Local business vies for $20k prize on Thursday

Tad Sooter

A Kingston farm is one of five finalists that will vie for a $20,000 award Thursday during the live finale for Kitsap Bank’s Edg3 fund competition.

Silver Creek Angus was the only Kitsap-based contestant to earn a spot in the finals for the Edg3 Fund, which honors businesses dedicated to growing their communities “economically, socially and environmentally.”

The finale is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Kitsap Conference Center in Bremerton. The keynote speaker will be Combat Flip Flops CEO Matthew Griffin, a former Edg3 Fund finalist who appeared on the ABC show Shark Tank.

A panel of judges will select the winner of this year’s $20,000 top prize, and a $5,000 prize for the contestant that best embodies “the spirit of community.”

The Edg3 Fund finale is part of a slate of events marking Global Entrepreneurship Week in Kitsap.

See the flyer below for additional events:

Kitsap company honored for hiring veterans

Tad Sooter

The state honored a rapidly-growing ship maintenance company in Kitsap County last week for its commitment to hiring veterans.

Former service members comprise more than half of the workforce at Global Government Services in Bremerton, according to a news release from the Employment Security Department.

Global Government Services hired 96 full-time workers in the past year, including laborers, helpers, welders, electricians, machinists and mechanics. It plans to hire another 100 employees in the coming year, according to the release.

Global was among 12 businesses across the state honored for creating employment opportunities for veterans.

“These companies’ commitment to hiring veterans is truly exceptional,” Employment Security Department Commissioner Peinecke said the in the release. “I hope other Washington employers will be inspired and follow their lead.”

The state’s WorkSource program placed nearly 7,500 veterans into jobs between July 2015 and June 2016.

Employers interested in hiring veterans can learn more at the WorkSource website.

Kitsap retail sales climbed 7 percent in second quarter

Tad Sooter

Taxable retail sales reached $1.03 billion in Kitsap in the second quarter of the year, an increase of 7.3 percent from the same period of 2015.

Sales grew at a slower rate than in previous quarters.

Kitsap enjoyed an 8 to 11 percent year-over-year increase in sales in each of the past five quarters, according to the Department of Revenue.

Retail trade sales (sales made by stores, dealerships and other businesses selling merchandise to consumers) totaled $550 million in Kitsap in the second quarter of 2016, up 7.4 percent from 2015.

Here’s a look at how second quarter sales in Kitsap compared with other Puget Sound counties:

Sales by industry

Major retail trade industries reporting increased sales included auto dealers and parts stores (up 14.3 percent), building and garden material suppliers (up 11.6 percent), drug and health stores (up 24.4 percent), and general merchandise stores (up 1 percent).

Outside of retail trade, construction climbed 13.3 percent and accommodations and food services rose 7.4 percent.

Here’s a full breakdown of sales by industry (click the full screen button so you won’t strain your eyeballs):

q.2.2016.retail by Tad Sooter on Scribd

More apartments planned near North Kitsap High School

Tad Sooter

Owners of two apartment complexes near North Kitsap High School plan to add an additional 24 units, according to a site plan review application filed with the city.

The units would be divided among three new buildings on the same property as the existing Peninsula Glen and Woodcreek apartments on Hostmark Street.

More parking and landscaping will be added, according to a notice of application published Nov. 11.

The apartment owners also are seeking to combine the two lots through a boundary line adjustment. The 10-acre property is zoned residential high.

Both Peninsula Glen and Woodcreek recently sold and are now managed by Pacific Living Properties.

The full notice is posted below:

NOA PeninsulaGlenWoodcreekSPR by Tad Sooter on Scribd

Bank deposits in Kitsap top $3 billion

Tad Sooter

Deposits at bank branches in Kitsap County topped $3 billion for the first time in 2016, according to data from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Deposits spread across the 58 bank branches in the county totaled more than $3.005 billion at the end of June.

That number did not include deposits at credit union branches.

Deposits flattened during the recession, but increased steadily each year since 2012:

Sixteen banks operated offices in Kitsap in 2016. Two — Kitsap Bank and Liberty Bay Bank — are headquartered in the county.

Port Orchard-based Kitsap Bank had the most offices in the county, with 11. Bank of America reported highest deposit total, with $653.25 million (Kitsap Bank was a close second with $637.36 million).

