Whatcom County’s 25 largest employers
Included in this survey are Whatcom County businesses and public agencies ranked among the largest 25 employers in the county, according to a list compiled by the Bellingham Whatcom Economic Development Council in 2004. Two employers — Anvil Corp. and Haskell Corp. — declined participate. All employee numbers are approximate and can include full- and part-time and temporary employees. Often benefits and other details are dependant on individual positions, number of hours worked and other factors. For specific details on any given position, contact employers or visit their Web sites when available.
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Company Name	Bio	Employees		Regularly hiring/ Anticipated openings 2006/ Average starting salary	Benefits						Perks as described by employer
Company Name	Bio	2006	2001		Minimum hours/week to qualify	Health	Percent employer-paid for employee/ dependents	Paid vacation	401(k)/Pension	Other	Perks as described by employer
Alcoa Intalco Works	Alcoa Intalco Works began operations as a primary smelter (The Intalco Corporation) near Ferndale in 1966, originally owned by Alumax, Pechiney and Howmet. Alcoa Inc. and Alumax merged in 1998 resulting in Alcoa ownership of Intalco - now called Alcoa Intalco Works. The Ferndale facility produces primary aluminum metal by the Hall-Heroult reduction process. The plant has three operational potlines, currently two potlines are idled. Aluminum is processed from a raw material called alumina, which is produced from bauxite ore in Australia. One ton of aluminum is smelted from 2 tons of alumina. The one ton of aluminum is enough to make 60,000 beverage cans or the space frames for seven full-size cars. It is enough to make 40,000 computer memory disks - capable of storing all the books ever published. Intalco is a smelter that dissolves the alumina in a cryolite bath inside large, carbon-lined cells called pots. When a powerful electric current is passed through the bath, aluminum metal separates from the chemical solution and is siphoned off. That molten aluminum goes into furnaces for precise mixing with other metals to form various alloys with specific properties designed for particular uses. It is then poured into molds or cast into product and shipped worldwide. Further fabrication may include casting, rolling, forging, drawing, or extruding to make thousands of different finished products from beverage cans to cars to jet aircraft, by Alcoa or by outside customers.	439	797	When in hiring phase: skilled craft (millwrights, electricians, brick masons) as well as entry level production positions. No anticipated openings in 2006. Average starting salary $45,000 per year.	36 to 40	Yes	N/A	Yes	Yes	Performance pay bonus program, on-site parking, alternate shifts, extensive safety and environmental training, tuition reimbursement.	Employees receive awards for years of service as well as significant discounts on purchases of products through supplier promotions.
Anvil Corp.	Declined to participate
Bellingham School District	Established 1904. Local organization serving nearly 10,000 students, ages 3 to 21. It has 13 elementary schools, four middle schools, three comprehensive high schools, and one alternative high school. It also provides preschool and vocational transitional services for special education students.	1,300	1,175	Teachers, para-educators, secretaries, custodians, bus drivers, food service workers. Starting salaries dependent on experience and education.	Varies per contract.	Yes	Employees with 1,440 annual hours are eligible for full benefits for themselves and additional dollars for dependent coverage, depending on the plan chosen.	Yes for year-round employees and some part-time staff.	Washington State retirement plans.	Many part-time positions available, professional development and promotional opportunities, Section 125 flex spending accounts.	Summer and holiday breaks, schedule that coordinates with children's school year calendar, some parents work in the same school as their children attend, on-site childcare at most elementary schools through the YMCA day care programs, opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children and the future of Whatcom county and the country.
Bellingham Technical College	Bellingham Technical College is an accredited, public college, and one of Washington State’s 34 community and technical colleges. BTC’s mission is to deliver superior professional technical education for today’s needs and tomorrow’s opportunities. BTC offers over 50 degree and certificate options with many programs offering start dates each quarter. Program categories include: Business, Computer Technology and Management, Engineering, Manufacturing and Industrial Technology, Culinary Arts, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Health Sciences and Human Services, Transportation and Mechanical Technology. Bellingham Technical College also offers many professional development, continuing education and community education classes.	500 (150 regular staff, 120 adjunct instructors, 230 temporary and student employees).	460 (140 regular staff, 110 adjunct instructors, 210 temporary and student employees).	Maintenance, custodian, clerical. $12.50 per hour.	20	Yes	92 percent for employees, 86 percent for dependents.	Yes	Yes	On-site parking, flexible spending accounts for health, alternate shifts such as swing or graveyard, training programs, tuition reimbursement, same-sex partner benefits, sick leave, personal leave, life insurance, long-term disability insurance; tuition waiver; professional development; deferred compensation; supplemental retirement accounts; employee assistance program; dependent care; VEBA medical account.	Employee awards, discounted gym or other memberships.
