The News Tribune Business Team will keep you updated on what's happening in the South Sound and beyond. Check here for news about economic development, aerospace, shopping and much more.
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Contributors
Marce Edwards is the business editor. She has been at The News Tribune for seven years and has written about technology and big businesses in the South Sound including Weyerhaeuser and Russell. Before moving to Tacoma, she worked at The Idaho Statesman in Boise. She is a Northwest native who likes to garden and refuses to use an umbrella. She lives in Tacoma with her husband and two kids.
C.R. Roberts is a Tacoma native. Before joining The News Tribune, he worked as a freelance writer and part-time cowhand on a cattle ranch in Northern Idaho. He writes about small business, personal finance and other business issues.
John Gillie writes about the aerospace and airline industries, commercial development and consumer issues. During his 30-year-tenure at The News Tribune he has covered issues as diverse as the Native American fishing rights disputes, crime and the courts, the wood products industry and energy. He lived in Tacoma with his family for 25 years, but now lives in Kent because his wife heads a five-state non-profit foundation headquartered in Ballard, and it only seemed a sensible compromise to make considering their workplaces are 40 miles apart.
Kelly Kearsley has been a business reporter at The News Tribune since 2005. She covers the Port of Tacoma and international trade. Being born and raised in Spokane she’s used to living in cities with inferiority complexes and, in fact, prefers it. Prior to working at The News Tribune, she spent three years as a reporter for The Bulletin in Bend, Oregon and another year working stints for The Associated Press and Seattle Times. She graduated from Pacific Lutheran University. She lives in Tacoma with her husband and miniature schnauzer.
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For the first time in more than a year, diesel prices have dropped below gas prices in Pierce County and around the country.
A survey by TacomaGasPrices.com shows a gallon of diesel fuel is available in Tacoma for as low as $2.35 a gallon.
That's two cents below the lowest price for regular unleaded gasoline in the county.
Diesel prices now are less than half the amount that briefly hit last summer in Tacoma when some stations were selling diesel for nearly $5 a gallon.
Credit the slowdown in commerce for the slackening of demand for the fuel, much of which is used in over-the-road trucks, farm equipment and locomotives.
Railroads have parked and stored hundreds of locomotives in recent months as imports and exports have slowed.
Meanwhile, gas prices in Tacoma rose to an average of $2.523 a gallon in Tacoma, according to Tacomagasprices.com.
. The lowest price, $2.37 a gallon was available at several stations.
That's about 3.6 cents a gallon up from Sunday, but still nearly $1.34 less per gallon than at this time last year.
In Olympia, prices are somewhat higher now than in Tacoma. The lowest price in the Olympia area Monday was $2.41 a gallon at an ARCO station on Martin Way.
The federal Small Business Administration is launching a new loan guarantee program designed to help struggling small businesses meet loan and interest payments on existing debts.
The program, which begins June 15, will guarantee so-called America's Recovery Capital loans. The loans are no interest and have no SBA fees. Payments are deferred.
"These ARC loans can provide the critical capital and support many small businesses need to make it through these tough economic times," said SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills.
The loans of up to $35,000 are available to established, viable small businesses.
For more information on the ARC loans, visit www.sba.gov.
A coalition of labor, business and government groups is launching a new ad campaign this week to raise the awareness of workplace safety in Washington.
The group, led by the state Department of Labor and Industries has created television, radio and Internet ads that emphasize the importance of on-the-job safety to workers'families.
"Running this campaign now is particularly important because there are significant risks to workplace safety during an economic recession," noted Labor and Industries Director Judy Schurke.
Workers may be less likely to report unsafe conditions for fear of losing their jobs, and businesses may be tempted to take safety shortcuts to cut costs during hard times.
The Association of Washington Business, the Washington State Labor Council, Associated General Contractors and the Washington State Building and Construction Trades Council joined L&I in sponsoring the ad campaign.
The News Tribune article on the Copper River salmon that arrived in the state Friday included when the famous fish would be pulling into area retailers, but shoppers at some store locations might have to wait a little longer.
Though Fred Meyer's Gig Harbor and Ballard locations had the fish on Friday, other stores, including three Tacoma locations, are expecting the salmon to trickle in today and tomorrow, said Fred Meyer spokeswoman Melinda Merrill.
The salmon is currently available at varying price points at a number of local grocery stores while the stock lasts, including TOP Food & Drug, Metropolitan Market and Johnny's Seafood.
Many grocers are expecting another shipment of the fish this week.
Wiseworker.com and The Employment Guide say they are "putting America back to work" one job fair at a time.
And one of the coalition's 200 fairs in 50 states is coming to Tacoma Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
About 15 area companies, schools or recruiters are participating in the fair, ranging from Menzies Aviation Group to Avon and Mary Kay consultants. The Web site did not advertise the number of positions these companies may have open and lists no contact information for the host.
The convention center's records show the fair expects up to 450 people to attend.
Interested parties should bring 20 to 30 copies of their resume and $5 for parking at Greater Tacoma Convention & Trade Center for the otherwise free fair.
The companies say job seekers should dress business professional and consider this event as a first interview.
They also suggest researching the companies online to prepare. The full list of companies and other details is available at www.wiserworker.com/job-fairs/view/2929.
