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Northwest Digest
Supermarket workers in Pierce County approve pact

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The same contract was ratified by members of UFCW locals 1105, 81, 381 and 44, and Teamsters Local 38 on Aug. 15. The contract provides a 30-cent an hour raise while requiring workers to start paying weekly contributions and at least 15 percent of their health-care premiums.

Other members of UFCW 367 working for MegaFoods, Top Food & Drug, Summit Trading, Stadium Thriftway, Metropolitan Markets and Saars Market rejected the contract Wednesday.

Corbis

Revenue up 27.1 percent in first half, company says

SEATTLE — Corbis, which is raising its profile as the industry's second-largest provider of digital images, said yesterday that it increased revenue by more than a quarter in the first half of the year and was poised to become cash-flow positive in 2005.

Seattle-based Corbis, founded by Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates in 1989, is the biggest competitor to industry leader Getty Images. Although privately owned, Corbis began releasing more details of its operations earlier this year.

Corbis, which said it grew revenue by 20 percent to $140 million in 2003, reported that revenue grew 27.1 percent in the first half of 2004 from a year earlier. Excluding currency gains, Corbis said revenue increased 23.3 percent.

"For the remainder of this year we're expecting to continue the momentum we've had in the first six months," Corbis Chief Financial Officer Sue McDonald said. Previously, Corbis was forecasting 20 percent revenue growth for 2004.

Insightful

New auditor hired by data-analysis firm
 
SEATTLE — Insightful, a Seattle data-analysis company, yesterday announced that it hired Moss Adams as its new auditor.

The company's previous auditor, Ernst & Young, resigned in June, and the company failed to file its earnings report for the quarter that ended June. 30. Nasdaq informed the company on Aug. 17 that its stock was subject to delisting because of the missed filing, a decision the company is appealing before the Nasdaq Qualifications Panel on Sept. 17.

Insightful stock closed yesterday at $2, down 9 cents, or 4.3 percent.

Mforma

Phone content provider acquires game developer

BELLEVUE — Mforma, which recently raised $19 million in venture capital to pay for acquisitions, said it has acquired Blue Beck, a Manchester, U.K.-based mobile-game developer.

Last week, Bellevue-based Mforma acquired FingerTwitch of San Francisco. Terms of both deals were not disclosed.

Mforma publishes content and provides services to mobile-phone carriers to deliver that content. Blue Beck, which was founded in 2001, creates titles for game makers, including Mforma. Blue Beck will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Mforma, with all it employees remaining at the company. It will continue to operate from its Manchester location.

"They are one of the most talented, consistent, disciplined and prolific developers we've worked with and we are very pleased to have them on our team," said Dan Kranzler, Mforma's chief executive.

Trendwest

Resort operator names new president and CEO

BELLEVUE — Trendwest Resorts, a Redmond operator of condominium resorts, appointed Franz Hanning as president and chief executive officer of Trendwest North America and Fairfield Resorts.

Hanning replaces Donald Harrill, who was president and chief executive officer of Trendwest Resorts since July 2003.

Trendwest and Fairfield are both owned by Cendant, a provider of worldwide hotel and real-estate services.

Compiled from Seattle Times business staff and Reuters