Angie Wilson has been hired as an agent by GHB Insurance. She specializes in assisting small employers in Thurston and Pierce County with employee benefits including dental, vision, disability and individual medical. Wilson, who will be working out of the Olympia office, has several years experience in the insurance industry.

The Greater Tacoma Convention & Trade Center Executive Chef Allan Wambaa earned the ProChef Level II certification from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). There are three levels of certification. Wambaa was able to bypass level one due to his years of experience including more than 10 years as an executive chef as well as having graduated from culinary school at the Career Training Centre in Nairobi, Kenya. He embarked on an eight-month journey preparing for the exams that took place over a four-day period in June. The scope of the accreditation now qualifies Wambaa as a dietician and a nutritionist.

Heading into the busiest time of year for Washington's unemployment-claims call center, the state Employment Security Department has added a telephone service that gives customers the option of being called back instead of waiting on hold, without losing their place in line.

Northwest Multiple Listing Service reports that 4,399 buyers' purchase offers were accepted in December. That volume of pending sales was up more than 35 percent from a year ago and marked the best December since 2006.

Shrinking inventory, the extension of the first-time home buyer tax credit, and favorable interest rates are among factors brokers have said they believe will sustain activity.

"With what our agents already have in the pipeline, I'm optimistic about a positive first quarter," said NWMLS director Meribeth Hutchings, the broker at Windermere RE/Lake Stevens. "We had a very strong December and the momentum seems to be there to keep things moving,"

Unemployment rates were higher in November than a year earlier in all 372 metropolitan areas, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Seventeen areas recorded jobless rates of at least 15 percent, while 13 areas registered rates below 5 percent. The national unemployment rate in November was 9.4 percent, not seasonally adjusted, up from 6.5 percent a year earlier.

Associated General Contractors, the trade organization serving larger general contractors and buildings in the region, will be relocating its South Sound headquarters from downtown Tacoma to Fife in this new year.

In a survey, AGC members reported that they would prefer office space that did not require paid parking and was conveniently located near a major freeway. The downtown Tacoma office space did not offer these conveniences and the new structure in Fife does.

The reports on the economy have been mildly encouraging at year's end and now everyone's attention is turned to 2010 when we're supposed to see the anticipated recovery.

The December Credit Managers' Index (CMI) matched the mood of the economy as a whole – essentially flat, but showing some mild progress. The most important aspect of the new report is that it remained above the 50 mark that separates growth from contraction and even showed a slight gain.

Drivers can expect closures on SR 167 (River Road) and SR 161 (Meridian) tomorrow, Jan. 5, during the memorial procession for Pierce County Sheriff's Deputy Kent Mundell. Alternate routes are strongly recommended.

The procession departs the Puyallup Fairgrounds at approximately 10 a.m., travels northbound on SR 161, continues on city streets, eventually turning onto southbound River Road and heads west toward Tacoma, ending at the Tacoma Dome for a 1 p.m. memorial service. For the complete memorial procession route visit this link.

Construction employment declined in 324 out of 337 metropolitan areas over the past year, according to a new analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of federal figures released today, as spending on construction projects dropped by more than $137 billion in November to a 6-year low of $900 billion.

"Private nonresidential construction is in freefall, with every category except private power construction down sharply compared to a year ago," said Ken Simonson, the association's chief economist.

GVA Kidder Mathews has added a team of four commercial real estate brokers and two associates to its Olympia office to form the firm's new forestland specialty group.

Consulting services include forest management plans, timber cruising, investment acquisition, property management, feasibility/planning, advocacy with governing jurisdictions, and entitlement.

The executive committee of the board of directors of Weyerhaeuser Company today declared a dividend of 5 cents per share on the common stock of the corporation payable March 1 to shareholders of record at the close of business Jan. 29, 2010.

Enertechnix, a manufacturer of high-temperature imaging systems located in Maple Valley, will receive $100,000 in research and technology development funding from Washington Technology Center.

In this Phase II project, the firm is partnered with the University of Washington's Department of Electrical Engineering to develop energy-efficiency technology to control the cleaning of heat-transfer surfaces in industrial paper and pulp processes.