Here’s a sortable table breaking down banks with a brick-and-mortar presence in our county:

Create your own infographics

Salad-to-go shop opens in Silverdale

Tad Sooter

Greens On Your Way is bringing its speedy salad service to Silverdale.

The salad-to-go and espresso shop held a soft opening for its 9517 Silverdale Way location Monday, and will celebrate a grand opening Tuesday.

Silverdale is the second location for Greens On Your Way, which launched its first store in Poulsbo in February. The local chain took over a space recently vacated by Genuine Burgers.

Check the Greens On Your Way Facebook page for updates.

Poulsbo coworking office will open in 2017

Tad Sooter

A coworking space aimed at serving contractor umbrella companies, telecommuters, freelancers and entrepreneurs is slated to open next year in Poulsbo.

Vibe Coworks has leased a 5,300-square-foot space in the top floor of a new commercial building planned on Eighth Avenue, according to a news release.

The building, designed by Rice Fergus Miller, is expected to be completed by Tim Ryan Construction in the fall of 2017.

Poulsbo native Alanna Imbach and her husband, Marcel Imbach, are the creators of Vibe Coworks. They’ll be relocating from New York City to start the business.

“We’d had phenomenal experiences with coworking communities in NYC, and knew the timing was right to bring something like that to Kitsap,” Alanna said in the release.

Vibe Coworks will provide Kitsap residents a flexible alternative to commuting, working from home or working out of coffee shops. The Imbaches believe Seattle-area employers also may be interested purchasing memberships at Vibe for employees who want to live in Kitsap.

The space will feature conference rooms, offices, individual phone/video booths, event space, a balcony, lockers and a coffee shop-style community kitchen, according to the release.

See the Vibe Coworks website for more information.

Poulsbo firm’s software will power state liquor licensing system

Tad Sooter

Post by Nathan Pilling, Kitsap Sun

The state Liquor and Cannabis Board has selected a product from a Poulsbo company to support its licensing and enforcement operations throughout the state.

Paladin Data Systems’ SMARTGOV is a cloud-based product that will manage the state’s alcohol and cannabis permitting and licensing processes.

The system will allow the state to process applications faster, and “empowers applicants to become active participants in the permitting and licensing process, providing all of our citizens with information transparency,” Paladin CEO Jim Nall stated in a release.

The system will allow businesses to apply for permits, upload documents and monitor those applications online.

Liquor and Cannabis Board spokesman Mikhail Carpenter said SMARTGOV will replace the agency’s old, outdated licensing system and will make the permitting process less complex for both state employees and customers.

The agency is expected to begin using SMARTGOV in late 2017, Carpenter said.

Real estate: Home sales haven’t fallen off this fall

Tad Sooter

The real estate market typically cools off each fall. Not so much this year.

Pending sales were up nearly 21 percent in October compared with October of 2015, according to statistics from Northwest Multiple Listing Service.

Competition helped keep home prices elevated. The median price for homes sold in Kitsap in October was $292,000, an increase of 13 percent ($33,500) from last year.

“The market in Kitsap is still very active,” John L. Scott Poulsbo manager Frank Wilson said in an NWMLS release.

An influx of new listings continued, with 424 homes listed in October. But brisk sales drove down inventory.

The months supply of homes — the number of months it would take to sell off all the homes for sale if no new listings were added — dipped to 1.93. Real estate professionals consider a market balanced when it has a four- to six-month supply of homes.

Here’s a graphical look at real estate trends in Kitsap:

And here’s a map displaying real estate stats by submarket. Wave your mouse over the map to see specifics:

More self storage space proposed in Poulsbo

Tad Sooter

With limited development land available, self storage companies are building up to meet demand.

That’s the case in Poulsbo where Pro-Guard has proposed a new three-story storage building on the site of its existing facility at 20554 Little Valley Road NE, near Central Market.

The 45,000-square-foot structure would replace a portion of RV parking on the property, according to a notice of application issued by the city.

Pro-Guard submitted the site plan review application Oct. 5. The city will accept comments on the proposal through Nov. 11.

Pro-Guard’s proposal is one of several possible storage developments in the north end of the county.

Urban Self Storage recently submitted an application for a multi-story storage building near Safeway in Poulsbo. On Bainbridge, Urban is considering plans for self storage on Day Road near Highway 305.