Idaho Business Review, Boise articles from December 2004

Idaho Business Review, Boise archives from December 2004

New multi-screen cinema project slated to open in Boise in 2005.
December 6, 2004... Byline: Lora Volkert Regal Entertainment Group, parent of Edwards Theatres, has agreed to operate the planned multi-screen complex in the BoDo development in Boise, Mark Rivers, redeveloper of 8th Street Marketplace, said last week. ...

Parma-based Nunhems USA plans to increase workforce in 2005.
December 6, 2004... Byline: Brad Carlson One of the largest employers in Parma, Nunhems USA - formerly Sunseeds - plans to keep a' growin'. The vegetable-seed developer employs about 100 at U.S. 95 and Anderson Corner Road in Parma (population: 1,850),...

Is Idaho's housing market heading for a decline in growth?
December 6, 2004... Byline: Brad Carlson Is the strong Idaho housing market a bubble destined to pop soon? Some recent reports suggest the U.S. housing boom can't sustain itself because the very low interest rates that fueled demand and major price gains...

BSU's TECenter offering online software for home buyers, contractors.
December 6, 2004... Byline: Lora Volkert A startup software distributor says that by putting everything including the kitchen sink online, home builders could save themselves time and money. Builders Advantage LLC, a business being incubated in the Boise...

Northwest Pets to build near Home Depot in Boise.
December 6, 2004... Byline: Brad Carlson Construction of a 6,500-square-foot building for Northwest Pets is planned in the shopping center anchored by a Home Depot store on State Street (Idaho 44) near Idaho 55. The single-story building with mezzanine is...

Businesses begin to see benefits of new federal quick check-clearing process.
December 6, 2004... Byline: Brad Carlson The new law that speeds up check processing and makes consumers wary of reduced "float" times may help businesses streamline their administration and get paid sooner. Banks can convert paper checks to "image...

Construction of mixed-use center slated in Boise.
December 6, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report Construction of a strip retail and office project slated for Overland Road and Vinnell Street, across from Wal-Mart, could start in April. Developer RGJ Investments LLC plans to build 17,000 to 18,000 square...

Boise School District plans to relocate Marketing Education Center.
December 6, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report The Boise School District plans to set up a Marketing Education Center on Broadway Avenue near Boise Avenue in January. The district leased space at 2124 Broadway Ave. to replace its longtime location at Boise...

Idaho workers' compensation rates to go up 5.3% in 2005.
December 6, 2004... Byline: Brad Carlson Workers' compensation insurance rates in the Gem State will go up an average of 5.3 percent next year, under a guideline agreed to by a national industry group and the Idaho Department of Insurance. The National...

Financial incentives key factor to drawing firms to Idaho.
December 6, 2004... Byline: Brad Carlson For businesses trying to pick a state for a new location, the decision often comes down to financial incentives - or the lack of them. Incentives are now the top factor driving location decisions, and "the price of...

Boise-based Albertsons 3rd quarter net rises by 21%, hits 29 cents a share.
December 6, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report Albertsons Inc. last week reported fiscal third-quarter earnings of $110 million, or 29 cents a share, up 21 percent from $91 million, or 25 cents a share, a year earlier. The Boise-based company said that...

Darker colors, wall treatments prove alluring to homeowners.
December 13, 2004... Byline: Ken Miller The days of wrestling with rolls of wallpaper, paste, and brushes may not be over, but when it comes to homeowners selecting wall treatments, they're definitely numbered - or so say designers and those working on...

Furniture retailers face increasingly savvy clientele.
December 13, 2004... Byline: Ken Miller Whether you're looking to replace your worn out sofa and easy chair or furnishing a new home, the myriad options facing those shopping for furniture range from used brand-name furniture at consignment stores to new items...

Jean-Pierre Boespflug: Tamarack Resort chief relies on 'cooperative brainstorming' to mold decisions.
December 13, 2004... Byline: Steven Anderson What's a Frenchman with international financial experience and a master's degree from Stanford - not to mention a sizeable personal fortune - doing in Idaho? Building the first new destination ski resort in the...

