Idaho Business Review, Boise articles from January 2005

Idaho Business Review, Boise archives from January 2005

Wider recognition seen for Boise's Opera Idaho.
January 3, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert Opera Idaho recently took a financial risk by hosting the world premiere of the opera Nosferatu. Undertaking a world premiere is much more expensive than performing an established show, Executive Director Julie...

Portland-based RealNet Investments purchases shopping center in Boise.
January 3, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Country Club Plaza, a 40-year-old shopping center on Overland Road between Roosevelt and Orchard streets, has new owners. Portland-based RealNet Investments bought the 65,298-square-foot center, across from...

Former auto part building in downtown Boise to become salvaged construction materials business.
January 3, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson David Hale, an "urban infill" homebuilder and a believer in salvaging building materials, found an ideal first tenant for the downtown Boise building he just bought. Hale, who owns Hale Development Co., builds...

Campbell Tractor plans new dealership in Palisades Corner.
January 3, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert Campbell Tractor recently broke ground on a new 12,000-square foot John Deere dealership and repair shop in Palisades Corner, between Fruitland and New Plymouth in Payette County. Speck Construction, Meridian, and...

Boise-based Albertsons Inc. renews share buyback plan.
January 3, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report The Albertsons Inc. Board of Directors has extended the company's stock buyback program. Directors renewed the program that authorizes the Albertsons board to purchase up to $500 million of the company's common...

Grubb & Ellis to move from downtown Boise to Eagle River office building.
January 3, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Grubb & Ellis Idaho Commercial Group was to move from downtown Boise to Eagle this week. The commercial real estate brokerage and property management firm leased 3,000 square feet on the first floor of Eagle...

Buildings on State Street in Boise up for auction.
January 3, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report A former Eddy's Bakery building on State Street west of Glenwood Street, and an adjacent building that previously housed Los Mariachis Mexican Restaurant, are to be sold at auction. ArmstrongAuctions.com plans...

Idaho Urban Land group gets grant for infill study.
January 3, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report The Urban Land Institute has issued a $20,000 grant to ULI Idaho to team with Idaho Smart Growth to study how infill development impacts surrounding neighborhoods. The institute selected its Idaho chapter for...

St. Luke's Regional Medical Center plans to charge Ada county employees for parking.
January 3, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report St. Luke's Regional Medical Center wants to charge its Ada County employees for parking. Money collected would fund maintenance of all St. Luke's parking facilities in the county, including the $11 million Warm...

Idacomm takes over Boise-based Velocitus.
January 3, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Velocitus Inc., an Internet service provider and a subsidiary of Idacorp, planned to transfer all assets, liabilities and employees to another Idacorp subsidiary, Idacomm Inc., as of Jan. 1. In a Dec. 20 letter...

The Idaho Public Utilities Commission rules in irrigation-revenue case.
January 3, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report The Idaho Public Utilities Commission has authorized Idaho Power to recover $11.58 million in lost revenue from customers in irrigation load-reduction program, and $1.9 million in carrying charges. Rates won't...

Federal Reserve Bank appoints Mooney to Salt Lake City Branch board.
January 3, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco recently named Mike Mooney of Boise to the Board of Directors of its Salt Lake City Branch. Mooney, president and chief operating officer of Boise-based Farmers & Merchants...

Idaho Business & Technology Expo takes place this month at the Boise Centre on the Grove.
January 3, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Two days of trade show exhibits and seminars, many with a technology theme, are scheduled this month at the Boise Centre on the Grove. The Idaho Business League has set its annual Idaho Business & Technology...

Slow-down in Idaho's 2005 economy is predicted.
January 10, 2005... Byline: Steven Anderson Idaho can expect a bit of an economic slowdown this year, the state forecast continues to say - but not everyone agrees. Job creation this year is projected around 1.6 percent, according to the state...