Lacey Chamber of Commerce will start out the year with Andy Wappler from Puget Sound Energy addressing the subject of Wind and Solar Power on Wednesday, Jan. 6 at the January 2010 Forum held at Saint Martin's University, Worthington Center. Registration begins at 11:30 a.m. and the program begins promptly at noon. RSVP by e-mail to agraham@laceychamber.com or calling 360-491-4141.

January's monthly luncheon for Kent Chamber of Commerce will also be held at the ShoWare Center on Jan. 6. Speakers will be Sen. Karen Keiser and Rep. Tina Orwall and the focus will be on Joint Underwriting Association draft legislation and a 2010 legislative preview. JUA might create a mechanism to offer more insurance options, particularly as the Kent Valley worries about potential flooding. Click here for more information and to register.

The expiring year has ended within the U.S. financial markets and it closed with a slight loss today, but a strong gain for 2009.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 10428.05 after a drop of more than 120 points in abbreviated trading. For the year, this measure is up 18.8 percent from the close of 2008, though it still trails the market apogee in October 2007.

In observance of the New Year's Day holiday, the BE Daily will not publish on Friday, Jan. 1.

It will return to open up 2010 on Monday, the 4th.

There are very few business-related events scheduled in the South Sound through this week between major holidays. Most chambers of commerce and other organizations will resume active schedules the week of Jan. 4.

First Night -- Tacoma's New Year's Eve celebration -- is an opportunity for friends and families to say farewell to the old year and hello to the new. It's a family-friendly, alcohol-free celebration that will draw thousands to downtown for a fun day and night of exciting events, including crafts for the kids, a parade, live entertainment, a fireworks show and more. For more information, visit the First Night Web site.

Puget Sound Energy Foundation today announced more than $600,000 in grants to local nonprofit organizations in the state in 2009, directing $244,500 in December to 62 organizations as part of the foundation's second round of grants.

None of the foundation's funds will ever come from PSE's utility customers, instead being allocated from an endowment established with the corporate merger into Puget Holdings LLC earlier this year.

Mary Segawa will be leaving TOGETHER! in mid-January to become prevention manager for the State Liquor Control Board. She has been with Lacey nonprofit! since 1996 and has served as executive director since February 2003. Kathy Houston, retired executive director of the Girl Scouts Pacific Peaks Council, will be interim executive director while a search takes place.

Amanda Graham is the Lacey Chamber's newest staff addition as the events coordinator and will be doing marketing sales as well. She relocated from Texas bringing an extensive background in event management.

The Cafaro Co., the parent firm of the South Hill Mall, has announced the retirement from day-to-day operations of Anthony M. Cafaro, Sr. and John J. "Jay" Cafaro, effective at the end of this year. Simultaneously, each will be resigning his position in the Cafaro Co.

"My retirement and that of my brother, Jay, are part of an ongoing transition process that the company commenced several years ago." said Anthony M. Cafaro, Sr., Cafaro's president. "We very much revere and value longevity and continuity of personnel within our organization. Based upon the ever increasing responsibilities that William A. Cafaro and Anthony Cafaro, Jr. have assumed over the past decade or so, Jay and I can retire without the company missing a beat."

The Centralia College Foundation and Union Bank of California are bringing the most current forecasts for the new year's economy to this area. The presentation will provide business and industry leaders and individuals with an expert's perspective on the fiscal climate and predicted business conditions.

The program takes place Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2010, between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. in room 101 of the Science Center on the Centralia College campus. The forecast will be presented by Kei Matsuda, senior economist for Union Bank and manager of the far-flung investment research activities of the bank. He is known nationally for his work in macroeconomics and is based at Union Bank centers in California.

The Washington State Department of Transportation announced today that it will be contracting with Electronic Transaction Consultants (ETC) of Texas to establish and operate a new statewide customer service center for toll operations.

Under the contract, signed Dec. 23, 2009, ETC will provide customer service for the Good To Go! electronic tolling program, as well as payment processing, violation collections and business management. The five-year contract will begin Jan. 11, 2010, and is valued at approximately $23 million.