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.

Nintendo opens brand new North American headquarters in Redmond

Gov. Chris Gregoire and Redmond Mayor John Marchione were on hand for the grand opening of Nintendo's new state-of-the-art North American headquarters, which was completed months ahead of schedule by contractor Turner Construction.

Turner modeled "every pipe, wire, duct and beam" by computer before beginning construction, enabling contract workers to build the new office in much less time. The building is also environmentally friendly, boasting a 75,000-square-foot 'green roof' that helps moderate the temperature inside and absorbs rainwater. In addition, the building offers seven electric vehicle charging stations, 46 bicycle parking spaces, and motion-detecting lights that also dim when there is plenty of natural light.

To read more about the grand opening check out these articles in the Seattle Times and the Puget Sound Business Journal.

Overlake Hospital launches new cardiac blog

Overlake Hospital recently launched a new blog to provide both patients and the general public with important information about the number one killer in the United States, cardiovascular disease. To read the blog, visit www.Overlakecardiac.blogspot.com.

The blog is written by Dr. Ronnier J. Aviles, Dr. Jeffrey Fowler and Dr. Edward Kim, seen below.

Readers are encouraged to participate in free flowing conversation and ask questions about cardiac issues in a more informal setting. Blogging about the latest trials, studies and cardiac care techniques gives Overlake's cardiologists an outlet to share information and spark discussion in the local community.

Below is an interview with Dr. Jeffrey Fowler discussing 'The Overlake Cardiac Blog' on KIRO Radio.

Aspira Apartments in Seattle open under budget and ahead of schedule

The brand-new Aspira Apartment Tower located on the corner of Terry Avenue and Stewart Street in downtown Seattle has begun leasing and the official grand opening celebration was held on Saturday, March 20.

“Our local project development team, Urban Partners LLC, Keller CMS, Inc., LMN Architects and Turner Construction, was able to design and build Aspira, the most state-of-the-art and environmentally friendly high-rise apartment building in Seattle, significantly under budget and more than two months ahead of schedule, even in this tough economy,” said John Schwartz, Northwest regional director of Keller CMS, Inc. Other project partners include O’Connor Capital Partners and Real Estate Capital Partners.

Aspira is also on track to be the first and only Four-Star Certified Built Green high-rise residential building in Seattle. The tower has an array of sustainable features and is the first building of its kind in Seattle to provide electric car recharging stations in its resident-only parking lot.

The 37-story apartment building features 325 homes with 22 unique floor plans. Every home has clean lines, high ceilings and wall-to-wall windows to take in the spectacular views with operable windows throughout. Over 40 percent of the residences are corner units and have decks or outdoor terraces.

The public spaces throughout the building are decorated with an extensive collection of artwork, many of the pieces done by locally renowned artists. On the 11th floor, the tower features a fully-equipped fitness area and adjoining yoga studio, a state-of-the-art media room and a large, furnished community room, connected to an outdoor terrace with stunning views.

Here's coverage of the grand opening on Q13 FOX and KOMO 4:

Erin McCallum Op-Ed in the PSBJ

Check out this op-ed written by Erin McCallum, president of Enterprise Washington, which was published in the Puget Sound Business Journal.

Enterprise Washington is a network of company, association and private sector leaders who are committed to economic prosperity for all Washingtonians. Enterprise Washington uses a combination of nonpartisan research, candidate recruitment, fundraising and grassroots education to help elect business savvy Democrat and Republican legislators in Washington state.

Overlake Hospital and others celebrate the life of Larry Larsen

Eastside Fire & Rescue hosted a celebration of life event for Larry Larsen, who died four times in three days after a massive heart attack in January. After 10 days of intensive treatment at Overlake Hospital Medical Center in Bellevue, he made a remarkable recovery and was able to get up and walk out on his own.

The celebration was held on Monday, March 15 at the Eastside Fire & Rescue Headquarters. The Larsens, along with all the medical professionals from Overlake Hospital, Bellevue Fire and the Alpine Animal Hospital who played a part in saving Larry’s life were in attendance.

Read more on the event from the Issaquah and Sammamish Reporter newspapers.