Blaine School District	Established 1906. Public education.	266 (140 certificated, 126 classified).	245 (130 certificated, 115 classified).	Elementary teachers and bus drivers. Varies by position, education and experience.	As per each bargaining unit.	Yes	State contribution.	Yes, for 12-month employees. No, for 9-month employees.	As per state retirement system.		Having fun working with kids, teacher appreciation events hosted by the PTA.
BP Cherry Point Refinery	Established 1971. One of the newest refineries in the U.S. It is a single stream refinery with capacity to process 240,000 barrels of crude per day into gasoline, jet fuel, medium distillates, and anode grade coke for aluminum smelters. Part of BP PLC, one of the world’s largest petrochemical companies.	600	425	Maintenance and operations technicians, $23.18 per hour; cChemical and mechanical engineers, $60,000+ per year.	Practically all positions are 40 hours per week.	Yes	80 percent. Medical, dental, vision.	Yes	A non-contributory (by employee) pension and a savings plan with company match.	Life insurance, long-term care insurance, long-term disability insurance, health and dependent care spending accounts, short-term disability (paid sick days), annual bonus, on-site parking, flexible work hours, educational assistance, domestic partner eligibility for benefits, paid holidays, company match for charitable donations.	On-site fitness facility and wellness program, service awards, recognition awards, recreation club.
Brown & Cole Stores, dba Food Pavilion, Cost Cutter, Red Apple	Established 1909. Retail grocery. Regional privately owned business. Whatcom County includes nine stores and corporate headquarters. Twenty-seven stores statewide. Visit www.brownandcole.com for more information.	640	600	Regularly hiring entry-level store positions Six hundred anticipated hires statewide in 2006. Starting salary is $7.73 per hour in What-com County per union contract.	Union: 60 hours per month for individual coverage, 80 hours per month for full family benefits. Non-union: 24 hours per week for individual coverage, 32 hours per week for full family benefits.	Yes	Varies by plan selection.	Yes	401(k) available to team members after one year. Pension available to union team members.	Bonus potential for store management positions, paid or on-site parking at all locations, voluntary benefits including flex accounts for dependent care or unreimbursed medical, cancer insurance, accident insurance, group life insurance, short- and long-term disability.	Gym membership discounts, company cell phone plan, weekly casual work days, family business, local company emphasizing sustainable connections, good corporate citizen involved in community, leading contributor and participant in the American Cancer Society Relay for Life and the Food For All food bank donation program, award-winning company won over a dozen consecutive national awards for merchandising and advertising.
City of Bellingham	Established 1904. Responsible for providing a wide variety of essential services to the citizens of Bellingham including police, fire/emergency medical service, water, sewer, street, parks/recreation, and municipal court.	797	808	Regularly hire for police officers, firefighters, dispatchers, utility workers, and clerical positions. We advise those interested in employment at the City of Bellingham to visit www.cob.org regularly for current openings. Salaries vary.	20, for part-time benefits.	Yes	100 percent employee, 90 percent dependents.	Yes	Public Employers Retirement System; option to put money into deferred compensation.	Flexible spending accounts, same-sex domestic partner benefits for some bargaining units.
