all have reason to be excited about 2018. Enjoy the issue.
