Idaho Business Review, Boise articles from December 2005

Idaho Business Review, Boise archives from December 2005

Ken Howell's Parklane Management plans apts. atop Capitol Terrace in downtown Boise.
December 5, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert The Capitol Terrace Building in downtown Boise will rise another six stories to house 81 apartment units atop the existing two-story commercial building and parking garage if a veteran developer's plans are approved....

Holiday parties boost Treasure Valley eateries more this year.
December 5, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert If the office holiday party is any indication, Treasure Valley companies have had a pretty good year, several restaurateurs say. With the improvement in the economy, "they open up their purse strings a little bit,"...

Identity theft remains a major threat, according to Better Business Bureau.
December 5, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Consumers and many business people still aren't doing enough to guard against identity theft, observers say. More than a decade after the Internet age revolutionized information-privacy issues, identity theft...

After four years and some fine-tuning, Idaho's Whitetail Club and Resort hits its stride.
December 5, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson It took most of four years and some fine-tuning, but Whitetail Club and Resort is hitting its stride. September was Whitetail's strongest month ever in guest occupancy and revenue, and demand stayed strong well...

Silver Creek Supply expands Boise, Nampa operations.
December 5, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Silver Creek Supply Co. plans to move to larger Boise headquarters, and consolidate and expand its Nampa operations. The supplier of plumbing, irrigation and fencing products operates nine branches in Idaho and one...

10 acres fronting South Cloverdale Road in southwest Boise targeted for townhomes.
December 5, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Twenty-four townhomes are slated next year on 10 acres fronting South Cloverdale Road in southwest Boise. Eagle-based architect and developer David Waldron said he expects construction of Autumn Park Townhomes to...

WGI, OSHA and AGC partner in Safety Fest of the Great Northwest in Boise.
December 5, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Strong participation at the first Safety Fest of the Great Northwest in Boise last week shows why construction and industrial safety remain vital in the U.S. economy, sponsors said. About 300 people from Idaho,...

Commentary: Still using a fax machine? Why not fax from your PC?
December 5, 2005... Byline: Rick Edvalson My family likes trivia games. While I can usually hold my own in games of words and strategy, trivia is not something I try to remember. That's why they call it trivia, after all! All the same, here is a bit of...

Community banks chart gains throughout Treasure Valley.
December 5, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Small "community" banks that operate in the Treasure Valley reported strong growth in the third quarter on solid construction and real estate loan demand, bankers said. Boise-based Idaho Bancorp, parent of Idaho...

Boise-based Idaho Bancorp issues $4 million in Trust Preferred Securities.
December 5, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Idaho Bancorp, parent of Idaho Banking Co., said subsidiary Idaho Bancorp Statutory Trust I completed a private placement offering of $4 million of 30-year Trust Preferred Securities. Boise-based Idaho Bancorp...

First building in Boise's Alpine Point Business Park to get under way.
December 5, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report J. Thomas Ahlquist plans a multi-tenant office building at the southwest corner of Eagle Road and Wainwright Drive in west Boise. The single-story, 11,000-square-foot structure on nearly an acre would be part...

Executive Profile: Steve Ahrens, president of Idaho Assn. of Commerce and Industry.
December 12, 2005... Byline: Steven Anderson "When he tells you something, you can take it to the bank." That's state Rep. Delores Crow, R-Nampa, talking about Steve Ahrens. And as chair of the House Revenue and Taxation Committee, she knows her...

Sundance Co. to offer retail condo space in two new buildings in Boise.
December 12, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Retail condo space - relatively rare in the Boise area - is a key component of two identical 33,000-square-foot buildings planned by The Sundance Co. at separate locations. Blackeagle Plaza is slated in its...

Remax Mountain West to grow in Nampa, Boise.
December 12, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Remax Mountain West, which formed two years ago and keeps growing, plans to add two high-profile offices in the Treasure Valley. The Boise-based firm has leased half of the 47,000-square-foot former Mac's Hobbies &...

