Idaho Business Review, Boise articles from January 2002

Idaho Business Review, Boise archives from January 2002

Cultural district launched to highlight Boise's charms.
January 7, 2002... Byline: Steve Martin The average citizen may not know it, but Boise has established a cultural district to promote the arts and stimulate economic development in the city.A brochure denoting areas of "culture" professional performing arts...

Boise firm's mine cleanup biz to grow in 2002.
January 7, 2002... Byline: Brad Carlson Green World Science sees opportunity in mining beyond just waiting for the industry to improve. Keeping mines, materials piles and pit lakes clean keeps the small, Boise-based firm busy.In 2001, the company received...

State projects flat economy for Idaho in 2002.
January 7, 2002... Byline: Steven Anderson ***** CORRECTION: CORRECTION: A headline on page 1A of the Jan. 7 Idaho Business Review, "Slightly negative times foreseen ahead in Idaho," was in error.As the story said, preliminary data pointed to "slightly...

Business groups to espouse bill to form state venture-cap fund.
January 7, 2002... Byline: Brad Carlson The Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce and Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry plan to advocate a number of pro-business initiatives in the 2002 Idaho Legislature.Both plan to support creation of a statewide...

Boise Chamber to defend 2001 tax cuts.
January 7, 2002... Byline: Brad Carlson Business groups plan to lobby the Idaho Legislature to retain the tax cuts and incentives passed last year despite the tax shortfalls a sluggish economy subsequently produced.Last year, lawmakers earmarked a $330...

Nevada firm plans Hampton Inn, buildings at Eagle & I-84.
January 7, 2002... Byline: Brad Carlson A 92-room Hampton Inn hotel and two office buildings are proposed near the Eagle Road interchange with Interstate 84.Meridian Hampton Center LLC, based in Sparks, Nev., and managed by Thomas Holliday, plans the project...

Indoor soccer venue stays busy during dark winter days.
January 7, 2002... Byline: Brad Carlson What do soccer players do in the off-season?Play soccer.Boise Indoor Soccer, an indoor arena on President Drive near Cloverdale Road, runs three eight-week sessions from Nov. 1 to March 1. Over the recently concluded...

Local ownership takes over international realties.
January 7, 2002... Byline: Brad Carlson Colliers International commercial real estate offices in Boise and Ketchum became locally owned in a recent transaction.Colliers Paragon LLC essentially the sales force and senior property managers in late December...

Survey shows rise in small-business optimism.
January 7, 2002... Byline: Brad Carlson Small-business optimism jumped from October to November, a recent survey indicates.The December edition of Small Business Economic Trends, published by the National Federation of Independent Business Education...

Two Boise attorneys form new law firm.
January 7, 2002... Byline: Brad Carlson Longtime Boise attorneys and colleagues Rex Blackburn and Bruce Jones have formed a new firm.Blackburn & Jones LLP emphasizes general and commercial litigation and tort litigation. The partners had worked at the Boise...

Zions 1st National Bank plans business radio show.
January 7, 2002... Byline: Brad Carlson Zions First National Bank plans to broadcast a biweekly radio program about business on stations in nine Idaho communities."Speaking on Business" is scheduled to debut Jan. 8 and air mornings and evenings on Tuesdays...

'Minimal growth' forecast for 2002.
January 14, 2002... Byline: Steven Anderson Idaho can expect "minimal growth" this year mainly in the second half, a regional economist for Wells Fargo & Co. told a Boise audience last week.Kelly Matthews, economist for Wells Fargos Intermountain Region,...

Capital Educators Federal Credit Union to relocate.
January 14, 2002... Byline: Steve Martin Capital Educators Federal Credit Union plans to move its administrative offices from Boise to Meridian and open a fourth branch there by Oct. 1.The credit union, started in 1936, has purchased a 4-acre parcel on...

Some sectors of bankrupt firm continue operation.
January 14, 2002... Byline: Brad Carlson A Boise-area independent contractor is operating part of RVP Inc., and three "point of sale" system manufacturers have reassigned dealer agreements, following developments in RVPs bankruptcy case.A Chapter 11...