Diamond B Constructors, Inc.	DBC is a fourth-generation family business with roots extending back to the early 1900s. Beginning as a small subsidiary of Bloedel-Donovan Lumber, the company has since grown regionally with annual revenues between $40-$50 million. DBC consistently employs 250 people and as many as 350 people, as projects demand. Located in Bellingham, the 32,000-square-foot DBC facility houses 7,000 square feet of office space, a 12,000-square-foot pipe fabrication facility, and 15,000 square feet for structural and HVAC fabrication. Although its construction operation began with small residential jobs, it soon moved into commercial construction, followed by industrial projects of increasing complexity. At Providence Hospital in Everett, for instance, plans were coordinated in such a way that existing surgeries proceeded without interruption while it remodeled the surgery, emergency, and intensive care departments. The mechanical systems on this project included new air handling equipment, ducting, mechanical rooms, chillers, and all as-pects of medical gas systems.	250-350	200-250	Project managers and project engineers, competitive salary.	32	Yes	100 percent employer paid	Yes	401(k) with employer matching.	Annual bonus, on-site parking, flexible work hours, telecommuting, training programs, tuition reimbursement.	Company car, special events, company parties.
Command Staffing	Established 2001. Provide contract workers for companies for temporary and permanent positions. Regional business with locations in Marysville and Mount Vernon.	5 internal; 1,500 contracted workers.	N/A	Office, production, construction, events, maintenance, etc. Demand is conditional upon the companies we work with. Average starting salary is $9 per hour.	30 hours per week internal, not available for contracted workers.	Yes, internal workers only.	50 percent-100 percent depending on hours and title. None for dependents.	Yes	No	Parties and awards. Many, if not the majority of, contract workers receive offers for permanent positions.
Ferndale School District	State educational institution. The district serves approximately 5,200 students in grades preschool through 12. The district has seven elementary schools, two middle schools and three high schools. Clearview High provides alternative academic opportunities for students not currently benefiting from the traditional high school programs. Windward High is a high-tech high school funded by a Gates’ Grant.	712 (385 certificated, 327 classified).	603 (326 certificated, 277 classified).	Anticipated openings for 20 to 25 certificated employees including speech language pathologists, special education and regular class-room teachers. No anticipated classified openings. Varies by position.	Depends on bargaining group; 15 hours/week is lowest. 18.75 hours for certificated employees.	Yes	State funded based on FTE formula; employee/dependants. An employee who covers only themselves can have 100 percent costs covered. Employees can choose more or less expensive heath insurance plans. A more expensive plan would mean more out of pocket expense for the employee. If they are coving their entire family, there can be up to $300 out-of-pocket per month, depending on the choice of coverage.	Classified: Yes, varies by bargaining group. Certificated: No, but only required to work between 183 to 225 days per year.	Yes. Work over 3.5 hours/day; state retirement system; 401(k) available, no employer match.	On-site parking, flexible spending accounts, job sharing, shifts (custodial only), training programs.	Make a difference in children’s lives, some employees work in the same building where their children attend school, summers off, nice breaks and twelve paid federal and state holidays, great people to work with.
Fred Meyer	Fred Meyer Stores, based in Portland, Ore., operates 128 multi-department stores in four western states. More than 28,500 Fred Meyer employees in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington help customers fill their food, apparel, and general merchandise needs. Fred Meyer is a division of The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), one of the largest food retailers in the United States. Fred G. Meyer opened his first one-stop shopping store at the corner of 5th and Yamhill in Portland in 1922. The Lakeway Fred Meyer store opened in 1974, the Bakerview Fred Meyer opened in April 2003.	448	232	Cashier and retail sales. Starting wages for most retail sales and cashier positions range from minimum wage to $8 per hour. Hires extra staff hiring during the summer and holiday seasons. Wage ranges: non-food, $7.63-$11.10; food, $7.80-$17.25; central check, $7.73-$14.89, meat, $11.87-$19.80. Starting wage determined by experience and prevailing wage in community.	25	Yes	Varies depending upon when the employee began working for Fred Meyer and what their position is within the store.	Yes	Yes. We offer 401(k) through the company. Some union employees receive pension as part of their union contract.	Retirement health care benefits are available to some employees, depending on their union contract. On-site parking, alternate shifts, training programs, tuition reimbursement.	Employee awards, discounts on purchases.