John Jackson: From one gas station in Caldwell, Idahoan builds $600 million C-store colossus.
January 10, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Jacksons Food Stores Inc. occupies a newish two-story headquarters in Meridian, where CEO John Jackson is positioned strategically in an office near the front door. "It keeps me a little closer to the action," he...

Independent video shop to bring back classic flicks to Boise.
January 10, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert A movie rental shop planned for The Marketplace at Bown Crossing intends to market itself as an independent alternative to Blockbuster. Five Star Films - which co-owners Brent and Sara Hobbs plan to open in March -...

Optimist Business Park No. 2 planned in Eagle, Idaho.
January 10, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Office-showroom buildings are planned on a 10-acre site near the Optimist park complex in Eagle. Red Cliff Development has requested annexation and zoning to permit a development to be called Optimist Business...

Buy Idaho trade show expected to draw 100 vendors to Capitol.
January 10, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Buy Idaho has scheduled its annual Capitol Show for Jan. 19 in the rotunda of the state Capitol in Boise. One hundred Buy Idaho member businesses have registered for booths for the trade show and plan to offer...

Idaho's Coalition for Economic Improvement to offer free tax-preparation services.
January 10, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report The Coalition for Economic Improvement plans to offer free tax-preparation services in Boise and Nampa starting this month. Volunteers will work from mid-January through April at 8595 W. Franklin Road in Boise,...

2005 Boise convention volume expected to be lighter than '04.
January 10, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Several large meetings and conventions are slated in the Boise area this year, though volume won't match that of 2004, according to the Boise Convention & Visitors Bureau. National Collegiate Athletic Association...

Ripley Doorn plans move from Boise to new office building near Overland.
January 10, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert Accounting firm Ripley Doorn & Co. plans to move its Boise office next fall to an office building planned on Allante Avenue. Ripley Doorn is to lease 5,124 square feet of a one-story, 7,284-square foot building...

142-acre subdivision planned near Linder & State St. in Eagle, Idaho.
January 10, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report A Nampa group plans to develop a 142-acre residential subdivision north of Idaho 44 (State Street) and a quarter mile west of Linder Road in Eagle. D.H. Development LLC has applied for approval of Eaglefield...

Owners of Buster's in Boise seeks to derail Del Taco permit.
January 10, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert The owners of rental houses and a sports bar near a planned Del Taco on Broadway Avenue have appealed the City of Boise's decision to approve the quick-serve Mexican restaurant. Del Taco franchisee Roger Cooper of...

Franklin Building Supply's Contractors' Economic Forecast slated Jan. 19 in Boise.
January 10, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report John Mitchell, regional economist for U.S. Bank, is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at Franklin Building Supply's Contractors' Economic Forecast event the morning of Jan. 19 at the Red Lion Downtowner,...

Get your computer off to a good 'techie' start this year.
January 10, 2005... Byline: Rick Edvalson If, like me, you will be returning some gifts in the near future, I have some technologically oriented recommendations you might consider as replacements. But first, I want to mention a belated "gift" that I plan to...

Meeting on employee benefits plan issues set Jan. 18 in Boise.
January 10, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report New issues for the people who manage employee benefits plans are to be discussed at a Western Pension & Benefits Conference Boise Chapter meeting this month. Sheldon Smith, Denver-based partner in the Holland &...

Louisiana Pacific Corp. plans to double Meridian, Idaho staff.
January 10, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert Louisiana Pacific Corp. plans to add about 100 employees and two major pieces of equipment at its Meridian plant this year, as demand warrants, according to a company spokesperson. Louisiana Pacific, which...

Vietnamese owner to open Mongolian Bistro at Hillcrest Shopping Center in Boise.
January 10, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert A Vietnamese restaurateur plans to open a Mongolian restaurant in the Hillcrest Shopping Center at Overland Road and Orchard Street. Mongolian Bistro is planned to open in mid-February in 3,400 square feet of...

