Last night was just a little case of “mischief managed.”

Fans have been ready for this for months, and on July 14, they lined up outside their favorite movie theatre hours before midnight, to be the first to see the final chapter in the story of a certain young wizard: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.

Who's ready to see Harry Potter? Put your hands up!

So it was just a little bit of a guilty pleasure when 680 Cobalt employees and their families and friends got to walk right by those waiting on the sidewalk outside the historic Cinerama Theatre in Downtown Seattle.  Thanks to a special arrangement through ADP, Cinerama, and Warner Brothers, these lucky Cobaltians were able to sit down hours before to see the movie event of the 2011 summer.

John Holt was still gushing about it the next day. “Wasn’t that so cool?” he asked before an all-hands company meeting on Friday morning.  Holt brought his wife and daughters with him to the movie, and many others did the same – wives and husbands, boyfriends and girlfriends, sons and daughters were all in attendance.

Those attending were also treated to free popcorn and a giant balloon dragon made just for the event, with photos being taken courtesy of Fire Eyes Photography.

Senior Product Manager Andy Largent, a longtime Cobaltian and a diehard Harry Potter fan, brought his wife too.  They both loved the movie and are already making plans to see it again.

SEO Specialist Kaylani and her sister sporting her handmade Hogwarts ties.

It’s Cobalt, so of course costumes were encouraged – some of the kids dressed up in full Hogwarts regalia (choosing their favorite house, of course!) and SEO Specialist Kaylani Shipley even made special Hogwarts ties. She went with her sister, feeling “important” as she passed those waiting for the midnight show and describing the ending of the movie as “epic.”

The verdict? It’s a bittersweet ending, as it is the last of a series loved by so many.  But in the words of John Holt, “It’s a really good movie.”

A great movie, free popcorn, and excellent company to share it with – can’t ask for much more than that!

Photographs provided by Trishann Couvillion – http://www.fireeyesphotography.com

Family 4th Fireworks at Lake Union

The Family 4^th at Lake Union, organized by One Reel, has come to be an integral part of the Fourth of July celebrations in Seattle for more than twenty years. At Cobalt, we know that the Fourth of July just would not be the same without the “ooos” and “ahhhs” the Family 4^th has given us and our children for so many years. More than that, we work to support it.

It began last year, when one Cobalt associate heard that the Family 4^th was at risk, and sent a concerned email to Cobalt CEO, John Holt. He fully supported the event with some special reasons of his own – over twenty years ago, after the Fourth of July fireworks, a younger Mr. Holt knelt down on one knee and proposed to his wife. They were married after the same show a year later.

Cobalt joined many local Seattle businesses in supporting the Family 4^th in 2010. This year we’re on board again.  As John Holt said in an email to the company, “While this may not be as noble as some of the other things we support via our charitable contributions, it does contribute to the quality of life in Seattle.”

Guest author: Nikita Pitkar

Cobalt and ADP together have always been aimed at making their communities a better place, which is why we continue our support  of a central part of our city’s culture.

We hope to see you at the show!

Happy Fourth of July!

Mayor Mike McGinn talks shop with ECOtality Regional Manager Rich Feldman

Yesterday, a few lucky Cobaltians got to attend a proud moment in Seattle history: Qwest Field unveiled six new public ECOtality Blink charging stations, the first in the Northwest. These stations are the result of an ECOtality project, and are installed immediately below Cobalt’s new headquarters in Seattle.  Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, film director Chris Paine (Who Killed the Electric Car?), and our very own Chief Marketing Officer and proud Chevy Volt Owner Chris Reed were there to share in the excitement.

Quietly stealing the show

It was a great crowd, but the real stars of the event were softly humming as they charged themselves next to the speakers – three Nissan Leafs and one shiny red Tesla. The speakers made the point that EVs are even cleaner here in the Northwest than elsewhere since almost all our electricity comes from no-carbon Hydro and Wind power.

Qwest and Cobalt are kindred spirits in their passion for sustainable vehicles. Cobalt has two known Volt owners on-staff, the aforementioned Chris Reed and John Stark, Director of GM Interactive Marketing Services.

If you missed the event, don’t despair. There are many fun sustainability events in the works at Qwest Field, including a stadium-wide screening of one of Chris Paine’s films and plans for a record-breaking hybrid car meetup, so stay tuned!