Haggen, Inc.	Established 1933. Regional grocery company with 32 stores in the Northwest, headquartered and established in Whatcom County.	850	775	3,700 total number of employees at all locations. Regularly hiring for food service clerks, grocery clerks, bakery clerks, courtesy clerks.	Union: 60 hours per month for individual coverage, 80 hours per month for family coverage. Non-union: 20 hours per week.	Yes. Medical, dental, vision, prescription.	N/A	Yes	Benefits vary depending upon union/non-union status, but include either pension or 401(k).	Alternate shifts, community college tuition reimbursement, Haggen savings plan, profit sharing, bereavement pay and paid holidays.	Annual holiday party, service awards program, discounts, discounted gym memberships, discounted vacation and activity packages.
Haskell Corp.	Declined to participate.
Heath Tecna Inc.	Heath Tecna is a premium manufacturer and supplier of innovative aircraft interior products and services, and is part of the Premium Aircraft Interiors Group headquartered in the United Kingdom. Heath Tecna’s Bellingham facility was established in 1990. Heath Tecna designs and manufactures aircraft interiors, including stowage bins, ceiling panels, sidewall panels, lavatories, furniture and other interior assemblies and components. Its customers are the world’s major airlines and aircraft manufacturers.	360	265	Production, engineering, office administration. All positions are full time.	40	Yes. Employees are eligible for benefits the first of the month after their hire date.	94 percent for employees, 92 percent for dependents.	Yes	Traditional 401(k) with 50 percent company match of employee’s first 6 percent of contribution, plus Defined Contribution of 2.86 percent deposited by employer. Newly offering Roth 401(k) option.	Short- and long-term disability, company paid Life/AD&D insurance, employee assistance program, flexible spending accounts, educational assistance, 10 paid holidays, sick pay, on-site parking, flexible work hours, alternate shifts, training programs.	Annual employee service awards banquet, company picnic/baseball game, family holiday party, employee suggestion bonus opportunities, discounts with local businesses.
Lummi Indian Business Council	Current council established in 1970. Lummi Indian Business Council is a tribally run local organization. The tribal council consists of 11 members.	650	N/A	Mental health counselors, chemical dependency counselors, treatment aides, general manager.	21 part-time, 31 full-time.	Yes	100 percent for employees and dependents includes medical, dental and vision.	Yes	Yes	Twelve annual leave days per year for non-exempt employees. Seventeen annual leave days per year for exempt employees after one year of service. Twelve sick leave days accrued per year. Full-time membership to the Lummi Fitness Center, some positions allow for flextime.	Day care close by, annual company picnic, on-site espresso/snack stand, close-knit community.
Mount Baker School District	Established as a district in 1941, before that it was many separate local small area schools. The district educates children from the eastern edge of Bellingham to Glacier in grades preschool through grade 12.	324	300	Teachers and classified employees (cooks, bus drivers, para-educators, secretaries, custodians and maintenance). Teacher starting salary: $30,383 per year. Classified average starting salary: $12 per hour, approximately.	10	Yes	Employees: mostly 100 percent benefits paid. Dependents: $629/month per employee for all coverage, this covers employee, but dependents are usually paid out of pocket, depending on healthcare plan and FTE of employee.	Yes	Yes	Flexible spending accounts for health and day care, some job sharing, some tuition reimbursement.	Discounted gym membership.
Silver Reef Hotel Casino & Spa	Established 2002. Complete entertainment destination with more than 550 slots, 18 table games, two full service restaurants and a deli, two bars and a pavilion that hosts national entertainment and is available for rental.	380	250 when opened in 2002	Always accepting applications for all positions. Average starting salary varies depending on experience. In summer it will open a luxurious hotel, spa and an Asian-themed restaurant, Panasia. This anticipated opening will require approximately 80 to 100 additional employees. It is currently accepting applications with plans to begin hiring early summer.	32	Yes	Full-time employees are eligible for health benefits after 90 days of employment. Business covers monthly premiums for all full-time employees. Benefits are offered to part-time employees; however, they are responsible only for the premiums each month. Spouses and dependants may be added and are paid by the employee through payroll deduction.	Yes	401(k) benefits plan with employer match up to 4 percent dollar for dollar of employee contribution after one year of employment. Available to both full- and part-time employees, fully vested after 3 years.	Full-time employees earn 18 days of vacation and holiday for the first and second years of service. Part-time employees accrue vacation based on number of hours worked each pay period. $20,000 life insurance policy for full-time employees with option to purchase additional coverage, tuition assistance, WTA commuting van, annual bonuses and merit increase, swing and graveyard shifts, on-site lit and paved employee parking, employee assistance program.	Free meals while on shift, 20 percent discount on all logo items in the gift shop and any purchase of food in the restaurant, short commute to work, free birthday dinner at the steak house, Employee of the Month recognition, always growing and offering the potential for promotion.
