Q: Name?
A: Bailey Shewchuk

Q: Job Title
A: Vice President, Sales and Marketing Qualnetics Corp.

Q: What is connected vehicle technology?
A: Connected vehicle technology is so many things related to performance, safety, communication and compliance. Qualnetics is focused on connecting drivers and fleet owners with the data from their vehicles. Providing the driver critical event information, communications, and even information and entertainment, and providing fleet management personnel information on the performance of the vehicle and the driver all contribute to improving safety on our roadways and improving operating costs. Connected vehicle technologies continue to evolve and we expect significant advancements in technology allowing vehicles to also talk to each other further improving safety and performance.

Q: How did Qualnetics come to be a Bellingham based company?
A: Quite simply the quality of life available for our employees and the ability to attract the best and brightest talent. There are a lot of great things happening in the Bellingham area that are so important to companies requiring top notch engineering talent. Certainly TAG plays a huge part in that and continues to do a wonderful job promoting the area and working with local business on their resource requirements. The Technology Development Center is helping in the incubation of new business and connecting them with the talent they need and we continue to see more local technology companies and the growth of those companies helping to fuel the interest in this area as a growing technology center.

Q: What impact has the area had on your business?
A: We have been able to attract and retain an “A Team” of players that has helped us grow a small engineering service organization into a technology innovation company that is gaining significant interest from the connected vehicle marketplace.

Q: What are you excited about for 2012?
A: That is an easy one, we are launching our second version of our Road-iQ platform and our Road-iQ Lite platform. It is very exciting for the entire organization to move from the development phase to deployment phase of our products.

Q: What benefits do you most enjoy from your TAG Membership?
A: There is an incredible amount of talent in the Bellingham area, not only engineering talent but people with great business experience. There is also somewhat of a community attitude that creates an environment for sharing of ideas, expertise and good old networking.

Q: PC or Mac?
A: Switzerland! One of the key features of the development work we do is to be smart device agnostic. Come into our office and you are going to see some of everything when it comes to devices and operating systems. Me personally; MAC, iPhone, iPad, iPod.

Q: If you were stuck on a desert island and could only bring one electronic device what would it be and why?

A: That would have to be the blender, right?

Q: What was the one thing on your holiday wish list that you didn’t receive?
A: That’s a standard wish, new golf clubs, the old ones just don’t work.

Q: Name

A: Aaron Booker

Q: Job Title

A: CEO

Q: What is Varvid?

A: Varvid helps businesses tell and share their story.  We tell the story via video, 3D animation and other digitally created media including website and print design.  We share this content via our client's websites, social media sites, YouTube Channels, Webcasts, brochures, tradeshow booths etc.

Q: What made you decided to start Varvid?

A: I had been doing webcasting as a sideline of my IT Business for a number of years (10 years of live webcasting experience).  Through this work and introducing Final Cut Pro to Bellingham in the late '90s (when I managed the Apple Specialist here) I knew many of the folks doing video in town - which has been a fantastic resource of talent to call on as Varvid scales up.  In 2006 I joined an IT Peer Group organization and during one of our quarterly meetings in 2008, my peers pointed out that my company's greatest profits and my greatest passion was for webcasting – and asked me why didn’t I start doing video and webcasting for the Technology Space.  That was the genesis of Varvid.  I ran Varvid as a line of business for a few years, then sold my IT Business to focus on Varvid in 2010.  

Q: What about Whatcom County made you want to base your business here?

A: I never even considered having it anywhere else.  We have an amazing pool of creative talent here – plus it's the most beautiful place in the world with the best people.  That said, we've added a Business Development guy in Dallas.

Q: What are you excited about for 2012?

A: Building up our Dallas location with some creative talent to reduce the travel load for my team and I here in Bellingham.

Q: What benefits do you most enjoy from your TAG Membership?

A: The people.  Having an organization here that focuses on the needs of technical people is fantastic.  Of late we've also been posting on the jobs boards for internships.

Q: PC or Mac?

A:  Outlook, Quickbooks and LOB Applications, Terminal Services, HyperV, Exchange (Microsoft), Creative Applications for Video/Photos and Media Management (Apple).  Mobile devices (Apple)

Q: If you were stuck on a desert island and could only bring one electronic device what would it be and why?

A: iPad stocked with photos and movies of friends and family - and lots of music.

Q: What was the one thing on your holiday wish list that you didn’t receive?

A: A pedestrian overpass from Broadway to Roeder - connecting Columbia/Eldridge/Fountain District to the waterfront would be fantastic.