Remodelers Show slated Jan. 18-20.
January 14, 2002... Byline: Steve Martin More than 125 exhibits by Idaho remodelers, decor boutiques and home improvement businesses will entice attendees of the Idaho Remodeling Show, slated from Jan. 18 to 20 at the former Maxx grocery store at the...

Retail reports hint at holiday slump.
January 14, 2002... Byline: Steve Martin Some Treasure Valley retailers weathered the holiday shopping season with a few expected bumps and bruises, and several voice cautious optimistic about the year ahead.Debbie Koopman, vice president of corporate and...

Revived pro basketball team hopes for strong sales.
January 14, 2002... Byline: Brad Carlson Right after the original owners revived the defunct Idaho Stampede pro basketball team two months ago, they approached 700 former season-ticket holders."Our renewal rate is a lot stronger than we expected," says...

Websites crucial to growth, KeyBank speaker says.
January 14, 2002... Byline: Brad Carlson The novelty of Internet-based business may have worn off, but the importance of your companys website hasnt.Despite the recent downturn in the technology sector and the economy overall, clients keep increasing the...

D.L. Evans Bank branch opens on Vista.
January 14, 2002... Byline: Brad Carlson D.L. Evans Bank planned to open a full-service branch on Vista Avenue in Boise Jan. 14.The 2,000-square-foot storefront unit in the Vista Village shopping center is the second Boise branch for Burley-based D.L. Evans,...

Group plans to open new restaurant in Meridian.
January 14, 2002... Byline: Brad Carlson A group that planned to open a MacKenzie River Pizza restaurant in a new Meridian building before MacKenzie Rivers Idaho operation went bankrupt last year plans to open a different restaurant there.MRPC Meridian LLC...

Boise restaurateurs spy light beyond '01's tunnel of closings.
January 21, 2002... Byline: Steve Martin The year 2001 brought a slew of restaurant closures in the Boise area, but the year ahead looks a lot less choppy, according to those in the business."I think it will be pretty tight in the first quarter, but business...

Local firm lands Boise convention center contract.
January 21, 2002... Byline: Brad Carlson McAlvain Construction and ZGA Architects will design and build the 150,000-square-foot convention facility planned in downtown Boise.The Greater Boise Auditorium District Board of Directors selected the Boise firms, in...

Boise tech firm beats analysts' projections.
January 21, 2002... Byline: Brad Carlson Extended Systems has reported a quarterly loss below that expected by equity analysts for its quarter ending Dec. 31.The Boise technology company (NASDAQ:XTND) reported a $1.99 million loss on revenues of $6.8 million...

Idaho State Univ. relocates its Boise Center.
January 21, 2002... Byline: Brad Carlson Idaho State University has moved its Boise Center from Blackeagle Center to expanded quarters in the Boise Research Center.ISU moved from about 8,000 square feet of space in the Blackeagle Business Center, off West...

Commercial Real Estate Symposium scheduled.
January 21, 2002... Byline: Brad Carlson Economist Jeff Thredgold is slated to deliver the keynote address at the fifth annual Boise Commercial Real Estate Symposium Feb. 12, and Sherwood Johnston III, president of BOMA International, is scheduled to...

St. Joseph's Catholic School plans $800K addition.
January 21, 2002... Byline: Steve Martin St. Josephs Catholic School plans a two-story, $800,000 addition that will link its main classroom building on Fort Street, between Eighth and Ninth streets in north Boise, to an adjacent gymnasium.According to plans...

Home sales climb 11% in Ada County for 2001.
January 21, 2002... Byline: Brad Carlson Home sales in Ada County rose almost 11 percent last year, and two out of three homes sold were not new.Sales of new and existing homes increased by 10.9 percent to 6,761, while dollar volume went up by 16.1 percent to...

Commentary: Albertson's CEO quashes rumors of HQ relocation.
January 21, 2002... Byline: Steven Anderson Presumably, there were more than a few skipped heartbeats in the Boise area when a rumor began circulating that Albertsons Inc. the largest Idaho-based corporation was thinking about moving its headquarters to...

TX-based restaurant chain closes area eateries.
January 21, 2002... Byline: Steve Martin Montereys Little Mexico, a Texas-based chain of Tex-Mex restaurants, has closed its three Treasure Valley eateries.The restaurants, which closed Dec. 30, are part of a group of Mexican restaurant chains owned by...

