Overlake Hospital physician's journey to a successful life far from ordinary

This year marks the 35th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War and for one local surgeon it is a stark reminder of his childhood escape from Vietnam and his immigration to the United States in search of a new life.

Dr. Thien Nguyen is now the medical director for the Weight Loss Surgery Program at Overlake Hospital Medical Center. Nguyen originally wanted to become a trauma surgeon, but after working in weight loss surgery during his residency he was hooked.

Nguyen sees successes daily as patients are able to lose weight, improve their outlook on life and most importantly live longer by avoiding serious diseases such as diabetes.

For a more in depth look at Dr. Nguyen's story read this article in the Bellevue Reporter.

Aspira receives coveted four-star environmental certification

The new Aspira Apartment Tower in Seattle today received the coveted four-star certifcation from Built Green, making it the first and only high-rise residential building in Seattle to receive this top environmental honor.

Check out this article online at KOMO News, as well as this clip from the evening news below.

Aspira has a number of groundbreaking environmental features including an extremely efficient heating and air-conditioning system, a green wall on one side of the building that supports bamboo groves and vine plants, as well as dual-flush toilets and low-flow plumbing.

It is also home to the first commercial electric car recharging stations in Seattle, which are located in the resident-only parking lot.

Medical Teams International honors Mike and Kathy Holmgren

Medical Teams International today announced its new Washington state regional headquarters, currently in the design and construction phase, will be called the Medical Teams International Mike and Kathy Holmgren Center in honor of longtime volunteers Mike and Kathy Holmgren.

The new 21,346-square-foot building will serve as the regional headquarters, giving Medical Teams International a far greater physical presence in Washington state.

Check out some video footage of the event from Q13 FOX and KOMO 4 down below.

Kathy Holmgren has travelled extensively on several disaster relief teams for Medical Teams throughout Mexico, Romania, Congo, Rwanda and Uganda. Her daughter, Dr. Calla Holmgren accompanied her on several of those trips. In 2009, Kathy returned to Mexico accompanied by her husband Mike for his first Medical Teams International relief mission.

For more on the story check out these articles in the Redmond Reporter, CNBC, or the Daily Journal of Commerce.

Cashmere Molding Inc. wins manufacturer of the year

Cashmere Molding Incorporated was named the 2010 Midsized Manufacturer of the Year by the Seattle Business Magazine during the Washington Manufacturing Awards banquet on Thursday, May 27, 2010.

Cashmere has seen sales increase by an average of 60 percent over the last five years, including a 10 percent increase last year during the struggling economy. This enabled them to hire 20 new employees last year alone, and bring five customers who were having their plastic molded in China back to the United States.

"If our prices are competitive, then we will get the work back in this country because our customer service and our engineers are unmatched," says President Greg Herlin, pictured below. "I'm out to prove that American manufacturing can be competitive again.

To read more about Cashmere Molding Inc. see these stories in the Seattle Business Magazine and Plastics News.