Business Briefing

REGIONAL NEWS

Tully's ex-CEO says he quit, won't get severance pay

John Buller, the outgoing Tully's Coffee Corp. chief executive, said Wednesday that he would receive no severance pay and that he voluntarily quit.

Buller declined to say why he stepped down less than two years after taking the job, but others have said he had disagreements with founder and Chairman Tom O'Keefe over the direction of the company.

"There is no big severance package. I left on my own," said Buller, who made $200,000 annually and was entitled to $500,000 if he was fired without cause.

Buller also said Chief Financial Officer Kristopher Galvin, who also resigned, was not receiving a severance package. Galvin declined to comment Wednesday.

Tully's on Tuesday announced Buller and Galvin had quit and Carl Pennington Sr., a former Albertsons executive, would become the new president of the Seattle-based coffee company.

Amazon wants readers to rate writing contest entries

Think you have the next big novel? So do the hundreds of writers vying in a contest at Amazon.com.

The online retailer and some of its most prolific reviewers have picked 836 semifinalists from 5,000 entries to compete for a coveted book deal with Penguin Group, including a $25,000 advance.

Now, Amazon hopes readers will download excerpts of the semifinalist entries and help rate and review them. Penguin editors will consider the comments when picking 10 finalists by March 3. A winner will be announced April 7.

Starbucks drops Odwalla for Naked Juice products

Starbucks Corp. agreed to distribute PepsiCo Inc.'s Naked Juice line of smoothies and juices at about 7,000 U.S. stores.

Flavors that will be available include Green Machine, Mighty Mango and Protein Zone, the company said Wednesday in a news release.

Starbucks will stop selling Coca-Cola Co.'s Odwalla juices in favor of the Naked Juice offerings at company-operated U.S. stores, Starbucks spokeswoman Tricia Moriarty said.

Lighthouse for the Blind opening Spokane facility

The Lighthouse for the Blind Inc. is expanding to Spokane. The Seattle nonprofit provides employment and training for people who are blind and deaf-blind. It plans to open a new manufacturing facility in spring that could employ up to 50 people within three years, according to economic prosperity group Greater Spokane Inc.

SHIPPING NEWS

Vessels due Thursday at the Port of Seattle, according to the Marine Exchange of Puget Sound, include NYK Castor from Vancouver, B.C., at Terminal 18-3; and Westwood Rainier from Vancouver, B.C., at Terminal 5-Center. Due Friday: Antwerpen Express from Tokyo at Terminal 18-4; Hanjin Beijing from Busan, South Korea, at Terminal 46; Mol Exellence from Yantian, China, at Terminal 5-North; Proteus from Lanshan, China, at anchor; and Xin Qing Dao from Busan at Terminal 18-3.