Nov 16, 2023

SanMar

Draughn

SanMar Corp., a supplier of wholesale accessories and apparel, named Dean Draughn as vice president of sourcing and product development. Draughn brings more than 30 years of end-to-end global experience spanning the entire product life cycle from design to distribution. During his 33-year career, he has developed expertise in leading teams for supply chain management, operations, development, manufacturing, compliance, and quality. Draughn is a member of the Cotton Board, an administrative arm of the Cotton Research and Promotion Programs that serves as a key liaison to the United States Department of Agriculture. Draughn previously served as an appointed member of the United States Department of Commerce and the Office of the United States Trade Representatives International Trade Advisory Committee for Textiles and Apparel. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Family owned and operated, SanMar is based in Issaquah, with nine distribution centers nationwide and apparel from more than 30 brands.

Electric Era Technologies

Seattle-based Electric Era Technologies, a manufacturer of EV fast charging stations, announced the launch of the first of more than 10 commercial installations across the United States this year, with an installation of its proprietary PowerNode charging station at a Portland Plaid Pantry, with a goal of 10,000 installations across the U.S. by 2030. The Plaid Pantry installation is the first-of-its-kind deployment for Electric Era's patented AC-coupled microgrid EV fast charging technology which combines battery and grid power in real time to distribute to EVs when they charge. The technology uses 25% of the typical draw from legacy EV chargers on the electrical grid, from 800kW down to 200kW, allowing operators to avoid demand-based operating expenses and bolstering the reliability of aging infrastructure. A 10-minute charge from the PowerNode charging station can typically deliver 100 miles of range, depending on the vehicle age and onboard technology. Electric Era Technologies was launched in 2019 by former SpaceX engineers; its PowerNode EV charging stations deliver high-speed, electrical grid-friendly charging at gas stations, convenience stores and quick service retailers across the United States.

NuScale Power

NuScale Power announced the opening of the first privately-funded NuScale Energy Exploration Center (E2 Center) at Seoul National University with partners GS Energy Corporation, Doosan Enerbility Co., and Samsung C&T Corporation. As the first E2 Center in Asia, the educational training hub serves as a workforce development tool for South Korea to develop the next generation of advanced nuclear experts, technologists, and operators, positioning the country to become a regional leader of small modular reactor (SMR) deployment in Asia. The deepening partnership between NuScale and Korean energy industry leaders will help Korean companies advance their SMR capabilities, which could lead to exports of Korean-supported SMRs in the future. Founded in 2007, NuScale is headquartered in Portland.

Nov 15, 2023

Egon Zehnder

Egon Zehnder, a leadership advisory firm, announced that after supporting clients in the Pacific Northwest for more than 20 years, the firm will expand its footprint and connection to the region with physical office locations, opening a new office in downtown Seattle, with another location in Vancouver, British Columbia opening in early 2024. The Seattle office will feature a founding team of three leadership advisory experts: Chris King-Sidney, most recently an industrials and energy executive; Patrick Mendenall, a tech and gaming industry executive; and Sara O'Gorman, a leader in retail and early-stage companies.

Edifecs

Belleuve-based Edifecs, a global health information technology solutions company, added Stephen Ayers to its leadership team as chief financial officer. With decades of finance management experience, including executive level leadership positions at Lyric, Change Healthcare, and McKesson Corp., Ayers will lead Edifecs' finance team with a focus on growth. Ayers honed his finance career at McKesson where he focused on growing and improving key business units and advising on various growth strategies including acquisitions and partnerships. He previously enjoyed a 24-year career with McKesson including three years as vice president of finance/CFO. In 202, Ayers went on to Change Healthcare, where he led the company as its senior vice president and CFO of corporate. Ayers earned his bachelor's in business administration with a focus on accounting and programming from James Madison University. He attained his professional accounting license, CPA, in 1988. Earlier this year, Edifecs announced the additions of Summerpal Kahlon, M.D., as chief medical officer, Rod O'Reilly as chairman of the board, Tom Shultz as chief revenue officer, and Chris Lance as chief product officer to its leadership team.

Nov 14, 2023

Know Labs

Seattle-based Know Labs, an emerging developer of non-invasive medical diagnostic technology, appointed three new members to its board, increasing the number of directors to seven. The new appointees are John Cronin, Larry Ellingson and Tim Londergan. Cronin is the founder and CEO of ipCapital Group, a global advisory company on intellectual property strategy and monetization. Cronin began his career at IBM where he was the sole inventor of breakthrough chip design technology. He went on to create the IBM Patent Factory and grew IBM's patent portfolio from ninth to number one in the world. Ellingson has been a member of Know Labs' Medical Advisory Board for the past four years. Ellingson's background includes 30 years with Eli Lilly where he headed the multibillion-dollar annual revenue Diabetes Care business unit. Ellingson has been an advocate for accessible and affordable diagnosis and treatment through his activities with diabetes focused nonprofit organizations. Londergan is the founder and CEO of Tangibly, developer of a trade secret management platform. Londergan has experience as a CEO and COO of technology companies, including Lumera, Wavefront Venture Labs and Operem. He spent several years as head of commercial development at Intellectual Ventures, a global intellectual property fund.

Dorsey & Whitney

International law firm Dorsey & Whitney named 22 new partners to the firm, including three in its Seattle office, effective Jan. 1, 2024. The new Seattle partners are: Robert Lee, intellectual property litigation; Marina Lyons, labor and employment; and Mathew Teagarden, tax, trusts and estates. Dorsey & Whitney was founded in 1912 and has locations across the U.S. and in Canada, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region.

Ste. Michelle Wine Estates

Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, the largest winery in the Pacific Northwest, received Silver Status Membership with International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA). Ste. Michelle's brand, A to Z Wineworks and affiliated brand Rex Hill, received Silver Status Membership with IWCA last year; the first for an Oregon winery. Ste. Michelle joined IWCA in 2022 and spent the last year working to meet the criteria required to reach this level. As a company, Ste. Michelle is committed to reducing carbon emissions. Efforts include lightweighting of glass, streamlining operations and farming sustainably. All 2,200 acres of Ste. Michelle estate vineyards are farmed and certified 100% sustainable, LIVE in Oregon and Sustainable WA in Washington. Ste. Michelle has adopted alternative packaging such as cans and bag-in-the-box for select brands, and made improvements in waste management resulting in 1,872 annual tons of recycling diverted from the landfill. IWCA is a collaborative working group committed to taking a science-based approach to reducing carbon emissions across the wine industry.