It got to the point where there were too many logos – and hence, no one, actual brand identity for Tacoma’s Grand Cinema.

Today, that changed.

“We did not have a set logo. We had one door emblem, and another for business cards, and others – these were things where people were being creative over the last 12 years,” says Philip Cowan, the Grand’s executive director. “Now, we’re trying to pull everything together. If we get something that’s standard, people can look at it and say, ‘OK, that’s the Grand.’”

Here’s the new Grand.

The new identity comes thanks to a grant from Rusty George Creative, a Tacoma design studio. “They give out $25,000 grants. We were awarded one for 2008,” Cowan says. (For information about 2009 grants to nonprofits, check www.rustygeorge.com.)

The designers at Rusty George worked on the new logo and brand, and came up with the elephant and reel – which launches today at the theater with free cookies, cake and window clings. And look for a promotional scavenger hunt – with the prize being movie passes – at locations including the Mandolin Cafe, Black Water Cafe and King’s Books.

A McKinsey & Company management consultant will soon put his corporate leadership theories into practice at Tacoma's Russell Investments as its new chief executive officer.

The company today named Andrew S. Doman, 57, as the company's newest chief. His appointment comes after a six-month worldwide search both within the company and among outside executives.

Doman replaces John Schlifske, Russell's interim CEO who had served in that post since June. Doman will take his new post Feb. 2.

Schlifske will remain the company's president during a transition period of unspecified length. When that transition period ends, Doman will gain the president's title and Schlifske will return to Russell's parent company, Northwestern Mutual Life in Milwaukee.

Doman comes to Russell from McKinsey & Company where he was a founding director of the company's European Asset Management practice based in the United Kingdom.

Doman joined McKinsey in Australia in 1986, moving to London in 1990. Prior to joining McKinsey, Doman worked in medicine, health management and the Australian diplomatic service.

He holds a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Ottawa, a medical degree from the University of Adelaide in Australia and a masters of business administration from Australian Graduate School of Management.

"In selecting Andrew as Russell's CEO, we were overwhelmingly impressed by his deep knowledge of the asset management industry and the combination of his strategic, operational and managerial experience," said Schlifske.

With Doman's appointment as permanent CEO, postponed decisions may now be made within reasonably quick order once he becomes familiar with the company and its business.

Last year was not an easy year for Russell or any company in the financial services industry. The company faces decisions regarding the relocation and expansion of its headquarters, the potential layoff of headquarters employees and the general design of its ongoing business.

The company has seen in the last year the shrinking of its hedge fund business, a change in leadership, the departure of several key executives and a reported diminishment of its profitability.

CEO Craig Ueland and Kelly Haughton, strategic director of global indexes, both left the company. And Chairman Mike Phillips retired at the end of last year after nearly 30 years with the company.

Four other executives left - including Noel Lamb, chief investment officer for North America, and Mark Amberson, head of money market funds. Their departures follow a $764 million loss in Russell's money market fund, Financial News reported.

Russell, founded in Tacoma and sold a decade ago to Milwaukee's Northwestern Mutual Life, employs about 1,100 workers in its downtown headquarters.

The company has sought proposals for a new headquarters both from developers in Tacoma and elsewhere in the Puget Sound area. The City of Tacoma has offered Russell an incentive package worth more than $140 million if it stays in Tacoma.

The company was to have made the relocation decision by the end of last year, but postponed that question into 2009.

With markets declining and a possible reduction in its headquarters workforce, Russell may decide to put off any expansion or move until economic conditions stabilize.

To a roster that includes Monet and Manet, add LeMay.

The LeMay Automobile Museum has inked a five-year deal with the respected auction house Bonhams and Butterfields. The first auction – which will include cars from the museum’s collection, although not from permanent collection – will be held Friday and Saturday, Sept. 11 and 12, at Tacoma’s Hotel Murano.

Unlike certain flashy, well known and rather pedestrian car auctions, this one looks to add some class to the market, with the event being held in conjunction with the Kirkland Concors d’Elegance and Tour d’Elegance.

On Tuesday I spoke with David Madeira, museum CEO, who explained, “One of the things we’ve wanted to do is develop a series of signature events, one of which would be a major auction. This is really a nice package for us.”

