Originally published on South Sound Business. Paris Baguette, a South Korean bakery chain known for blending French pastries with Asian-inspired flavors, opened its newest Washington location in Federal Way today. The bakery offers an extensive selection of drinks, cakes, sandwiches, and pastries, with options including croissants, mochi doughnuts, twisted salt breads, milk buns, and more. […]
Originally published on South Sound Business. Tacoma Rising’s eight-week business accelerator is giving a group of high-school and college students hands-on experience building a business from the ground up. Participating students are being guided through the creation and management the South Sound Showdown, a chili cook-off scheduled for Sept. 19 at the Rhodes Center in […]
Originally published on South Sound Business. California-based battery startup Sila, which opened a manufacturing facility last year in Moses Lake, recently announced that it received $300 million in new funding. Founded in 2011, the startup produces next-generation battery materials — specifically a silicon-carbon material that replaces the graphite traditionally used in the anodes of lithium-ion […]
Originally published on South Sound Business. Pierce County Human Services recently announced that it’s received about $2.6 million in investment from the Puget Sound Taxpayer Accountability Account, which will help the county expand community access to affordable, quality early-learning, and out-of-school programs. The funding will be distributed among organizations that address gaps in local youth […]
Originally published on South Sound Business. The July-August 2026 edition of South Sound Business is focused on local legacy businesses. We’re putting a spotlight on several in the area; read about last week’s subject, Tacoma Community College, here. Real-estate firm The Rants Group is a testament to the power of not wanting to do something. […]
Originally published on South Sound Business. The Pierce County Airport-Thun Field runway will be closed for reconstruction to ensure its safety beginning July 27. The airport determined that the runway has ended its useful service life and needs to undergo reconstruction so it can remain operational, according to a release. The runway will likely reopen […]
Originally published on South Sound Business. South Sound YMCA President and CEO Kyle Cronk is retiring after 38 years spent with the organization. His last day will be Dec. 31. “The (YMCA) buildings matter because of what happens inside them,” Cronk said in a press release announcing the news. “A family who learns to swim […]
Originally published on South Sound Business. In a recent discussion led by Deputy Mayor Joe Bushnell during an Economic Development Committee meeting, Tacoma officials mulled over raising the city’s minimum wage to $20 an hour. “We need a minimum wage that works for the city of Tacoma,” Bushnell said in a statement. “Cost of living […]
Originally published on South Sound Business. Centerforce — a South Sound nonprofit whose mission is to empower adults with disabilities to engage in their communities through advocacy, employment, and education — has acquired the historic Bone Dry Shoe Building at 2111 Pacific Ave. in downtown Tacoma for $2.495 million. The building establishes a permanent headquarters […]
Originally published on South Sound Business. Boston-based Intercontinental Real Estate Corp. announced today that it has acquired Lakeland Town Center, a 125,233-square-foot grocery-anchored retail center in Auburn, for $69.5 million. Built in 2002, Lakeland Town Center is situated on a 12.61-acre site in the Lakeland Hills master-planned community, according to an Intercontinental news release, adding […]
Originally published on South Sound Business. This month’s edition of Lead + Follow — a Q&A section dedicated to further understanding the personal and professional mindsets of area business leaders — features Bill Schmidtke of Capital Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electric. Schmidtke’s legacy business has been around since 1937, when William Schmidtke and Helmut Klein […]
Originally published on South Sound Business. Comcast NBCUniversal and El Centro de la Raza hosted a free community event for South Sound families on July 2 at the Xfinity retail store in Federal Way. The evening event was Minions-themed and had face painting, giveaways, and interactive mobile phone activities before a complimentary screening of the […]
Originally published on South Sound Business. MultiCare Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital & Health Network has opened a new outpatient therapy center in Tacoma. The 16,000-square-foot facility began serving patients on June 30 and offers physical, occupational, speech, and feeding therapy, along with audiology and in-house orthotics and prosthetics. “Many of our patients rely on at […]
Originally published on South Sound Business. Homebuyers in June had the greatest selection of homes this year, with total active listings up 16.4% year over year and 8% from May, resulting in 23,088 homes on the market and continuing a gradual shift toward more balanced conditions, according to a Northwest Multiple Listing Service report for […]
Originally published on South Sound Business. Huge is a word heard often in conversations about the positive effect on workforce development and business that area leaders anticipate from the new Maritime|253 skills center opening to area high school students Sept. 9 at the Port of Tacoma. Washington’s latest regional career and technical education center is […]
Originally published on South Sound Business. In our annual legacy business issue, we look at local enterprises that have stood the test of time. In so doing, a pattern has emerged. Year after year, these organizations show that they aren’t just doing business in their communities — they are living, serving, and caring for each […]
