Idaho Business Review, Boise articles from February 2005

Idaho Business Review, Boise archives from February 2005

Idaho legislators aim for property tax revamp.
February 7, 2005... Byline: Steven Anderson A legislator from north Idaho, Rep. Frank Henderson, R-Post Falls, says he and several colleagues plan to introduce legislation to increase the $50,000 homeowners exemption to $60,000, and to broaden its...

Roasters seek to harvest taste for 'socially responsible' coffee.
February 7, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert Socially conscious coffee drinkers may know to look for fair trade labels when they buy bean coffee. But some coffee roasters call the labels a marketing gimmick at best. Fair-trade coffee has become "a huge...

Boise-based medical-info icon Healthwise, growing again, to expand.
February 7, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert Boise-based Healthwise, publisher of health-care handbooks and provider of content for medical websites, plans to add 14,000 square feet to its 7-year-old headquarters on Bogus Basin Road. Healthwise has grown...

Idaho's Small Business Information Fair set for Feb. 10.
February 7, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Regulatory information for small businesses will be distributed and discussed at an event set this week in Boise. The Small Business Information Fair is scheduled from 8:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Feb. 10 at Idaho...

Idaho's Tamarack Resort sells part of planned golf course.
February 7, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Tamarack Resort has agreed to sell part of its planned golf course to Hopkins Financial Services, Meridian, for $4 million, the resort said last week. Tamarack and Hopkins formed West Mountain Golf LLC as a...

Idaho residents map out transit needs.
February 7, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert Last week, residents of six counties mapped out how they would like to see Idaho's federal transportation dollars spent. The Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho (COMPASS) organized the Communities in...

Idaho Business Review names Accomplished Under 40 winners.
February 7, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report The Idaho Business Review has released the names of winners of this year's prestigious Accomplished Under 40 list. Three judges were selected from last year's winners to review resumes, references and...

Suite-style offices slated for downtown Boise.
February 7, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Six thousand square feet of first-floor space near The Grove pedestrian plaza in downtown Boise is slated to become suite-style offices for business tenants. Davinci Virtual & Executive Office Suites recently...

Treasure Valley industrial data dogged by empty big boxes, report says.
February 7, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Treasure Valley industrial vacancy stood at 11.6 percent at the end of 2004, up from about 10 percent a year earlier, Colliers International reported. The local industrial market is generally healthy, but three...

Hewlett-Packard to hire 200 at new Boise sales center.
February 7, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Hewlett-Packard Co. plans to hire 200 workers in Boise for a new hpshopping.com sales center, slated to open this summer. HP said in a statement last week that it expects to start recruiting immediately,...

Environmental services firm buys Garden City bldg.
February 7, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Specialty Environmental Services Inc., a hazardous-material handling firm, plans to occupy a larger facility in Garden City. The company recently bought a 2,500 square-foot building on East 39th Street for an...

Commentary: Staying alert to what's 'key' in your world.
February 7, 2005... Byline: Rick Edvalson As far as we know, everyone with my last name is related. The reason is that just a few generations back, our common ancestor just made up the name. Since that time, relatives have spread remarkably widely, and...

Speaker at Idaho Chapter of Investment Analysts says first-world demographics are economic drag.
February 7, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson A volatile stock market producing lower returns, and generally low interest rates, will prevail for years because the historically rising tide of consumer demand is subsiding, a prominent economist and demographer said...

Idaho Bancorp net jumps.
February 7, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Idaho Bancorp, which owns Boise-based Idaho Banking Co., reported net income of $812,000 for 2004, up from $362,000 in 2003. The earnings growth reflected a 37 percent increase in loan volume and an improved...

Idaho state senator plans to introduce bill to add "Science & Technology" license plate.
February 14, 2005... Byline: Steven Anderson Idahoans, who for decades have sported "Famous Potatoes" on their auto license plates, may get another choice for an alternative motto that backers say is more in tune with the times: Science & Technology. ...

Two Boise candy manufacturers expect a good year, despite tougher industry conditions.
February 14, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert Two Boise candy manufacturers say they expect a sweet year long after Valentine's Day is over. But that outlook has more to do with publicity and marketing than industry conditions, which another chocolate maker...