Orville Jacksons in Eagle to get condos, retail, office space.
December 12, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson An Eagle landmark, the century-old Orville Jacksons store, will be converted to office and retail space for multiple tenants, and eight residential condos are to be built on top of the old structure. Dave Buich and...

'Tis the season for counterfeit currency.
December 12, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert It's that time of the year. The malls are packed. Shoppers are out in full force - and so are counterfeiters, says resident Secret Service agent Bob Harrell, Boise. "A lot of counterfeiters believe that because of...

Boise City/Ada County Housing Authority gets $208,000 in grants for assistance.
December 12, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report The Boise City / Ada County Housing Authority received $208,593 in grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for 2006. Boise City / Ada County Housing plans to use the funds in its...

Nampa-based MPC Computers, under new ownership, battles slump in PC demand.
December 12, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert Whatever synergies there may be between MPC Computers and its new owner, HyperSpace Communications, they aren't likely to pay off anytime soon in soaring sales. So the Nampa computer manufacturer has had to look to...

Idaho innovator develops tool that makes concrete removal easier.
December 12, 2005... Byline: Angela Hagans Life has taken an unexpected turn for Gary Justice. A year ago, the Emmett man was planning his retirement with his wife. Now, he's developing marketing plans for his new invention, the Grab-n-Tote. The idea...

Northwest Trade Adjustment Assistance Center in Boise aids firms hit by imports.
December 12, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Idaho businesses hard-hit by imports can seek help from a new Boise office. The nonprofit Northwest Trade Adjustment Assistance Center recently opened in the Eagles Center at Sixth and Idaho streets. The...

Eight offices planned near I-84 in Meridian.
December 12, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert Wyndstone Place, a grouping of eight class A professional and medical office buildings, is planned in Meridian just north of Interstate 84, next to the Comfort Suites. Construction of the entire 46,000-square-foot...

Boise-based Micron Technology no longer chained to DRAM, Appleton says.
December 12, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert It looks like Micron Technology has finally gotten off the merry-go-round. Just a few years ago, the best word for Micron's business was "cyclical." Dynamic random access memory, or DRAM, manufacturers would try...

Skyline Development to develop extensive residential project east of Boise.
December 12, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Skyline Development Co., which recently announced an extensive residential project called "The Cliffs" east of Boise, has been developing subdivisions in the Valley for decades. The company plans 1,200 to 1,400...

Idaho workers' comp rate-change extended.
December 12, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Idaho workers' compensation insurers have an extra three months to file rate changes for 2006. The insurers traditionally change their workers' comp' premiums Jan. 1, after filing plans with the Idaho...

Recipient of Idaho March of Dimes' Real Estate Award says supporting the arts matters.
December 12, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Developing and supporting the arts pays off in many ways, said Rick Clark, the latest recipient of the biannual Real Estate Award presented by the Idaho chapter of the March of Dimes. Clark, a Colliers...

More tenants signed for Ustick Marketplace development in Meridian.
December 12, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Brighton Corp. has attracted several new retailers to its Lowe's-anchored Ustick Marketplace development in Meridian. The Boise-based developer also plans more buildings in 12th Avenue Place, a Nampa office-retail...

Caterers busy all year round.
December 12, 2005... Byline: Gaye Bunderson People who think the holiday season is the busiest time of year for caterers may be surprised to learn they have a full schedule of events all year round. Caterers are called on for weddings, retirement parties,...

Idaho architects know there's no place like home.
December 12, 2005... Byline: Gaye Bunderson When asked what design elements turn a house into a home, area architects say first and foremost, listen to the clients. Tuning into clients' needs and wishes - and adding just the right personal touches -...

A little conservation can go a long way.
December 12, 2005... Byline: Ken Miller Winter hasn't arrived yet, but the power bill shows the cold-weather season is already here, and with energy prices on the rise there's still plenty to do to slow the spinning electric meter and curb the impacts of...

Energy-efficient homes prove big draw for builders.
December 12, 2005... Byline: Ken Miller If the demand for energy-savings appliances and devices is on the rise, so is the call for energy-efficient homes in the Treasure Valley's residential construction market, according to homebuilders who specialize in...

