Reliable Storage has expanded and just opened its seventh self-storage site.

Located in South Kitsap, off of Highway 16 at the Mullinex Rd. exit (next to Stokes Auction), its newest facility has a state of the art security system, features heated units, on-site manager and offers spacious RV & Boat Storage.

“As a local family-owned business since 1981, we are excited to now be part of the Port Orchard community,” says site manager Dennis Cornelius. “We are known for our friendly staff and convenient, secure facilities with on-site managers.” read more »

I am often asked: “What does the Kitsap Economic Development Alliance do; how does it help to develop our local economy?” My “elevator pitch” answer is: “We deliver business development services to our clients — businesses small and large, local and global — to help them grow and prosper in Kitsap County; and we do so free of charge due to the financial commitment of our many investor partners, from both public and private sector partners. In short, KEDA practices economic development as a community-wide team sport executing client-based business retention, expansion and recruitment strategies which are aimed at attracting investment and creating jobs…one business at a time. read more »

During the past ten years, I’ve been lucky enough to help mentor and launch nearly 1,000 new business start-ups, in my private consulting practice, and through my involvement with the Washington Community Alliance for Self Help (CASH) program.

Nearly one thousand times someone has looked up from a nascent business plan, or with a look of steely determination and said. “I want to start my own business.” Those seven words always get my attention.

One of the many lessons from Washington CASH is that every single one of these entrepreneurs needs a mentor. read more »

Pillar Technology Solutions, Inc. announced it will expand its business to Kitsap and the greater Tacoma area. Established in 1998, Pillar has offered network, server, workstation, and additional computer services successfully in Seattle since its inception. “We are thrilled to offer the same quality of service our clients have come to expect to Kitsap,” says President/CEO Harold Cohrs.

Pillar focuses on businesses with fewer than 100 workstations. A few of its clients include Talon Private Capital, Northwest Landscape Services, The Vance Corporation, and several local Subway locations. Optimizing any system for efficiency and cost is its mission. read more »

Dragonfly Farms Nursery, operating since 1998, will open The Dragonfly Café in March. Windows, doors, and timbers are all recycled and the roof will be a living green filtration system. The coffee is from Majestic Mountain, a local roasting house in Kingston.

The Dragonfly Café will be 200 square feet of interior space filled with locally produced baked goods, garden art and even farm fresh produce. Outdoor patio seating extends from the Café into the surrounding gardens. read more »

A new furniture and design store, Furnish Bainbridge, is now open for business on the east end of Winslow Way. Well-known Bainbridge Island businesswomen Mary Terry and Terri Bryant, owners, invite prospective clients to come in, browse, sit down and look at catalogs, or consult with knowledgeable staff. Furnish Bainbridge offers American made furniture from craftspeople in North Carolina, West Virginia, and Oregon, as well as from Bainbridge Island. There is a great variety of pieces that are well designed, carefully built to last, and competitively priced.

Transitional furniture, distinctive lighting fixtures, original artwork, high quality linens, and unique decor items are all available. read more »

Gena Black recently opened a branch in Silverdale for AmericaHomeKey Inc., adding to the mortgage lender’s more than 70 branches throughout the United States. Black was hired as the branch manager and brings over 20 years of local lending experience to the office.

The branch is located at 9564 Silverdale Way, NW, Suite 204 and can be reached at (360) 516-6789.

Arnold’s Home Furnishings in Bremerton has made a remarkable turnaround after a fire started by arsonists destroyed the store more than two years ago. The business reclaimed part of the old building that remained after the fire and despite a smaller footprint, the year-old space is as vibrant as ever. Customers are welcomed by the familiar “rooms” that replicate the design of a home, as well as some new areas such as an expanded mattress showroom.

This rebirth from the ashes, however, would not have happened had it not been for two longtime employees, Kathy Christensen and Steve Ford. When owner Betty Arnold decided she would not reopen after the fire, Christensen and Ford jumped in to buy the company’s assets and rebuild. read more »

Cook’s Whimsy, a kitchen store, opens in Gig Harbor at 5275 Olympic Dr., Ste. 103. Owner, Carrie Clark, is a graduate of the University of Washington with a degree in business, a classically trained chef, and is passionate about sharing her love of cooking.

Clark invites customers to “be dazzled with the bright colors of Le Cruset and Soda Stream, or the slivery glitter from All Clad. There is something for every cook.” read more »