Goyo's Fresh Mexican Grill slated at State & Glenwood in Boise.
December 13, 2004... Byline: Lora Volkert A new entrant in the quick-serve Mexican restaurant market plans to start what he hopes to become a franchise chain by setting up a flagship restaurant in Boise. Goyo's Fresh Mexican Grill is set to open in...

Idaho bond analyst sees 'self-sustaining recovery' next year.
December 13, 2004... Byline: Brad Carlson While economists spent much of this year debating about the strength of the recovery, "growth in confidence" will be a theme for 2005, at least in one observer's view. Chris Low, chief economist with FTN Financial...

Nampa-based co.'s new software makes management of your website easier.
December 13, 2004... Byline: Steve Martin Brian Ernesto admits to being one of those youngsters whose curiosity sometimes got the better of him. "My parents were afraid to buy me things," said Ernesto, 29, a native Idahoan who resides in Meridian. "I was...

Cedar Springs senior complex planned in Meridian.
December 13, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report A senior residential complex with units for assisted living and independent living is planned near the Cedar Springs subdivision in north Meridian. Bruce Murdoch and Jerry Fowler plan Cedar Springs Place at the...

Professional offices set for State Street in Eagle.
December 13, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report A professional office complex is slated on 5.5 acres at the northeast corner of State Street and the planned Hill Road Extension in Eagle. Plans for Hill Creek Business Park call for nine or 10 buildings,...

3.5 million shares of Idacorp Inc. offered.
December 13, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report Idacorp Inc., parent of Idaho Power Co., made a public offering of 3.5 million shares of its common stock last week, through underwriters. Idacorp (NYSE:IDA) also said it would grant underwriters a 30-day...

Christmas tree time? - Get real, Idaho sellers say.
December 13, 2004... Byline: Lora Volkert Fir is back in fashion. Fake is fading. Or at least real fir, spruce and pine trees are on the way back as Christmas trees. The National Christmas Tree Association predicts an increase in live Christmas tree sales,...

Idaho Central Credit Union plans NW Boise branch, east Idaho HQ expansion.
December 13, 2004... Byline: Brad Carlson Idaho Central Credit Union plans to build a branch office next year at the northwest corner of State Street and Pierce Park Lane in northwest Boise. Ron Salazar, facilities manager for Idaho Central, said he...

Canyon County commercial real estate seen on upswing in 2005.
December 13, 2004... Byline: Brad Carlson The Canyon County commercial real estate market will grow again next year, particularly in the retail sector, a new report says. "The greatest growth will clearly be in the retail sector," the 2004-05 Canyon County...

FirstBank Northwest's Nampa office termed start of expansion.
December 13, 2004... Byline: Lora Volkert FirstBank Northwest's president says the company's new Nampa loan office on Parkcentre Way off Midland Boulevard is the start of further expansion in the Treasure Valley. The 3,900-square-foot loan production...

Ennis Fine Furniture leases former Bella Fina building in Meridian.
December 13, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report The Thomasville Home Furnishings store that Ennis Fine Furniture plans in Meridian represents an expansion for the Boise-based Ennis chain. Ennis has leased the former Bella Fina building in Central Valley...

Commentary: Comparing the players in the music-player market.
December 13, 2004... Byline: Rick Edvalson MP3 players and the music that goes with them will be hot items this holiday season. While Apple's iPod has had a tremendous influence on the player market, it is really only an evolutionary development. There...

Speaker at Boise forum says Sarbanes-Oxley Act gives corp. board members 'roadmap'.
December 13, 2004... Byline: Brad Carlson In the wake of the corporate accounting scandals, many board members have been preoccupied with governance and accountability issues, but they shouldn't lose sight of corporate "tone" and overall business strategy. ...

Consumer debt workshop series launched at Boise Research Center.
December 13, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report Consumer-debt "real" solutions are the focus of a workshop series begun by Debt Reduction Services at its headquarters on North Cloverdale Road in the Boise Research Center. The series of one-hour "Real...