Battling baristas: Hammer opens in Boise; Tulley's Coffee targets Valley.
December 19, 2005... Byline: Steven Anderson Make it eight. That's how many espresso shops are competing for the caffeine crowd in a half-square-mile of downtown Boise. Latest addition: A 1,900-square-foot Thomas Hammer store, with conference room, that...

Amalgamated Sugar Co. LLC plant in Nampa upgrade begins.
December 19, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson A $15 million project getting under way at Amalgamated Sugar Co. LLC in Nampa will reduce the environmental impact of drying beet pulp, Plant Manager Kent Quinney said. And it will lessen the smell long familiar to...

CEO of AMI Semiconductor Inc. to keynote Boise Metro Chamber Legislative Forum.
December 19, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report AMI Semiconductor Inc. President and CEO Christine King is scheduled to keynote the annual Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce Legislative Forum, slated from 11:45 to 1:15 p.m. Jan. 12 at Boise Centre on the Grove. ...

Boise attorney assists with Katrina recovery.
December 19, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert "All the things that you hear about on the news are just more evident when you're there." That was Boise attorney Teresa Hill's experience when she volunteered in Biloxi, Miss., after Hurricane Katrina. Hill,...

Fargo Commercial Mortgage finances Pocatello retail center.
December 19, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Wells Fargo Commercial Mortgage recently announced that it has provided $19.2 million for construction of Pocatello Square Shopping Center. Hawkins Cos., Boise, plans the 200,000-square-foot shopping center at...

Commentary: Limiting the perils of gabbing while driving.
December 19, 2005... Byline: Rick Edvalson I don't know what I would do without my personal cell phone. But I know what I would do with some of the others. Even after the reminder that the theater gives you to shut off your phone, someone's phone will...

Office rents lag behind construction, land costs in Treasure Valley.
December 19, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Gains in Treasure Valley office rents in 2005 failed to keep pace with rising land and materials costs, and the supply of new space jumped. "Until the market tightens up some more, it's awfully tough to make new...

Seattle's Regal Financial Bank enters Treasure Valley market in Meridian.
December 19, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Seattle-based Regal Financial Bank recently entered the Treasure Valley market by opening a loan-production office in the SilverStone development, Meridian. Vice presidents Darrell "Gus" Gustaveson and Lyle Cook...

Boise-based Albertsons Inc. closing two California stores.
December 19, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Albertsons Inc. plans to close two Northern California stores in early January. The company - which has put itself up for sale partly to shed under-performing stores and generate cash from its real estate -...

Canyon County commercial market termed 'explosive'.
December 19, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Commercial development and leasing were "vast and furious" in Canyon County in 2005, Nampa-based Gunstream Commercial Real Estate says in its annual market update. Leasing activity kept up with brisk construction...

IBR names recipients of 'Women of the Year' distinction for 2006.
December 19, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Representatives of the Idaho Business Review have announced the names of 35 women the business publication will honor as the 2006 "Women of the Year." Honorees were selected by a panel of female judges that...

Mountain West Bank takes spaces in Hoff Building in Boise.
December 19, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Mountain West Bank has reserved two spaces in downtown Boise's Hoff Building, its latest move in a Treasure Valley expansion. The Coeur d'Alene-based bank plans to serve downtown customers more conveniently from...

St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise expansion progresses.
December 19, 2005... Byline: Ken Levy Two massive projects under construction at St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise are keeping more than 200 construction workers busy, even in the recent cold. A nine-story central tower addition, comprised of...

Registration deadline looms for Idaho contractors.
December 19, 2005... Byline: Ken Miller Idaho contractor registrations continue to trickle in to the state in advance of next month's deadline, but the Idaho Bureau of Occupational Licenses expects a rush of applications as contractors realize they could be...

Idaho group works to steer youth to construction.
December 19, 2005... Byline: Gaye Bunderson A pipeline from high school students to jobs in the construction industry is how Elaine Martin describes the Construction Education Foundation of Idaho. Martin is president of CEFI and owner of her own...

