Tag Archives: seattle

Avalara departing Bainbridge by 2016

Update: Here’s my story on Avalara’s relocation plans.

Fast-growing tax software firm Avalara will migrate its headquarters from Bainbridge Island to Seattle by early 2016, according to a Tuesday afternoon post on the company’s Facebook page:

Avalara’s next move: exciting yet bittersweet

We are proud to have bucked the odds for 11 years and built a world-class business on Bainbridge Island, which is a huge tribute to our exceptional Kitsap employees and supportive community.

That said, over the past few years it’s become clear that to sustain our growth and our close-knit culture we would need far larger facilities than are available on the island, not to mention better access to the deeper workforce in the Puget Sound region.

Since we are committed to keeping our entire Seattle area team in close proximity every day, today we are sharing our plans to continue expanding our current Seattle location and move our remaining BI workforce and headquarters there between this fall and the first part of 2016.

We are excited to bring our various Seattle area teams closer together and are grateful for the support Bainbridge provided in making this possible.

Poulsbo brewer finishes Seattle row: ‘Everything kind of hurts’

Tad Sooter

When I last saw Dave Lambert Sunday morning he was rowing vigorously off into Puget Sound.

The Poulsbo brewer was about two hours into his mission to deliver a keg of beer to Seattle “the old-fashioned way.”

I chased Lambert and his rowboat through Agate Passage in my kayak and snapped some photos before pulling out in Suquamish. Lambert, it turned out, had another five hours to go.

He covered the 14 miles across Puget Sound and through the Ballard Locks in about 6 hours and 45 minutes, according to an email he sent Monday.

“Everything kind of hurts,” Lambert reported, “but not nearly as bad as I thought it would.”

The Slippery Pig Brewery owner was inspired to deliver the keg of beer by rowboat after learning about early residents of the county and the long distances they rowed on a regular basis. Lambert’s journey to Seattle reinforced his admiration for those sturdy souls.

“I have gained an entirely new respect for Poulsbo’ s forefathers and the tough women who settled Kitsap,” Lambert wrote. “That was so much water to cross. So much water.”

Pinchot steps down as president of Pinchot university

Tad Sooter

Pinchot-lockup_2color_rgb Last month, Bainbridge Graduate Institute announced the creation of Pinchot, a university that includes BGI and several other programs.

Now the new Pinchot university has announced changes in its leadership, including a new position for its namesake founder.

Founding BGI President Gifford Pinchot III is transitioning into an emeritus position as “intrapreneur in residence.” BGI co-founder Jill Bamburg was named president. The transition was given an “enthusiastic blessing” Gifford and Libba Pinchot, according to a news release.

You can read more about leadership changes at Pinchot here.

Pinchot university includes BGI, Organizational Systems Renewal, and the Center for Inclusive Entrepreneurship. The university is headquartered in downtown Seattle. BGI continues to hold programs at IslandWood on Bainbridge Island.

Bainbridge chef opens Seattle beer hall

Tad Sooter

Bainbridge Island chef Brendan McGill isn’t confining his ambitions to the west side of the water.

The owner of Hitchcock restaurant in Winslow has opened Altstadt, a German-style beer hall in Seattle’s Pioneer Square. A grand opening is set for Thursday. See the Altstadt Facebook page for details.

The interior of the “bierhalle and brathaus” is anchored by a grill, bar and massive communal drinking tables (you can see construction pictures on the Kickstarter page for the project). Altstadt serves imported beer and wine, along with hand-made sausage, sauerkraut, cheeses, pretzels and other Old World favorites.

McGill partnered with Lex Petras and Harvey Ward Van Allen III on the project.

Alstadt will open 11 a.m. to midnight daily at 209 1st Ave S.

Photo: McGill at Hitchcock (Tad Sooter/Kitsap Sun)