At the initial auction, he said, the cars up for sale will be owned by the museum but not part of the permanent collection. It may also include cars offered by other institutions and collectors. Some of the museum's cars have been donated for the purpose of raising funds.

With the event connected to the Kirkland concors and tour, Madeira said the Tacoma auction will likely draw people worldwide. He also said he hopes the LeMay auction will lead to an annual and larger South Sound gathering that could include an annual golf tournament.

On the subject of last weekend’s annual LeMay board meeting in Arizona, Madeira said he’ll be spending the next few months finalizing preparations for May 8, when the board is expected OK a date for groundbreaking.

This is a good time to be making construction plans, he said, because costs are down. “The laws of supply and demand are in our favor,” he said. “The board said,’Let’s go.’ We’ll finalize the contract, start the permitting process and finalize the certification process with the city. (To certify) we need 75 percent of our financing in hand, and right now we’re at 87 percent.”

Fundraising will continue to be aimed at major donors on a one-to-one basis, and the museum will begin a broader, public campaign both locally and nationwide following the announcement of the groundbreaking.

The state's unemployment rate jumped to 7.1 percent in December, up from 6.4 percent the previous month, the Employment Security Department reports today.

The state lost an estimated 22,000 jobs last month and 54,600 over the year -- a 1.8 percent decline since December 2007.

"In barely a year, we’ve gone from historically low unemployment to record numbers of people applying for unemployment benefits,” said Employment Security Commissioner Karen Lee, referring to the record-setting 90,331 new unemployment applications that were filed in December.

Most of the job losses were in business and professional services, followed by administrative and support services and then construction.

Sea-Tac Airport officials cautioned travelers to check with their airlines or the airport Web site for canceled, delayed or diverted flights today after dense fog took a toll on Sea-Tac arrivals Tuesday night.

Thus far this morning, flights were operating fairly normally with only three cancelled departures between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. according to FlightStats.com.

But the fog was thicker Tuesday night, affecting arrivals more severely.

Between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. at Sea-Tac Tuesday night 11 of the 35 flights arriving during that hour were more than 15 minutes late including an Alaska Airlines flight from San Jose del Cabo in Mexico winning the prize with an arrival three hours and 24 minutes behind schedule.

Three flights were diverted, two to Portland and an Air Canada flight from Toronto to Vancouver.

In the 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. hour, five flights were canceled, two were diverted and five were not were late.

The 58-day Boeing machinists strike last fall gouged a $129 million hole in Precision Castparts Corp.'s sales in the third quarter, but the company still improved its operating margins.

The Portland-based aerospace company and major Boeing supplier this week reported third quarter earnings of $374.6 million compared with earnings in the comparable third fiscal quarter of 2008 of $371.9 million.

Total sales for the company in its third quarter were $1.615 billion compared with $1.668 billion in the comparable quarter of the previous fiscal year.

The company said the effects of the strike will linger into the company's fourth fiscal quarter with particularly focus on the company's Investment Cast Products and Forged Products segments and with a lesser effect on its Fastener Products segment.

The lingering effects of the 58-day Machinists Union strike last fall will cut deliveries of new Boeing 737-800s to American Airlines by seven this year.

The airline reported that the reduction in deliveries will cut American's anticipated capacity for 2009 by an additional one percent.

The reduction is a fortunate circumstance for American which has seen its demand fall steeply with the recession.

Under the new schedule from Boeing, the Fort Worth-based airline will accept delivery of 29 737s this year, 39 in 2010 and eight in 2011.

American had been scheduled to receive all 76 737s in 2009 and 2010.

The airline is continuing its plan to replace its fuel-guzzling MD-80s with more fuel-thrifty 737s despite losing some $340 million in the fourth quarter, the airline said this week.

American Airlines will accept delivery of 29 new Boeing 737-800s this year, seven fewer than the Fort Worth-based carrier had scheduled.

For American the delivery delay, caused in part by the lingering effects of Boeing's 58-day Machinists Union strike last fall, is in some ways a fortunate circumstance.

The reduction in new planes available will help American reduce its capacity in 2009 be an additional one percent during a time when air traffic is falling steeply, the airline said this week in its earnings announcement.

The new delivery schedule calls for 29 737s in 2009, 39 in 2010 and seven in 2011. American had originally been scheduled to receive 36 737s this year and 40 next year.

American reported a $340 million loss in the fourth quarter of last year.