 

Q: What is your name and job title?
Curt Nix, Vice President, Sales and Marketing

Q: What does your company do?
Bayside USA is a professional recruiting company based in Bellingham Washington. We are one of only a handful of nationally certified woman owned businesses located in Whatcom County. We provide personnel to fill contract, contract-to-hire and direct hire positions. Our focus is on professional and technical placements, primarily in the manufacturing segment. We work with positions such as engineers, designers, CAD drafters, project managers, operations management, manufacturing management, supply chain management as well as some specific high skill administrative and support positions. We are also seeing an increased demand for IT personnel. An area we have worked a lot with our clients lately it payroll service of interns. This is where our client recruits and selects the interns they want but have them on our payroll as our employee.  

Q: How did your company get started?
Bayside was started as MCE, an engineering company in the Tri-Cities area by Pat and Sharon McDaniel. Clients started asking for contract personnel rather than full engineering services and that began the staffing side. Sharon McDaniel grew up in Lynden and started the Bellingham office in 1992 due to family ties. In 2008 Pat and Sharon sold the company but Sharon retained the Bellingham office and we became Bayside USA LLC at that time. Since that time we have opened small second office in Eastern Washington.  

Q: Who are your typical customers?
The majority of Bayside's clients are Washington State based companies, with emphasis on Western Washington. Our clients have need for highly skilled, experienced personnel in a variety of roles. We conduct local, regional and national searches to fill their positions. Over 50% of our clients are involved in manufacturing. While our focus has been local we are currently exploring additional business in the Western States with several of our existing clients.  

Q: What are some interesting trends in your industry?
These are not necessarily new trends but are trends that have existed for a couple of years and I don’t feel are going to change soon. Listed in no particular order…

1. A rapid increase in the technology being used for recruiting purposes.
2. The inability of long used criteria to be able to predict market direction in our current economic environment.
3. Long term unemployed with high but fading skill levels.
4. Personnel attempting to return to the workforce from early retirement.
5. Individuals not willing to take less to move to Whatcom County.
6. Individuals not willing to take more to move to Whatcom County. Home value and the ability to sell a home are significant factors but not the only factors.  

Q: What are some reasons for locating your business in Whatcom County?
Originally the Bellingham office was started because one of the owners grew up in Lynden and had parents in the county that required more of her time in Whatcom County.

Q: What benefits do you most enjoy from your TAG Membership?
I find the TAG speakers to be some of the most interesting on a consistent and continuing bases. Whether that is the county exec and mayor of Bellingham speaking together recently, Marc Anderson and his predictions or updates from representatives of our institutions of higher learning. Recently the CEO forum was excellent. The programs I enjoy the most though, are the technical ones that are over my head, which make me reach to understand.

Q: If you were stuck on a desert island and could only bring one electronic device, what would it be and why?
I have to say I cheated on this question. My first reaction was nothing electronic… it is a desert island after all! But at some point I would want off the island so I am going with an answer already given in one of these spotlights, the Sat phone with GPS locator.

Q: What is your name and job title?
Andy Brown. President and CTO of Delta Latitude, L.L.C.

Q: What does your company do?
We are a product design company. We help clients define, design and market their product ideas. We have a strong background in embedded hardware design (including semi-conductor), software & web design. In addition, we have a couple of small start-up web based concepts of our own that we are testing. Our passion is to take a concept, develop it, market it, and then, hopefully, sell it or assist the client in selling it. Then we move on. My wife says I have an addiction to start-ups.

Q: How did your company get started?
Someone contacted me that had an idea for an electronic device that could be used to keep track of expensive items. We built the device and helped with patenting it. That was the first device that Delta Latitude developed; it won a finalist award on an inventor reality show.

Q: Who are your typical customers?
The great thing about the Internet is that it greatly expands your list of potential customers. We have had customers from all over the US, Japan, South America and Tanzania Africa. Delta Latitude even landed a contract to develop a "cloak and dagger" device, but of course, I can't tell you about that. Needless to say, our clientele tends to look for unique solutions to unique problems.

Q: What are some interesting trends in your industry?
Micro-manufacturing & Crowd Funding. Micro-manufacturing allows a small group of people to quickly build custom electronic "gadgets" for niche markets. Crowd funding allows you to quickly identify a need for those niche markets before you actually build something.

Q: What are some reasons for locating your business in Whatcom County?
My wife, Kathy, and I moved out here from Fort Collins, Colorado (another top place to live). We chose Whatcom versus King County because we could actually afford a house with a view of beautiful Bellingham Bay and the San Juan Islands. Also, where else can you go skiing in the mountains and then head out for a sunset sail? Besides, who wants to spend half the day stuck in traffic?

Q: What benefits do you most enjoy from your TAG Membership?
Two things: First, I really appreciate how TAG is the voice for technology issues in Whatcom county. Without TAG, local government decisions that affect our industry would not receive the attention they need and deserve. Secondly, I appreciate being connected with such a broad spectrum of interesting business professionals, technology geeks (such as myself) and entrepreneurs. We all have so much to learn and share with each other. TAG has great synergy.

