May 3--After several retail company closures and job shedding in the first quarter, it will be interesting to see if Whatcom County's economy begins to stabilize.

In recent years the beginning of the second quarter usually means a pickup in economic activity as agriculture, real estate and tourism industries start increasing. So far, however, local economic indicators are not pointing in that direction.

Here are some business developments worth noting:

Income: In April the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis released its estimates of per capita income in U.S. metro areas in 2007.

If anything, it shows how much Whatcom County residents were making before the financial meltdown/recession hit.

In 2007, the per capita personal income for Whatcom County residents was $33,487, up 6.2 percent from the previous year. Whatcom's per capita income was 87 percent of the U.S. total.

Other significant business changes in April: The Joe's sporting goods store chain began a liquidation sale at all of its stores, including the 53,000-square-foot store on East Bellis Fair Parkway. Also beginning liquidation sales nearby were Boater's World and Kits Camera. Western Tool Supply on Iowa Street also had a sale to close its Bellingham store; the company's nearest store is now in Woodinville.

--Samson, a manufacturer of high-performance rope, announced it was cutting about 10 percent of its workforce in its Ferndale and its Lafayette, La. facilities. Of the 27 positions that have been eliminated, about 20 are from the Ferndale plant, said Joe Mazzacano, chief financial officer for the company. The company currently has around 300 employees in the two facilities, with about 160 employed in Whatcom County.

--The parent company of Bellis Fair, General Growth Properties, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last month. At this point, no changes were expected for the Bellingham mall as a result of the filing.

--Work is being done to open a Ferndale Ace Hardware store in the former Rite-Aid building on 4th Avenue. The store will have 8,900-square-foot retail showroom and is operated by Gordon Merritt. He plans to have a grand opening in June.

Reach DAVE GALLAGHER at dave.gallagher@bellinghamherald.com or call 715-2269.

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