60-acre retail, office center slated at Eagle & Pine in Meridian.
December 20, 2004... Byline: Lora Volkert A 600,000-square-foot retail and office center is planned at Eagle Road and Pine Street, with ground breaking slated for summer 2005. Site plans call for 615,000 square feet of retail and office space, including a...

Nampa-based MPC Computers aims high for '05 growth.
December 20, 2004... Byline: Lora Volkert MPC Computers, Nampa, aims to grow in 2005 by introducing a tablet PC, adding to its server line, and increasing its network design and Internet protocol telephony services. Because notebook computers, servers and...

Boise-based companies support causes that benefit their own industries, labor pools.
December 20, 2004... Byline: Lora Volkert Charity begins at home, even for corporations. Boise-based companies large and small tend to support causes that in some measure may benefit their own industries, markets or labor pools. The Micron Technology...

Double D Service Center to move from downtown Meridian to new site at Victory, Kuna.
December 20, 2004... Byline: Brad Carlson Double D Service Center, a supplier of pet and ranching supplies, is slated to move next summer from downtown Meridian to a building planned 3 miles south. Construction of a 15,000-square-foot building began early...

Senior residential complex planned N. of Ustick in Meridian.
December 20, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report A senior residential complex with units for assisted living and independent living is planned near the Cedar Springs subdivision in north Meridian. Bruce Murdoch and Jerry Fowler plan Cedar Springs Place at the...

Mexican eatery due on State St. in Boise.
December 20, 2004... Byline: Lora Volkert Editor's note: Due to a production error, the second half of this story was omitted from the Dec. 13 issue of the Business Review. It is reprinted here in its entirety. A new entrant in the quick-serve Mexican...

Robnett Construction's Eagle project draws HVAC, accounting firms.
December 20, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report Robnett Construction expects to complete office-warehouse buildings of 12,000 and 6,000 square feet in early March at the southwest corner of Idaho 44 and McGrath Road in Eagle. Robnett plans to move its office...

Boise-based Hillcrest Shopping Center hopes for '05 occupancy gain.
December 20, 2004... Byline: Brad Carlson Next year could bring increased occupancy at Hillcrest Shopping Center, a central Boise landmark since 1963 that has seen high vacancy recently. While the 270,000-square-foot center at Overland Road and Orchard...

Seattle-based manufacturer of skin-care products to open factory in Star by March.
December 20, 2004... Byline: Brad Carlson Owners of Honey House, a Seattle-area manufacturer of skin moisturizers and conditioners in bar form, plan to open a factory in Star by March. Ruth and Rick Ingles aim to employ about 15 initially, then add staff...

Boise developer optimistic about starting condo development in spring.
December 20, 2004... Byline: Lora Volkert A proposed 98-unit residential condominium development on Crescent Rim Drive near the Boise Depot has encountered neighborhood opposition, but developer Bill Clark said he's prepared to wait if necessary. ...

Idaho governor and transportation director hint at large road projects in near term.
December 20, 2004... Byline: Ken Miller Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne recently gave cause for highway contractors to expect major projects coming their way in the next few years, and Idaho Transportation Department Director David Ekern is heightening their...

Improving public works bidding tops Idaho contractors' wish list.
December 20, 2004... Byline: Ken Miller Idaho public works contractors and the state board that monitors them will press the Legislature this winter for more flexibility by agencies in awarding public contracts to qualified bidders. Members of the Public...

Gains in commercial construction push up Boise permit values.
December 20, 2004... Byline: Brad Carlson Building-permit values rose 53 percent in Boise in November, compared to a year earlier, mainly because of gains in commercial construction. Meanwhile, permit values continued to rise in Meridian and Eagle, and...

Associated General Contractors, EPA develop partnership to reduce friction.
December 20, 2004... Byline: Ken Miller For years, the Environmental Protection Agency has been the bane of contractors' existence due to expense and confusion in complying with environmental regulations. Now, a partnership between the Associated General...

