H Mart, a New Jersey based national grocery chain featuring Asian goods and products, opened a 75,000 square foot superstore in Lynnwood on late last year on the site of the former Mervyn’s Department store.
The Lynnwood H Mart is the company’s secon and largest store in Washington. An H Mart in Federal Way opened in 2005. The opening brings 110 new jobs to Lynnwood.
That H Mart picked Lynnwood is a sign of the growing Asian community. Twenty-fouf percent of the city’s population is foreign born and a large number are of Asian descent.
“We are very excited to be in Lynnwood,” said Mr. J Song the President of West Coast Operations for H-Mart i a prepared statment. “The diverse population, growing Asian influences and accessible site makes this a perfect location for us.”
Products are not limited to Asian goods. H Mart also sells fresh produce, seafood, and meat, baked goods, packaged foods, and household items that are consistent with mainstream supermarket staples.
“Some people rely on H Mart for all their shopping, while others treat it as a shopping adventure’ song said.
H Mart’s opening followed a tight construction timeline made challenging by the renovation of a vacant former department store into a large scale grocery store. Besides H Mart, the building includes numerous tenants such as a bank, pharmacy, video store, cosmetic company and a food court.
“It was a challenging project, one of the largest we have undertaken. The people at the city were very helpful and did all they could to keep us on time. They were good problem solvers” Song said.
H Mart began as a single shop owned by an immigrant family in the Queens borough of New York City in 1982. The name H Mart bears 4 Hs in mind: “Healthy,” “Humane,” “Happy,” and “Heartfelt”.
Insurer makes big Lynnwood splash
PEMCO Insurance, a leading Northwest insurance and financial services provider, opened its new 50,000 square foot office at the RedStone Corporate Center in Lynnwood late last year.
PEMCO opened its first Lynnwood office in May, 1992. Lynnwood’s central location and easy access helped make the decision easier.
“We wanted to expand capacity while distributing our workforce over a broader area, especially our claim-response people,” said Stan McNaughton, PEMCO President and CEO, in a prepared statement. “That allows us to reach customers more quickly, more efficiently. It gives them better service.”
The move also reduces congestion.
“It made sense where possible to transfer north-end employees closer to their homes,” McNaughton said.
That reduces commute time, road congestion, PEMCO’s carbon footprint and improves everyone’s quality of life, which helps make Lynnwood an even better community.”
The new PEMCO office has 163 employees, twice as many as before. One-hundred-forty-three employees work for PEMCO Insurance and 20 for School Employees Credit Union of Washington, a company that shares its roots with PEMCO.
The city of Lynnwood has been focusing on business attraction and increasing employment opportunities as part of its city-wide economic development plan.
“We have been getting the word out about Lynnwood, and businesses are discovering the many advantages of Lynnwood’s strategic location.” said David Kleitsch, the City of Lynnwood Economic Development Director.
Veterans hand out several awards
Lynnwood Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1040 and Auxiliary has announced their Annual First Responders, Youth Essay and Voice of Democracy Awards.
The First Responders Annual Awards included:
•Police Officer of the Year Award to Lynnwood Police Sgt. David Byrd for his dedication to providing a safe environment for the citizens Lynnwood;
•Firefighter of the Year Mike Hudson for his professional attitude, manner, and conduct in taking interest in the health and well-being of the members the city and department.
•Emergency Medical Technician of the Year Award to Lynnwood Firefighter/EMT Dave Matthews for his positive attitude and strong leadership skills when working with life threatening situations.
•Voice of Democracy Award to Danielle Holstein
•Youth Essay Awards to twelve elementary school participants for their responses to this year’s program.
Hitchcock classic at library Feb. 14
Return to the “Golden Age of Hollywood” at free classic movie matinees beginning at 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14 at the Mountlake Terrace Library, 23300 58th Ave. W.
Kicking things off, enjoy a romantic caper on the Riviera with Cary Grant and Grace Kelly in the Hitchcock classic, To Catch a Thief. Free popcorn will be provided and one lucky viewer will take home the DVD. The series will continue on Saturdays through June. For more information, call 425-776-8722.
For midweek updates, visit www.enterprisenewspapers.com/LynnwoodZone. Sent news tidbits to: lynnwood@heraldnet.com
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