Boise air traffic gets back to growth pattern.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Passenger volume at Boise Airport increased by 6 percent in 2004, the first gain since 2000, and airport officials hope the result marks a return to annual gains. "It's a sign of growth, and we are happy with...

Boise's BoDo project to begin rising with steelwork.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert Steel erection is set to start this week for two buildings in the BoDo project in downtown Boise, according to developer Mark Rivers. Milpitas, Calif.-based general contractor and project partner Devcon...

Caldwell Econ. Development Council moving to University of Idaho incubator.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson The Caldwell Economic Development Council plans to move from downtown to the University of Idaho business incubator on Chicago Street, west of 21st Avenue, to create a "one stop shop" for business development and to...

Label printer Alta, transplanted from L.A., finds Idaho 'conducive'.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Alta Advanced Document Solutions recently moved from Los Angeles to Garden City, where owner Tim Resler aims to add 50 employees in the next two years. Resler bought a building of 15,000 square feet at 507 E. 45th...

2005 Idaho Book of Lists debuts for 10th year.
January 17, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Subscribers to the Idaho Business Review this week will receive the 2005 Idaho Book of Lists, an annual publication that lists companies and service providers in various business-related fields in the Treasure...

Boise-based Washington Group gets 'buy' from Oppenheimer brokerage.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Boise-based Washington Group International stock got a "buy" rating in a debut opinion from Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. Oppenheimer, a New York-based investment and financial services firm, initiated coverage of...

Ob-Gyn Associates facilities due in Meridian, Caldwell.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Ob-Gyn Associates, a Boise obstetrics and gynecology practice, intends to move both of its Treasure Valley offices. Ob-Gyn plans to build its own 10,000-square-foot structure in the Meadow Lake Village complex...

Boise legal professionals to hear about hazards of Word at Jan. 18 event.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert BLSA, an organization of legal professionals, is slated to meet Jan. 18 to discuss legal ramifications of corrupt Word documents or data hidden in Word documents. Carol Garcia, an application analyst for Moffatt...

Challenges facing Boise managers of benefits to be aired Jan. 18.
January 17, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report New issues for the people who manage employee benefits plans are to be discussed at a Western Pension & Benefits Conference Boise Chapter meeting Jan. 18. Attorney Sheldon Smith, Denver-based partner in the...

Capital City Development Corp. audit shows revenue drop -- 16% decline laid to 2003 project.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Steven Anderson The Capital City Development Corp. incurred a 4.4 percent increase in expenses during the past year while revenues sank 16.3 percent, and the city's urban renewal agency logged a 6.3 percent decline in assets,...

Nampa-based MPC Computers' new laptop targets education.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert MPC Computers, Nampa, last week introduced the TransPort T1200 notebook computer, which the company said is designed primarily for the education market. Prices for some configurations for the laptop-style computer...

Western Trailers to build plant at Boise's Gowen Road site.
January 17, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Western Trailers plans to construct an 18,200-square foot manufacturing building next to its operations off Gowen Road west of Federal Way, according to documents filed with the City of Boise. The one-story...

Paychex opens Boise office; could grow to 50 employees.
January 17, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Paychex, a payroll and human resources service provider based in Rochester, N.Y., has established its first Idaho sales representative, Marcia Miller, in Boise. Miller, who works from an office in her home,...

Tyson Foods suspends Boise plant.
January 17, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Tyson Foods Inc. temporarily suspended operations at its meat processing plant on South Cole Road in Boise last week, citing "tight cattle supplies, lackluster domestic beef demand and the absence of key export...

Boise firm sued for securities fraud.
January 17, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report The Idaho Department of Finance has filed a civil suit in Fourth District Court against Steven Wayne Olson and his Boise-based company, Salt Lake City Wireless LLC. The complaint contends the defendants offered...

Caldwell YMCA on track for fall opening.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Ken Miller The Treasure Valley Family YMCA has raised all but about $1 million of the $13.5 million for the new Caldwell Family YMCA, and the building's going up, heading toward a fall opening. "We're starting to get a good...