Q: If you were stuck on a desert island and could only bring one electronic device, what would it be and why?
An EPIRB (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distress_radiobeacon). Life is short. I've got too much that I want to do to be stuck on an Island. My wife would bring a fully loaded e-reader with re-chargeable solar batteries.

Q: What is your name and job title?

My Name is Kati Reid and I am the Marketing Manager at Vitech Business Group, Inc.

 

Q: What does your company do?

Vitech is a Supply Chain Solutions company that focuses on helping customers move product more efficiently and accurately through the four walls of their distribution center or warehouse. More specifically, we specialize in warehouse management systems (WMS) and Vocollect Voice installations. The solutions that we provide to our customers carry them through the sales process to installation, customization, and all of the ongoing services and support that they might require. We are able to do this because our in-house team includes sales people, project managers, programmers and a dedicated support staff.

 

Q: How did your company get started?

Our company was founded by Keith Batt and William (Bill) Ryan in 1994. Before moving to Bellingham, both worked in the WMS and data collection world with a company called HighJump out of Minnesota. For several years Vitech focused on HighJump projects around the country and continued to incrementally add staff. In 2004 the company made a decision to invest in Vocollect Voice technology, and we haven’t looked back since. Vitech is recognized by Vocollect as a Total Solutions Provider (TSP) which insures our place as one of their premier partners.

 

Q: Who are your typical customers?

Our typical customers are companies with manufacturing and/or distribution operations. Their facilities can range from 30,000 sq. ft. to well over one million sq. ft. From an industry standpoint, our customer footprint is quite extensive.  We are not necessarily limited by the type of business that our customers operate, although we have had great success in years past with retail distribution, consumer packaged goods, and produce manufacturing and distribution. Our customers are scattered around the US and Canada and we now have a small office operating out of Raleigh, NC to offer better sales coverage in the Eastern Region.

 

Q: What are some interesting trends in your industry?

In the last several years as the economy has stalled, companies have been forced, perhaps more than ever, to find ways to exist on smaller budgets and with fewer resources. While the technology packages that we focus on do require a significant investment, we have been fortunate in that they provide fairly short ROI terms, and they allow companies to focus on finding long lasting efficiencies within their operations. Vocollect Voice technology, for example, has proven time and time again to increase worker productivity, decrease employee training time and improve order picking accuracy. All of these factors are easily quantifiable for most warehouse operations teams, and fortunately, they have kept our solutions in high demand despite the downturn in the economy.

 

Q: What are some reasons for locating your business in Whatcom County?

It sounds cliché, but like many business located in this area, we appreciate the lifestyle that it affords our employees (affordable housing, manageable commute times, and access to the outdoors). From a hiring perspective, we are also very fortunate to have top-notch university talent at our fingertips coming from Western, Whatcom Community College and Bellingham Tech. In fact, I think about three quarters of our employees are Western graduates (myself included). While the work that we do spans from New Jersey to California and many points in between, we are proud to call Whatcom County home.

 

Q: What benefits do you most enjoy from your TAG Membership?

The opportunities for networking at the luncheons have been the most fruitful for us so far. Going forward we would like to find better synergies with TAG in terms of employee recruiting.

 

Q: If you were stuck on a desert island and could only bring one electronic device, what would it be and why?

Definitely a satellite phone. As nice as a desert island sounds in March in Washington, I would definitely look forward to calling for help and heading home. 

 

 

Contact Information:

 

Kati Reid

Vitech Business Group

360-647-1622 x118

kati.reid@vitechgroup.com

www.vitechgroup.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Q: What does your company do?

Shew Design is a marketing communications company specializing in graphic design. Most of our projects can be considered brand development and messaging campaigns, both using a combination of old and new media. 

 

Q: How did your company get started?

Shew Design began in 2002. Eric and I met on the job – Eric as a graphic designer and writer, and me as a production manager. Starting our business was a natural continuation of a positive personal and professional relationship. An initial focus in design has since expanded into marketing strategy, copywriting, illustration, radio production, letterpress printing, and web development.

 

Q: What are some reasons for locating your business in Whatcom County?

Both Eric and I came to Bellingham to go to Western and fell in love with this city and stayed. Starting a business in Bellingham so we could keep practicing what we love to do in a place we love was a natural choice. Whatcom County has an amazing variety of businesses and non-profit organizations, and that always keeps our work interesting. Recently locating our office downtown has made us feel even more connected to this community.

 

Q: What benefits do you most enjoy from your TAG membership?

The lunch lectures are always terrific - informative and interesting and I always walk away with some new knowledge I can apply to my business. Working with Anna on the Tech Stomp graphics and publicity this year was a treat, and hearing George Dyson speak was a definite highlight.

 

Q: If you were stuck on a desert island and could only bring one electronic device, what would it be and why?