Albertson's Inc. to remodel northwest Boise store.
January 21, 2002... Byline: Brad Carlson Albertsons Inc. plans next month to begin remodeling the interior of its store at State Street and Gary Lane in northwest Boise.Fixtures will be replaced, and "we may make some changes in terms of services,"...

Development continues at Eagle River complex.
January 21, 2002... Byline: Brad Carlson A 150,000-square-foot retail center, two medical buildings, a bank branch and a municipal park are the newest projects planned in the Eagle River development.Developers of the 90-acre mixed-use project on which...

Zions Bank economist expects mid-year rebound.
January 21, 2002... Byline: Brad Carlson A sharply slower Idaho economy impacted by national factors and the slowest job-creation rate in the state since the 1980s will improve later this year, an economic consultant to Zions Bank predicts.In the Winter...

Idaho, Wyoming lead in growth of women-owned firms.
January 21, 2002... Byline: Brad Carlson Idaho and Wyoming led the U.S. in the rate of growth of women-owned businesses, as well as in the growth of their sales and employment, from 1997 through 2001.The number of Idaho businesses owned by women increased by...

Idaho firm lands contract for Chinese dwellings.
January 28, 2002... Byline: Steve Martin A Meridian company has contracted with a Chinese firm to be a supplier for construction of 1,100 log homes near Beijing planned as part of an "Olympia Villas" development for the 2008 Olympic Games in...

Western Electronics becomes supply-chain mgmt. co.
January 28, 2002... Byline: Brad Carlson Western Electronics wants to do more than contract manufacturing.The Meridian company, which anchors a building of 107,000 square feet on Overland Road just west of the Meridian Road interchange with Interstate 84,...

New building planned at garage site, vacant parcel.
January 28, 2002... Byline: Brad Carlson The Bannock Garage site and a vacant parcel at 13th and Myrtle streets have been advanced toward new commercial development by the Capital City Development Corp.A multi-story commercial building with parking garage is...

Goodwood Barbecue plans 2nd Treasure Valley eatery.
January 28, 2002... Byline: Steve Martin Goodwood Barbecue Co. plans its second Treasure Valley restaurant by late summer in the Crossroads Center at Fairview and Eagle roads in Meridian.Steve Cooper, president of Goodwoods parent company, C-M Restaurant...

Syringa Networks plans to offer rural broadband services by April.
January 28, 2002... Byline: Brad Carlson Syringa Networks LLC, a consortium of rural Idaho telecommunication companies, has occupied its new headquarters and central distribution center near the Boise Airport.Syringa Networks moved into 6,000 square feet in...

Boise souvenir distributor moves to larger space.
January 28, 2002... Byline: Brad Carlson Western Image Inc., a Boise distributor of tourist-oriented souvenirs, postcards and T-shirts, has moved to a larger building.The company recently leased and occupied 10,400 square feet of space on the west side of...

Kmart's 3 Valley stores to stay open.
January 28, 2002... Byline: Steve Martin Kmarts three Treasure Valley stores will remain open for the immediate future as the Michigan-based discount giant begins reorganization under a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing announced last week.Kmart operates stores at...

Medical building under way in Rocky Mountain park.
January 28, 2002... Byline: Brad Carlson Construction of a 13,000-square-foot building for Rocky Mountain Medical Arts has begun in Eagle.The building, with medical office and clinic space, is expected to be open in May, said George Transtrum of construction...

Arthur Andersen to occupy top floor of Empire Building.
January 28, 2002... Byline: Brad Carlson Arthur Andersen LLP plans this summer to move its Boise office to the top floor of the Empire Building, at Idaho and 10th streets downtown, across from the Bon Marche.Andersen, one of the "big five" accounting firms,...

Norco to move Twin Falls medical supply store.
January 28, 2002... Byline: Brad Carlson Norco aims to move its Twin Falls medical supply store to new, larger quarters in May.Construction will start in early spring on a 7,500-square-foot building with showroom, warehouse and office space on Addison Avenue...

Materials-testing firm Positron banks on INEEL process.
January 28, 2002... Byline: Staff A new device for detecting weakening at the molecular level could virtually eliminate uncertainty about the durability of many critical construction and mechanical components, a Boise startup company says. The technology,...