Condos slated for Boise near Hill Road and Bogus Basin.
February 14, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson After more than two years of planning, Bill Hodges is ready to start building a north Boise condo project that he calls "an urban infill village." Highlands Village is slated for the east side of Bogus Basin Road...

GenTax software provides solution to government tax problems.
February 14, 2005... Byline: Gaye Bunderson Editor's note: Idaho Innovator is a monthly IBR series, featuring Idaho innovators and their products and services. In 1999, the government of British Columbia, Canada was looking for a product that would...

Boise's Building Owners & Managers Association gets bright '05 forecast.
February 14, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Real estate still looks bright in 2005, but the Valley outlook is seasoned by spots of high vacancy and the cloudy prospect of higher interest rates. That was the picture painted at the Boise Commercial Real Estate...

EmPro HR to anchor its own planned building in Meridian.
February 14, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report EmPro Human Resources plans a 9,000-square-foot building in the SilverStone development, Meridian. A limited-liability company that EmPro owner Ryan Arnold heads plans to complete the building by Aug. 1 at...

Glass cutter and fabricator takes space in Nampa plant.
February 14, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report A glass cutter and fabricator expanded its Treasure Valley operating space recently by leasing 32,000 square feet in the Aluma-Glass Industries building in east Nampa. AFG Glass Inc. cuts glass and fabricates...

Workshops, talk for entrepreneurs slated April 5-6 in Boise.
February 14, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report People interested in entrepreneurial ventures will be invited to attend a presentation by a noted author and a series of workshops in Boise April 5 and 6. The event, tagged "Kickstart," is to feature an address...

Bioscience research in Idaho to be discussed by experts and industry leaders.
February 14, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Bioscience research in Idaho and its implications for the state's economy are the topic of "Idaho's Bioscience Future," a dinner event scheduled for 5:30 to 9 p.m. on Feb. 28 at The Grove Hotel ballroom. ...

Conference on 'sustainable' practices in the Inland Northwest set for March 2-3 in Boise.
February 14, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Sustainability in the Inland Northwest, a conference about conserving energy and natural resources and developing a healthy economy and environment, is slated March 2 to 3 at the Grove Hotel in Boise. The focus...

Warehouse-to-condo conversion planned on 27th St. in Boise.
February 14, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Ten homes - including five loft-style condos in a former ice cream warehouse - are planned at 27th and Regan streets in Boise, south of Jerry's Market. Boise infill homebuilder David Hale recently partnered with...

Meridian to get Treasure Valley's 4th Red Robin Gourmet Burgers restaurant.
February 14, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Construction has begun on a Red Robin Gourmet Burgers restaurant in Meridian expected to open in mid-June. Steed Construction, Eagle, is contractor on the 6,350-square-foot restaurant fronting the west side of...

Eagle to get 1st Idaho golf course devised by Nicklaus, son.
February 14, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Idaho is poised to get its first Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course, in the Legacy Idaho community slated for an Eagle site bordered by Idaho 44 and 16, and Linder and Floating Feather roads. The course would be...

Idaho Housing and Finance Association gets $2.8 million grant for homeless programs.
February 14, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Idaho Housing and Finance Association has received a $2.8 million grant for homeless-assistance programs. The IHFA award includes $681,180 for a permanent housing project in conjunction with Southeastern Idaho...

Bob Lokken: ProClarity chief finds ways to challenge much bigger companies (IBR Executive Profile).
February 21, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert As head of a small technology company, Bob Lokken knows what it's like to be an underdog. "You can't just be a little bit better," says Lokken, CEO of ProClarity Corp., Boise. "If our product is not substantially...

Subdivision in Star to have 587 lots.
February 21, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson A 314-acre development with homes, commercial buildings and public open space is planned in Star. Heron River Community LLC, Boise, plans the development on the current Dudley River Ranch property. The project...

Interest grows for business ethics training in Boise.
February 21, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Business ethics? Yesterday's oxymoron is one of today's hot topics, given recent high-profile scandals. The Better Business Bureau's southwest Idaho and eastern Oregon chapter, Boise, launched a series of...

Apartment vacancy tightens in Ada.
February 21, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Apartment vacancy in the Boise area dropped by 3 percentage points for the 12 months ended in late January, to 8.5 percent, according to Ada Real Estate Surveys. The quarterly report indicates a gradually...