I feel I should be saying our iPad2 or another fancy gadget, but honestly if my iPod Classic was loaded with my favorite music, audiobooks,  and updated podcasts I think I would be happy [as happy as one could be on a desert island]. I am still in awe of this product that is several years old but continues to do one thing very well, and very elegantly.

 

To find out more about Shew Design, visit their website at shew-design.com

Tell me a little bit about Lucid Consulting.

My name is Jason Alexander and I am the principal of Lucid Consulting. Lucid Consulting has been in business in Bellingham for over six years and we currently have a staff of six consultants. Many of our consultants have an extensive background in software, programming, and database management, while others have an extensive background in accounting. One of our consultants is currently testing for the CPA exam. I have found this combination of technical and accounting skills to be especially valuable when it comes supporting our clients and I believe this is what makes us successful.

What does your company do?

Our primary focus is solving problems related to information technology. This can be accomplished through a variety of means. We are a VAR for Sage Software products, focusing mainly on accounting, human resource, and payroll programs. These include MAS 90, MAS 200, MAS 500, and Sage Abra HRMS. Many times our clients have unique problems that cannot be solved through software out of the box. In those cases, we consult with the client to determine best practices when it comes to internal processes and then we work with the client to develop programs to solve their problems.  Some clients simply want our help and expertise in evaluating software to meet their needs or in defining internal processes.

Who are your typical clients/customers?

A typical client is a mid-size company that has advanced manufacturing, accounting, and integration needs.  For example, a typical customer may need advanced financial reporting capabilities or improved integration with other systems. A customer could simply be struggling with tying multiple systems together.  It all centers around their accounting, HR, payroll, sales, and operations activities.

Tell us about some interesting trends in your industry?

A growing trend right now is virtualization.  What seemed like a trickle less than two years ago is now a standard with almost every client we work with.   Added to that I see more and more clients using devices like the iPad to run applications previously dominated by a desktop PC.

What makes Whatcom County a great place to do business?

I think most of us live here for the lifestyle.  The great thing about being in the technology business is that for the most part you can really be anywhere.  When you combine that with a great place to live; it’s like having your cake and eating it too.

There is relatively good technology infrastructure here and our proximity to Vancouver and Seattle helps.  It sure beats driving in Seattle traffic 3 hours a day.

What benefits do you most enjoy from your TAG Membership?

I would have to say the networking opportunities and not necessarily from a ‘new business’ perspective.  I have found the peer connections as well as the recent employment fair to be extremely valuable.

If you were stuck on a desert island and could only bring one electronic device what would it be and why?

As long as the island has a 4G connection and power, I would take my Droid X2.  I could surf the web, watch TV, check my e-mail, connect to my clients, and most importantly… try to beat my 10-year-old son at Angry Birds!  

What is your name, job title and company?

Micah Bobbink, Director of Sales and Estimating at Applied Digital Imaging    

What does your company do?

We are a digital printer and we specialize in print on demand scenarios. Our motto has always been print what you need when you need it. Beyond the standard products you would find in any print shop we produce perfect bound books and large format POP/POS signage. We have been producing perfect bound books mainly for the scientific and technology fields since the late 80’s and we are seeing a growing interest in self publishing and short run book printing. We have invested heavily in our large format color department and we are having great success with large format POP/POS signage for the food and recreation industries. Both these products have also allowed us to expand our client base outside of Whatcom County and produce work for national companies right here in Bellingham.


Who are your typical clients/customers?

We offer a wide variety of products and services which leads to a wide variety of clients. We proudly count many small and large businesses in Bellingham as clients and also have expanded out footprint to include some larger businesses in our state as well as clients up and down the West Coast and Canada. A normal day will include walk in clients picking up their brochures and flyers as well as shipping conference proceeding books both internationally and domestically or POP signage for tradeshows around the country. We also are reaching clients who desire to print less by staying current and including printing solutions aside from paper such as USB Drives, CD and DVD’s.  

Tell us about some interesting trends in your industry?

My favorite trend right now is the QR Code. They are one of the few new trends that actually increases       print instead of eliminating it since you can’t enjoy the benefits of the code without having it printed.  QR Codes are mostly being used in the marketing and point of purchase arenas at the moment and I love the idea of layering technology and social media with a clear and direct print piece. QR Codes allow for a general print concept coupled with a QR Code hyperlinked to detailed and specific information or the other way around, with a specific and detailed print piece hyperlinked to a home page or general content. Trends in our industry tend to have a short life span but I believe this one is here to stay and will make its way into other fields of the print industry.

What benefits do you most enjoy from your TAG Membership?

Applied Digital Imaging has enjoyed a strong and lengthy relationship with TAG through the leadership of Rob Takemura. I am new to the group but I am looking forward to the knowledge and information shared by the speakers and other members. In industry like the printing industry I believe it is critical to remain current with the trends and advances in technologies.

Find out more about ObDOE by visiting their website.