Local entrepreneur and 20-year U.S. Marine Corps and Navy veteran Zach Simms is opening an exterior design and construction management company in downtown Spokane.

Transblue LLC is headquartered in the greater Seattle area and began franchising in 2019. The company provides design and construction-management services specializing in residential, commercial, and multi-family properties.

Simms’ Spokane franchise occupies 3,000 square feet of leased space on the third floor of the historic 1889 Building, located at 427 W. Main. 

The space will accommodate both office space and a showroom. Simms, along with his wife and business partner Jasmine Simms, have hired two employees—a sales manager and a project manager. 

Jasmine is a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force, stationed in Spokane. 

The franchise had a soft opening on Oct. 1, starting official operations, says Simms. The couple plan to have a grand opening later in the month in an event with the Greater Spokane Valley Chambers of Commerce, of which the Simmses are active members.

Transblue has been performing work in the Spokane-Coeur d’Alene area for several years, says Simms. 

Now, all those projects will be transferred to the new Spokane franchise.

Simms anticipates ice and snow removal in the Spokane area to be a major component of management work for the business in the coming months.

Additionally, Simms says he’s excited to install electric vehicle chargers for commercial businesses, having gone through the planning and training, while working with distributors to be in a position to offer the service to clients.

“The day is coming,” says Simms in regard to installing electric vehicle chargers, “The last thing you want is to be in a commercial area and be the last one behind.” 

The initial franchise fee is $50,000, with additional ancillary costs, says Simms. As a veteran, he received a discount that brought his total to $46,000.

“From the franchise perspective, it’s a very accessible number to get into,” he says.

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