Sodexho (University Dining Services)	Sodexho is an international contract food service business doing business in 78 countries world-wide. Business segments include, campus dining, corporate food services (B & I), school food services, health care services, laundry services, facilities management and senior care.	550; includes full-time/part-time/ managers and students.	400	All kitchen positions including executive chefs, sous chefs, line servers, grill cooks, salad prep, utility, fiscal techs, cashiers, baristas, human resources, marketing, catering, etc. Average starting salary commensurate with experience, typically $8.50+/- per hour.	32	Yes	Approximately 60-70 percent.	Yes	Yes	These benefits are directly related to the individual position. Paid on-campus parking for all management staff. All full-time employees have options for medical, life, dental and vision insurance. Flexible spending accounts for health and day care, profit sharing, stock options, same-sex partner benefits. All full-time employees can apply for tuition reimbursement. Succession planning/training is encouraged.	Depending on position or status and tenure with the company. All staff receive one free meal for every shift worked. Managers and student managers receive a meal plan. The company offers a discount to major national stores in a program called SAVE. All staff celebrations happen at the end of the academic year and at year-end holiday time. A small bonus is given to all full- and part-time employees annually. Quarterly employee recognition program for full- and part-time staff, this program is a peer recognition program and recipients are recognized in a company celebration 3 times each year and rewarded with their choice among $100 gift certificates.
St. Joseph Hospital	Established 1891. Hospital and health services. Operates in Washington, Alaska and Oregon.	2,061	1,800 in 2002.	Nurses, nursing assistants, clinical positions. St. Joseph's workforce includes salary, hourly, clinical, non-clinical and union employees. For example, an entry-level dietary aide might start at $9.26 an hour, an RN at $25 an hour and a salaried, clinical department director position could start at $80,000 a year.	20. Benefits begin 90 days after employment.	Yes	For a full-time employee on the In Network plan the hospital pays 100 percent for the employee, 82 percent for spouse, and 83 percent for dependents.	Yes. Earned time system; paid holiday/vacation/sick leave are bundled together.	Retirement (403b plan), employee can contribute up to 50 percent, hospital matches up to 4 percent.	Education assistance, tuition reimbursement, legal assistance. SCOOT program offers free bus pass or cash incentive for those that carpool, walk, or bike to work.	Departmental celebrations, employee recognition program with a special lunch for every five years of employment, annual picnic, discounts at local gyms and for cell phone service. Discounts offered to employees through MetLife include auto, homeowners, long-term care, veterinary, and legal services insurance. Life Balance program offers discounts on things like theater tickets, sporting events, etc.
T-Mobile USA	Based in Bellevue, Washington, T-Mobile USA is a national provider of wireless voice, messaging, and data services. T-Mobile USA is the U.S. operating entity of T-Mobile International AG & Co., the mobile communications subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom AG & Co. K.G. (NYSE: DT). Deutsche Telekom is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world, with more than 80 million customers worldwide.	460	500	Regularly hires customer service representatives in class sizes of 15 to 17. Classes scheduled through the remainder of 2006. Minimum starting salary is $10.62 and increases based on relevant experience. T-Mobile has more than 29,000 employees across the U.S. and approximately 460 at the Bellingham call center. The call center opened in 1999 and continued to grow to close to 500 employees by 2001. It has one of the longest tenured employee populations amongst the 20 call centers nationwide, averaging three years tenure.	20	Yes	85 percent for both employee and dependent coverage.	Yes. Paid time off program begins accruing immediately upon hire.	401(k) immediately upon hire with an employer match at the rate of $1 for $1 up to the first 3 percent of pay and 50 cents on the next 2 percent of pay.	Quarterly bonuses for all employees; incentive program for high performers that includes points towards well-known retail establishments, annual trips to Hawaii and other travel opportunities; flexible spending accounts for health care and day care; tuition reimbursement; domestic partner benefits; on-site parking.	State-of-the-art work areas with on-site fitness center, a game room, an Internet Café and cafeteria; health and fitness discounts; discounts on other types of insurance such as pet insurance; value added discounts to local business; summer and holiday employee events; supports several community organizations by sponsoring various charitable events.
