Kitsap Business and Economy

POULSBO — Pope Resources has reported a third-quarter loss of $562,000 on revenue of $7.5 million, due to a change in prices for logs.
“In response to surging demand for Pacific Northwest logs from China, we made a conscious decision earlier this year to front-load our annual harvest volume into the first two quarters of the year to take advantage of the all-season operability of some of our low elevation timberlands,” said David L. Nunes, president and CEO.
“Anticipating that log prices might soften as more timber came available from higher elevation lands during the summer months, we ratcheted back our third quarter harvest volume. As a result, we generated less revenue and recorded a net loss for the quarter.”
Log prices ended up decreasing 5 percent from the second quarter of 2011 to the third quarter of 2011. But they were still higher than 2010 levels, according to a statement from the publicly traded limited partnership.
Pope Resources also announced a quarterly distribution of 35 cents per unit.
Pope Resources and its subsidiaries, Olympic Resource Management and Olympic Property Group, own or manage 178,000 acres of timberland and development property in Washington and Oregon.
— Rachel Pritchett, (360) 475-3783

Readers,

Port of Bremerton commissioners tonight will take up a proposed 2012 budget for $20 million that includes a proposal to do a $10 million bond issue to modernize and enlarge the port building occupied by Safe Boats International. You’ll hear more from me soon on this.

Also, Commissioner Bill Mahan tells me that he believes Chris Case’s 1-year-old communications position is proposed to be eliminated. This is part of a broader discussion of how PR money should be spent, and if it should be spent instead, say, on a commercial real-estate representative active on the East Side.

Port CEO Cary Bozeman and incoming CEO Tim Thomson are saying they won’t talk to me this afternoon on the budget. Safe Boats CEO Scott Peterson isn’t available, either.

I’ll be filing my story late this evening at kitsapsun.com

Anyone with anything to say can call me at (360) 475-3783.

Thank you,

Rachel Pritchett

Readers,

Every year I look forward to cruising through the Washington Community Alliance for Self-Help annual showcase of new entrepreneurs. This year it was at the Communitas Building on Park Avenue in downtown Bremerton. The event is always a treasure trove for me to pick up new story ideas, and it was no let-down again this year. Washington CASH, as you know, helps fledgling small-business people develop an idea, get the training and start making money.

I got a kick out of the beefy security guys closely watching a suspicious character as myself pull into the parking lot Thursday night. They watched me even closer getting out of the car and going into the building. Heavy security? At a jobs event? Really?

Then upstairs I saw why. Augustine Lujan was showcasing his new rent-a-cop business, Rush Security, www.rushsecurity.net and (360) 286-8493, and those guys’ biggest duty was advertising for potential new clients.

There was Pamela Thomas and her business “Fleece Knees,” which makes little stretchy infant pants with sewn-in pads on the knees. Where were you Pam when my three girls were little, (360) 265-6619 and fleeceknees@yahoo.com? And a lady who made candy for diabetics, gosh I’ve lost her card. Call me.

Bainbridge-based Jill Paull, owner of Island Green Clean, was showcasing her organic cleaning products, (206) 842-1988 and www.islandgreenclean.com.

And Matt Murphy, publisher of the new West Sound Community Guide, and I had a stimulating discussion of grassroots journalism. You can see his site at westsoundcommunityguide.com, (360) 535-4111.

Too soon it was time to go, and again I was surrounded by the winsome group of rent-a-cops on my way to my car. But by now we were laughing and joshing. I told them I was probably OK for the last 10 feet, but they said it could get dark anytime now, and I’d be glad they were around.

Then they dropped me like a hot potato, because the mayor was arriving and she, too, was going to get some manly escorts, whether she need them or not.

Rachel Pritchett, (360) 475-3783

This from the Seattle Times this morning, mirroring what Port of Bremerton CEO Cary Bozeman and other local leaders also are doing.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2016541467_constantine737m.html

Rachel Pritchett

Today’s average gas price in Kitsap County comes in at $3.82 per gallon of unleaded, according to the AAA auto club. That’s down a nickel from a month ago, but a whopping 77 cents more than this day last year. I coast a lot. — Rachel Pritchett

By Rachel Pritchett

BREMERTON NATIONAL AIRPORT — When the year ends, the two most aggressive and adept promoters of the Port of Bremerton will retire, raising the question of who can fill their big shoes as the port’s next horn-blower.