Willowcreek Grill slated to open by late March in Boise.
February 21, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert Willowcreek Grill + Java, an independently-owned bar and grill planned for Vista Avenue near Targee Street, is slated to open by the end of March. Owner Brian McGill is in the final stages of remodeling a former...

Boise-based Extended Systems receives software contract from Texas Instruments.
February 21, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert Extended Systems announced last week that it has received a large contract from Texas Instruments for software that wirelessly transfers data from cell phones and PDAs to other devices. Although President and CEO...

Commentary: A quick way to keep one's fingers on the pulse.
February 21, 2005... Byline: Brian Hunt I have a quick way to stay current on Idaho news. Admittedly, it wouldn't take long to rotate through a few key websites for local news, but it's even faster to have fresh headlines delivered automatically to my RSS...

Idaho Gov. Kempthorne's business tax-incentive being mulled over by legislature.
February 21, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson No matter what the Idaho Legislature does with Gov. Dirk Kempthorne's bill designed to attract big companies to Idaho, discussion about expanding business tax incentives probably will continue. Last week, the...

Idaho Corporate Headquarters Incentive Act outlined.
February 21, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Here are highlights of House Bill 142, the Idaho Corporate Headquarters Incentive Act of 2005, as outlined in the bill's Statement of Purpose and Fiscal Impact: Qualifying companies would get several income tax...

Gates Sr. to speak to Idaho Community Foundation.
February 21, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report William Gates Sr., co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation - and father of Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates - is to speak at the Idaho Community Foundation's annual meeting May 11. Gates and his wife...

Hewlett-Packard, nonprofits honored by Boise Chamber of Commerce.
February 21, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report The Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce honored Hewlett-Packard with its 2005 Distinguished Corporate Stewardship Award at its annual meeting last week. HP gives $2 million a year in grants, sponsorships and...

Six commercial bldgs. planned in Meridian's Bridgetower.
February 21, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Six small professional office buildings are planned this summer in part of the Bridgetower mixed-use devel-opment in northwest Meridian. The Meridian Planning & Zoning Commission recently endorsed Verona...

Boise designer offers for free to builders, architects new trends and products.
February 21, 2005... Byline: Ken Miller Like most interior designers and others in the building industry, Judi Kieffer makes it a point to attend trade shows when national vendors come to the Treasure Valley to show off what's hot in flooring, wall coverings,...

Treasure Valley engineers see growth this year.
February 21, 2005... Byline: Ken Levy As if by design, Treasure Valley engineers seem cheerfully optimistic about their prospects for 2005. Several projects are keeping engineering firms busy. Amy Dockter, project electrical engineer and associate...

McAlvain steps up to take the reins of Associated General Contractors of Idaho.
February 21, 2005... Byline: Ken Miller Torry McAlvain has no illusions that this session of the Idaho Legislature may be one of the most important both for his construction company and also for the Associated General Contractors of Idaho, which he's leading...

Idaho engineering firms honored by Idaho Engineering Excellence Awards Competition.
February 21, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Several Idaho engineering companies were honored last month for their achievement in engineering during the Idaho Engineering Excellence Awards Competition. Each year, the American Council of Engineering...

Doing business with a handshake?
February 21, 2005... Byline: Jo Murray Everyone likes to do business on a handshake. But can you afford it - particularly in construction contracts with their myriad of overlapping relationships between the architect, the owner, the general contractor and...

Treasure Valley construction continues to rise.
February 21, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Construction volume is on the rise, statistics from a handful of Treasure Valley cities indicates. Boise construction statistics rose in all categories in the first four months of the city's fiscal year. Combined...

Washington Group International, Inc. gives funds to start new foundation scholarship.
February 21, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Providing funds to benefit construction safety and health students, the American Society of Safety Engineers Foundation (ASSEF) has established the new Washington Group International Safety Scholarship program,...

Boise architectural firm wins award.
February 21, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Gile-Buck & Associates, a Boise-based architectural design and planning office, has been named a recipient of the 2005 Air Combat Command (ACC) Design Award by the United States Air Force. The national design...

