The News Tribune from Tacoma, Washington • 53

1 t'atjgr TOE NEWS3FRIBUNE Foreign bonds are an increasingly popular way to protect your portfolio against the dedining dollar Wall Street Journal Sunday 1 5-7 MOTLEY FOOL 2 CHUCK JAFFE 3 SUNDAY JANUARY 18 2004 WWWTRIBNETCOMBUSINESS DAN VOBLPEK i-v- eS3ki4 Buyback from Danes gives Tacoman fresh start with BigToys "'A VV: -V f- JS'i 1 i I Z'-P-l by CJL Roberts The News Titxme Copenhagen said selL BigTbys the Thmwater-based and Thcoma- born company that changed the way children play on playgrounds this month went from Danish ownership back into local hands The company was founded by Tacoman Chuck Kirby nearly 35 years aga His concept was to manufacture a single apparatus that -would supplant the individual swings slides and teeter-totters that had anchored play- grounds since playgrounds were first played upon 1 And he would use wood He used "peeler 8-foot-long cedar poles left over from the manufacture of plywood BigTbys prospered until Kirby and partner Bill Cobler sold to Kompan a Danish company controlled by toy giant Lego Over the years BigTbys beaune less of a fac- tor in the larger picture 2003 Kompan came to the realization they would never turn the said Tim Madeley BigTbys president ap- proached me in August saying they wanted to So he bought the company With a second mortgage and seller financ- ing Madeley bought the inventory assets and collaterals sudi as trademarks patents and the order book The sale agreement he said prohibits release of the sale price by either party BigTbys will remain at its Tbmwater head- quarters for at least the two years left on a learn Oddly enough Kompan also will remain at the site and will continue to sell another line of playground equipment Workers last week continued the process of 1 completing an office wall that physically sepa-: rates the two companies within the same building made me an attractive Made- ley said have to move the entire 1 warehouse We took pains to divide the Konqxm which manufactures its equipment in Europe abo will assist BigTbys with sales appeal to a different Madeley said go more to landscape architects and parka We lean more to schools and day PleaaesMlglh)isE2 Just how much is a Dome of cu our worth jf these days? i I vote tar the bonds to build the Thcoma Dome in March 1960 1 would have if I could have But I lived in Parkland then not Thcoma Yet I figure attended more than 80 events at the Dome since it opened in 1983 My list includes six Seattle SuperSonics basketball games seven Martin Luther King Jr Days eight Pierce County prayer breakfasts four Disney on Ice performances' three Thcoma Rockets hockey games three PLU football games two baseball card shows a lhcoma Stan championship soccer match and concerts by Amy Backstreet Boys the artist formerly known as Prince and The Grateful Dead -iy No WWF Lipizzaner Stallions or tractor pulls not sorry to say If you're like me you feel a v' -fondness for the plate The 1980 pro- Dome campaign slogan Dome Of Our sound so schmaltzy now that spent at least 200 hours enjoying it recent outpouring of revulsion at the thought of changing the name to the Comcast Dome speaks to our collective affinity for it But that affinity worth today? Will six in 10 of us vote to keep paying a portion of our property latexes for 20 or 25 more years to upgrade our Dome? I Tbday I a stretch Of civic needs in 1980 you could argue building the Dome topped the list Community leaden played to pride They certainly viewed it as a mammoth economic catalyst that would draw new dollars into a worn down seconddty i In 2004 while improving the 's Dome has merit it rise to the top of overcrowded civic agenda It trump need for some basic investments in our streets and sidewalks for example The Thea Foss Waterway could use more public support to leverage private investment '''-'V Downtown needs a host of improvements to signage streetscape and parking to support our convention center and other public Investments Part of Ruston feawall could crumble into the bay without repairs The case for the Dome will be made in part on Jan 27 at a City Council study session A consulting firm will describe what a massive modern makeover could do to turn 1 our Dome into an entertainment and retail hot spot Later that night the council will vote on a resolution proposed by Councilman Rick Thlbert to support a public ballot measure to pay for future Dome enhancements by reissuing the original stadium bonds pay off those bonds at the end of 2005 Thlbert and other council members have called for extensive public outreach to show us the needs and options and gauge just how much we want to reinvest in the Dome That will occur this year We already have heard how the White River Amphitheatre near Please see VMM rick ps UN KIT WOM I THE NEWS TRIBUNE Tim Madeley left is Ihe owner and president of Biglbys and Sooft Ramsey is the director of sales and matketkifr Is our business Ramsey says 1 5 -in' A fVv -a -k'm i BigToys "Ax wr 1 LH Product PlaBTund structures First owners: Fotsxler Chuck Kkby and BM Cobler New owner Tim Madeley 41 Mount ThhomsHty School gaduate and an emptayee since 1978 namyniTlS Some Btfby examples dodadse horn far left: Cyprus Beech Sequoia and Adventurer Iknwoter Sales: WbrkMde from Asia and the Middto East to South America and Europe more ftelyto schools than to park -dtetrlcts DoEar amount not revealed but annual sales estimated between $2J5mNonandtlO mMkn Madeley says: Wh're a dominant ptayer In a smai niche What makes BigTbys dWIecant: Modular construction means several (slides tunnels ladders and so forth) are awHatfe in one structure Beak Madetes goal is to add one new pky event amuafy to the ML The name: Decades ago a chd was overheard saying t1he 1 apparatus i i i i A ewer Some of the projections go beyond the obvious Others are downright spooky Business consultants say smart business owners and workers will take note-of the forecasts and get positioned to take advantage if the trends happen a look at what four workplace futurists expect to tee in 10 to 25 years: panies might have workers of ages that 1 spaa four generations A consultant might be needed to mediate conflicts and programs to increase the harmony between Online auctions will replace recruit ing Instead of bidding on a limited-edi- tion Barbie doll companies facing a labor shortage will bid on potential employees particularly temps Corporations will relocate to be doa-' er to workers Such migration has be- come more common recently Until 1994 about 5000 corporations moved each year That number is now about 11000 a year according to Site Selection The nanotechnology that soon will be used to track consumer products might one day be used in humans microchip the size of a grain of sand could be em- bedded in American workers who simply by passing through a radio frequency field would send the information to the hiring Watts Wacfcar ftrturist with Cormecdcutbased firsthtetter Everyone will either be a business owner or a temp Please see Friars E2 Trends: Smart employers Workers might plan ahead BY CHMSTHNE VAN DUSER Cos News Series There'i lot of talk about happening in the workplace and economy today tomorrow and maybe the next year or so But the picture expected to look like 10 to23 years from now? not surprising to hear business futurists say the workplace and the ways employers hire and employees work will evolve into something different Flextime will be measured by the calendar not the clock Gone will be the 40-hour work week as members of two-income households adopt flexible schedules to balance work and personal lives One possibility: an annual work requirement Workers would put in 2000 to 2100 work-related hours a year Corporate recruiters will hit high schools The share of workers with post-high school education will grow 4 percent by 2020 Companies will take over the education of future workers directing high school grads to where they will beef up skills needed in the workplace Rdsumds could go very high-tech -I CEO of Chadengsr Grey Christmas which tracks vwxkplace trends Vl The age will emerge As the work force ages with baby boomers forgoing retirement and seniors over 65 returning to work com- 1r.