Idaho Transportation Department proceeds with GARVEE list, despite potholes.
December 19, 2005... Byline: Ken Miller The Idaho Transportation Department is narrowing the list for its first round of special GARVEE road projects to present to the Idaho Legislature next month, but one key lawmaker warns the construction road ahead may...

Meridian, Nampa costruction-permit valuations jump.
December 19, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Construction-permit valuation doubled in Meridian during the October-November period even though the number of permits lagged behind year-earlier levels. Meanwhile, Nampa issued building permits for several large...

Arts help orchestrate business recruitment in Boise.
December 26, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert They may not matter as much as tax incentives and low labor costs, but some real estate brokers and economic development officials say the arts help them recruit businesses to Boise. The arts are often a deciding...

Idaho Assn. of Commerce and Industry, Boise chamber keep eyes on property tax, Medicaid.
December 26, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Likely debates over property-tax reform, a couple of agencies' fast-climbing budgets, and how to spend a surplus won't drown voices of business lobbyists during the 2006 Idaho Legislature. Two of the state's...

Idaho budget maestro predicts $200 million surplus.
December 26, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report The Idaho general-fund budget for fiscal 2006, ending next June 30, is about $2.2 billion, up 3.1%. Idaho Legislature Budget Director Jeff Youtz expects Idaho to have a $200 million surplus at the end of the...

Reports indicate Albertsons walks away from buyout offer.
December 26, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Talks broke off late last week between Albertsons Inc. and the apparent leading bidder to buy the company, published reports said. The shutdown of negotiations, late Dec. 21, cast doubt over whether the whole...

Idaho-based Micron Technology earnings down year-to-year, up from past quarter.
December 26, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Micron Technology Inc. reported net income of $63 million, or 9 cents per diluted share, on net sales of $1.36 billion, for its fiscal first quarter ended Dec. 1. In the year-earlier quarter, net income totaled...

Boise-based firm could help tailor cancer treatments.
December 26, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert A Boise-based biotechnology firm is developing software that doctors could one day use to customize chemotherapy and radiation therapy to an individual cancer patient's tumor. ImQuant Inc. plans to finish a...

Medical Management inks clinic contracts, increases revenue by 36%.
December 26, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Medical Management Inc. doubled the number of contracts it has with hospital-owned medical practices this year. President Jim Trounson expects similar growth in 2006 - as demand stays strong and as Boise-based...

Cabela's to open in former Costco store site.
December 26, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Cabela's Inc., a hunting, fishing and outdoor gear retailer, plans to open a 132,000-square-foot store in the former Costco site in Franklin Towne Plaza near Franklin Road and Milwaukee Street in summer 2006. ...

Idaho Office of Science and Technology offers 'wish list' of legislative priorities.
December 26, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert The Idaho Office of Science and Technology has drafted a list of legislative priorities to help promote research and investment in technology, amounting to $12 million in new investments over five years. The...

Advocates: Lost tech jobs warrant more spending.
December 26, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert The Idaho Office of Science and Technology has requested $12 million in legislative funding to spur research in technology, but some are concerned that isn't enough to keep Idaho's tech sector from eroding. "The...

Hillcrest Shopping Ctr. in Boise sold.
December 26, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Hillcrest Shopping Center has a new owner. Fowler Property Acquisitions recently bought the central Boise landmark from Anchorage-based Hillcrest Shopping Center LLC for $10.6 million, said Jordan Moss, vice...

Boise Philharmonic finds its forte.
December 26, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert Beethoven is big in Boise, and not just among the older crowd, according to Boise Philharmonic Executive Director Anthony Boatman. "A lot of people think classical music is for old people, but about one-third of...

Unemployment insurance taxes in Idaho up again.
December 26, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Unemployment insurance tax rates will increase for Idaho's 46,000 employers. The Idaho Department of Commerce & Labor said 2006 will mark the second straight year of rate increases under a multi-phased increase...

CEO of Idaho Falls-based North Wind Inc. honored by NAWBO.
December 26, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Sylvia Medina, president and CEO of Idaho Falls-based North Wind Inc., received the Business Woman of the Year Award from the Idaho chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners on Dec. 13. ...