Sixth cent sales tax a leading concern to Idaho Legislature for 2005.
December 27, 2004... Byline: Brad Carlson The Idaho Association of Commerce & Industry and the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce plan to do all they can to make Idaho's sixth penny of sales tax go away in the coming legislative session. They also plan to...

Insurance Network America Inc. begins construction of new office building in Boise next month.
December 27, 2004... Byline: Brad Carlson Insurance Network America Inc. plans to build larger Boise quarters starting next month. Construction of a 7,800-square-foot building for the insurance wholesaler is slated just west of the View Pointe office...

Colorado editor Rick Carpenter named new publisher for Idaho Business Review.
December 27, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report Rick Carpenter, managing editor of the Loveland (Colo.) Daily Reporter-Herald, has been named publisher of the Idaho Business Review in Boise, effective Dec. 16. Carpenter, 50, succeeds Brian Hunt, who in...

Restructured Idaho Banking Co. splits stock.
December 27, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report Idaho Banking Co. recently completed the formation of Idaho Bancorp, a bank holding company that owns all Idaho Banking Co. stock. On Dec. 7, shareholders of Idaho Banking Co. approved the exchange of stock....

Fairfield plans commercial business park.
December 27, 2004... Byline: Brad Carlson A 20-acre commercial park is beyond the dream stage in this fairly remote southwestern Idaho town of just over 400. Sewer and water hookups, and a just-tested sewer lift station have been installed recently at Mill...

American Institute of Health Technology in Boise plans name change and expansion of building.
December 27, 2004... Byline: Lora Volkert The American Institute of Health Technology in Boise plans to change its name to Apollo College, effective Jan. 1, and will continue renovations aimed at expanding the college, which offers vocational programs in...

Boise State University's lack of funding hampers school's operations.
December 27, 2004... Byline: Lora Volkert The Idaho Legislature would be undercutting an important part of the state's economy by not fully funding its universities, according to Boise State University President Bob Kustra. Though BSU plans to start...

Truck and SUV sales up in Idaho for 2004.
December 27, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report Idaho auto dealerships sold more trucks and sport utility vehicles this year through November, and fewer used cars. Used-car sales totaled 49,708 units through November, according to vehicle-registration...

Regence BlueShield of Idaho to expand Lewiston HQ rather than build new facility.
December 27, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report Regence BlueShield of Idaho will expand its Lewiston headquarters instead of building a new facility, the health insurer announced in mid-December. Regence previously intended to build a 55,000-square-foot...

Improved satellite imagery enriches world connections.
December 27, 2004... Byline: Rick Edvalson I feel a bit like Harrison Ford in the movie Patriot Games. Just the other night, I watched him and his team again as they used surveillance satellites to find individual terrorists. I think that is incredible...

Phoenix-based Grossman Properties bows out as Boise Tower project contender.
December 27, 2004... Byline: Steven Anderson One of two prospective developers of the stalled Boise Tower project is out of the running, but the site remains tied up in a court case between the existing developer and the Capital City Development Corp. ...

J.R. and Esther Simplot donate their Boise hilltop home to Idaho for use as governor's mansion.
December 27, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report J.R. and Esther Simplot plan to donate their Boise hilltop home to the state for use as the official governor's residence. The three-story home of 7,370 square feet off Bogus Basin Road and the surrounding 36...

United Water Idaho seeks approval for a 21.4 percent rate hike.
December 27, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report United Water Idaho seeks Public Utilities Commission approval of a 21.46 percent overall rate increase that would raise more than $6.7 million. Residential rates would increase by 22.35 percent - a typical...

Electronic Data Systems Corp. to add 350 to 400 employees at its Boise Contact Center.
December 27, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report Electronic Data Systems Corp. last week announced plans to add 350 to 400 employees at its Boise Contact Center, to service a Department of the Navy networking contract. EDS "will launch a major recruitment...

Boise-based Micron Technology Inc. reports rise in net income for fiscal first quarter.
December 27, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report Micron Technology Inc. reported net income of $154.9 million, or 23 cents per diluted share, for its fiscal first quarter ended Dec. 2, up from $93.5 million in the previous quarter and $1.1 million a year ago. ...