Wal-Mart	Discount department store opening in Bellingham Aug. 28, 1996. Wal-Mart is an international company located in 13 countries.	350	N/A	Regularly hiring for cashier, overnight stockers and sales floor associates. Entry-level salary starts at $8, potentially higher depending on position, experience and shift.	Full-time, 6-month waiting period. Part-time, 2-year waiting period.	Limited insurance offered to cover during waiting periods for both part-time and full-time.	N/A	Yes. Available after one year for full-time; 2 years for part-time.	Yes	Available to all associates upon hire include jury duty pay, bereavement pay, stock purchase plan and business travel accident. Other benefits include profit sharing, holiday pay, illness protection plan, personal time, stakeholders bonus, childcare discounts and leave of absences.	Available to all associates upon hire include discount card, travel discounts, educational discounts, ability to move up in the company.
Western Washington University	Western Washington University is one of six state-funded, four-year institutions of higher education in Washington. On Feb. 24, 1893, Gov. John H. McGraw signed legislation creating New Whatcom Normal School. Since the first class of 88 students entered in 1899, the school has grown into the third largest institution of higher education in the state. The Normal School became Western Washington College of Education in 1937, Western Washington State College in 1961, and achieved university status in 1977. Western offers degrees in seven colleges: Business & Economics, Fine & Performing Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Huxley College of the Environment, Sciences and Technology, Woodring College of Education, and Fairhaven College (inter-disciplinary studies). Through its Graduate School, Western confers master’s degrees in arts, sciences, education, music and business administration. Western serves the region through partnerships, research and community service activities. Fall 2005 enrollment included 13,076 full- and part-time students, a full-time equivalent total of 12,343.	2,100 (typical number of employees paid in a pay cycle during the 2005 fiscal year, excluding students).	N/A	A variety of faculty and staff openings typically occur during the year.	20	Yes, for permanent positions.	Employees pay between 3-20 percent of the cost of benefits depending on plan choice and family size. The average contribution by employees at WWU is 11 percent.	Yes, for permanent positions.	Participation in retirement plans is mandatory for all permanent employees. Some employees belong to the state's defined benefit plan, while other employees belong to a matching defined contribution plan. Supplemental retirement plans are available for all employees to contribute to on a before-tax basis.	Full suite of optional benefits including, but not limited to, life insurance, long-term disability insurance, long-term care insurance, and employee assistance program; option to enroll in flexible spending accounts for health or dependent care; training programs for job-related skills and professional development; tuition remission for eligible employees; flexible work hours and telecommuting, under certain conditions.	Access to the Wade King Student Recreation Center and on-site day care (both charge additional fees).
Whatcom Community College	Provides an educational environment that encourages strong student performance and achievement and a curriculum that emphasizes quality teaching and learning.	350. Exempt, faculty, classified staff; does not include part-time hourly employees/students.	330	Various exempt, faculty and classified positions. Salaries vary depending on experience and education.	Must have contract of 50 percent or more to qualify for state benefits. Adjunct faculty needs two consecutive quarters of 50 percent or more.	Yes	$663 per month, per employee/family for qualifying employees.	Yes. For qualifying positions.	DRS or TIAA-CREF retirement options for qualifying individuals.	Flexible spending account, employee assistance program, free parking, tuition waivers for qualifying employees.
Whatcom County Government	Whatcom County was established 150 years ago and provides county government services.	840	805	General clerical and a range of professional positions. Visit www.whatcomcounty.us for openings. Salary depends on position.	80 compensated hours per month in a benefit eligible position.	Yes	Up to 100 percent depending on the plan.	Yes	Washington State Public Employees Retirement System (PERS); LEOFF (law enforcement officer retirement plan); and deferred compensation plans.	Flexible spending accounts, job shares, alternative shifts and flexible work hours, depending on the position.	Health Promotion program and annual Employee Recognition Day.