Bed Bath & Beyond slated for Federal Way in Boise.
February 21, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report A Bed Bath & Beyond store is planned for The Family Center shopping development on Federal Way. The 28,000-square-foot retail building is to be constructed on a vacant 1.75-acre lot between the shopping...

Patio home project Villa Norte in Boise's N. End moves ahead.
February 28, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson About half the lots are sold in Villa Norte, a recently developed patio-home project in the Boise Highlands. Lanae Hetland, an agent with Homeland Realty in Boise, said construction could be finished within a year....

Construction begins on Hill Road office buildings in Eagle.
February 28, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Construction has begun on two 2,240-square-foot office buildings that Jerry and Gloria Keulman of Eagle own on the Great Sky Estates office park in Eagle. Gloria Keulman, an agent with Keller-Williams Realty in...

Construction to start north of Boise in Hidden Springs complex.
February 28, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Construction of the first of five buildings planned for The Marketplace at Hidden Springs complex is slated to begin in March. The project, which will include commercial and residential space, is designed by...

Five Mile Plaza in Boise sold to Calif.-based investor group.
February 28, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Five Mile Plaza, anchored by a soon-to-be-remodeled Albertsons store at the northeast corner of Five Mile and Overland roads in southwest Boise, has new owners. A Southern California group of investors called Five...

Johnstone Supply to build 2-acre Boise warehouse.
February 28, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report A Johnstone Supply warehouse is planned for a 2-acre vacant site on Emerald Street / Executive Drive near Five Mile Road. The 34,160-square-foot warehouse is to include a 5,000-square-foot showroom and 3,600...

Commentary: Idaho tourism market enjoys plenty of respect.
February 28, 2005... Byline: Carl Wilgus, Idaho Dept. of Commerce & Labor Shortly after taking my position at the then Department of Commerce some 18 years ago I often found myself quoted referring to the tourism industry as the "Rodney Dangerfield of economic...

Commentary: Course of travel industry not always easy to predict.
February 28, 2005... Byline: Bobbie Patterson, Boise Convention & Visitors Bure Taking the pulse of the travel industry is a lot like taking the pulse of a 2-year-old in a doctor's office. Corralling the "subject" is a challenge. There are many pieces and...

Boise Metro Business Index jumps 5.5% over year-ago level.
February 28, 2005... Byline: John Church, Idaho Economics The Boise Metro Business Index is a monthly index reflecting economic activity within the Boise Metropolitan Statistical Area (the MSA includes Ada and Canyon counties). The index measures three...

Christensen's Banner Building in downtown Boise to include 'smart', 'green' features.
February 28, 2005... Byline: Steven Anderson How would you like to work in a "smart" building that "knew" how much light you like over your desk, and what your work habits were? That's going to be a feature of the Banner Bank building, a $20 million...

Boise-based business broker Laska acquires Hyde brokerage.
February 28, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Laska Co., a Boise business brokerage, is buying the brokerage arm of Parma-based Hyde Business Properties & Valuations, which operates a small Boise office in Eighth Street Marketplace. Hyde, founded by Paul Hyde...

Commentary: Conserving the craft of creating old-style flyrods.
February 28, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson About once a week, five fly fishermen meet at the Anglers Orvis shop in Boise and turn back the clock. They build split-bamboo rods, using techniques that haven't changed much since the 19th century. Bob...

$40 million complex for seniors set for W. Boise.
February 28, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Englefield Greens, a $40 million complex containing medical offices, senior-care centers and townhomes, is planned on a 40-acre site in west Boise. The development company, Vision First LLC, which has an office in...

Scooters of Boise - an affordable commuting choice?
February 28, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert With gas around two bucks a gallon, the owners of a new downtown Boise business hope commuters will scoot into their showroom for a deal. Scooters of Boise sells and services motorscooters and accessories such as...

Boise mall, nearby sites, due for changes in retailers.
February 28, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert A vitamin retailer is planning to set up shop across from the Boise Towne Square Mall, and a handful of stores located next to the mall are planning to move. Simmons Fine Jewelry plans to move to Meridian....

San Francisco developer plans to build up to 100 4-plex apartment units in Boise and Meridian.
February 28, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report The Trada Group plans to develop 90 to 100 four-plex-apartment buildings at undisclosed locations in Boise and Meridian in the next 18 months. Kevin Geddes, managing director of the company based in San...