Commissioner Bill Mahan has been behind a host of economic-development initiatives over the years, most recently encouraging expansion of a marine-industry cluster here. Tuesday at a study session, he predicted that after a two-year effort, a major boat company is coming to Kitsap County. He did not elaborate.

Cary Bozeman, the port’s chief executive officer, just pulled off probably the biggest local public-relations coup to date, deftly inserting the port into the statewide discussion of where any future Boeing 737 plant should go.

Incoming CEO Tim Thomson has been on the port’s inside operational side mostly. He has overseen the port’s industrial-park leasing in recent years. But his activities related to the full-fledged professional promotion of the port have been limited. No one appears to be looking to port spokeswoman Chris Case, hired as marketing and communications manager, to wholly fill this role.

Mahan and Bozeman have clear sights on the potential promotional vacuum that could occur at the port. On Tuesday, Mahan suggested getting some kind of professional commercial real-estate help to begin promoting the port in Seattle.

“The way we do it now is not working,” he said.

Bozeman quickly agreed.

“There needs to be a strong sales outreach here,” he said.

Commissioner Roger Zabinski also agreed on the necessity of finding a way to effectively market the business park across the water and even globally.

“I’m not trying to criticize. I’m trying to move forward,” he said.

Thompson’s marketing efforts so far have included advertising leasing opportunities through onsite signs and packets at trade shows. Bozeman and port commissioner want a more aggressive approach.

Thomas said the lack of prospective tenants can be chalked up to more than a passive marketing effort.

There’s the bad economy. Plus, the problem of leasing the remaining 91 acres in the port’s industrial park is compounded by a round of lease-rate raises that started just before the recession and is being completed this year. Tenants are pushing back on the higher rates, Thomson said.

There’s the problem of lack of infrastructure in the park, and not enough cash to do it after building the Bremerton Marina, acccording to Bozeman. With insufficient infrastructure, the industrial park isn’t as competitive, he said.

Then there’s the name of the park that all seemed to agree does nothing to draw tenants here — Olympic View Business and Industrial Parks.

As for promoting the port better now that two of its biggest horn-blowers are leaving, Bozeman said he was going to talk to Thomson in the next month.

Thomson seemed to read the message loud and clear — successful promotion means more than signs and informational packets at trade shows.

“I heard from all three commissioners to take action,” he said.

By Rachel Pritchett

SILVERDALE — Local art students all were on hand at Kitsap Mall last Saturday as big floor medallions they designed were unveiled in center court. Twenty-three winning designs were selected by from hundreds of designs that represented nature. Port Orchard metal sculptor James Kelsey put their designs to metal.
Here’s the list of winning students:

South Kitsap High School
Anthony Darling
Paul Ray
Christian Kehl
Chris Ortego
Karli Peeler
Chelsea Green
Krysta Martinez
Bridget Long
Mayghan Thon
David J. Bertoncini

Bainbridge High School
Anna Teiche

Kingston High School
Kaitlen Ashley
Michael Simmons
Sarah Hill
Mayra Gonzalez
Andrew Beversluis
Maddi Miller
McKenzie Clark
Darren Guin
Caleb Haughawout

Port Townsend High School
Nakaia Millman

Pictured: James Kelsey and the medallions.

me asap at (360) 475-3783. Thank you.

Rachel Pritchett, business reporter

The Kitsap Housing Coalition is inviting local housing professionals and the general public to an event featuring Ron Sims, who held a senior post at U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development until earlier this year.
The former King County executive will share his insights on the national housing market and how HUD fits in at a Kitsap Housing Coalition meeting at 9 a.m. Oct. 14 in the main chamber at the Norm Dicks Government Center.

The hour-long event is free and a reception follows. For more information, contact Marie Vila at (360) 473-5375 or marie.vila@ci.bremerton.waq.us.

BREMERTON — The local chapter of Washington C.A.S.H. will celebrate its latest group of entrepreneurs from 5 to 8 p.m. Oct. 20 at the Communitas Building, 920 Park Ave.

The nonprofit provides education and other support for aspiring small-business people who have limited resources.

The new crop of business owners will tell their stories, and there will be an opportunity to network with others. Handcrafted gifts will be for sale. Refreshments will be on hand.

For more information about the event sponsored by the Washington Community Alliance for Self-Help, visit www.washingtoncash.org or email local Washington C.A.S.H. business specialist Stuart Walton at stuart@washingtoncash.org.