Idaho's Tamarack Resort ramps up for '05.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Ken Miller While Tamarack Resort enjoys growing post-holiday patronage, developers are already ramping up for a 2005 construction season that will include completion of more homes and the centerpiece lodge, Tamarack CEO Jean-Pierre...

Commercial jobs help Boise construction eke out '04 gain.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Gains in the commercial segment pushed Boise construction value slightly higher in 2004. The combined value of projects in Boise increased by less than 1 percent from 2003, to $383 million, as a 20 percent rise in...

Commentary: Know playing field before working out of state.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Arnold Wagner While neighboring states may offer attractive business opportunities, many potential legal pitfalls await the unsuspecting contractor who ventures across the Idaho state line to do business. These problems can usually...

3 decades later, Idaho-based ZGA Architects still going strong.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Ken Miller It was 1973 and longtime friends Thomas Zabala and Alan Giltzow had $1,000 apiece, sufficient architectural experience to be emboldened, and as Zabala recalls, "a couple adult beverages" under their belts. The "Z"...

Legislators give Boise a mid-winter boost.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Steven Anderson With 105 citizen legislators in town for the 2005 session, hotels and restaurants in downtown Boise are getting an annual bump in business that prevents winter from being their worst season. "I can't say it's a...

Idaho home sales increased 12% in 2004.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Home sales rose sharply in 2004 in Idaho and the Boise area, and real estate agents expect strong demand this year. Idaho home sales grew by 12 percent last year to 26,185 while the value of all homes sold rose by...

Hotel room-tax collections in Boise show rebound.
January 24, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Room-tax receipts from hotels and motels in the Greater Boise Auditorium District rose by 1.4 percent during GBAD's latest fiscal year, ended Nov. 30, the district reports. Data released by GBAD show that...

CH2M Hill lease fills Idaho Water Center.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert The Idaho Water Center, the only portion of the ill-fated University of Idaho University Place project to be built, has been completely leased with the addition of CH2M Hill. The engineering and construction firm...

Treasure Valley commercial real estate seen strengthening.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Competition remains brisk in a strengthening commercial real estate market, according to principals in Boise-area brokerages. Thornton Oliver Keller Commercial Real Estate and Colliers International each employ...

Israel-based Micron, Given Imaging partner on second pill camera.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert Micron Technology continued its foray into medical fields with a second camera-in-a-pill. Micron and Given Imaging, headquartered in Israel, retooled the M2A "capsule endoscope" - now marketed as the PillCam SB,...

Up to 600 people expected to attend Boise Commercial Real Estate Symposium Feb. 8.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson This year's Boise Commercial Real Estate Symposium Feb. 8 promises to be the biggest ever in terms of attendance and geographic reach. The Building Owners & Managers Association Boise chapter (BOMA) will host the...

Meridian-based Micro 100 Tool Corporation keeps growing.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Micro 100 Tool Corp. is expanding again in Meridian, where it has grown consistently over two decades. The company employs about 100 in the manufacture and worldwide sale of solid carbide and carbide-tipped cutting...

Idaho Business Review seeks input for seminars.
January 24, 2005... Byline: IBR The Idaho Business Review will be conducting seminars to benefit area businesses in the next few months. As a part of that process, the IBR would like to hear from readers to help prioritize subjects of interest. ...

Strong Idaho outlook hinges on continued job, business gains.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson This year's economic outlook is favorable in Idaho, "the sole state in the region to be all the way 'back.'" That's according to John Mitchell, regional economist for U.S. Bank. "The regional picture is not...

Rafanelli & Nahas relocates, plans more projects in Valley Meridian's Central Valley Corporate Park.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Rafanelli & Nahas plans to develop half a dozen buildings in Meridian's Central Valley Corporate Park this year, and has an eventual office project in mind for a downtown Boise parcel it owns. Spokesman Scott...

Using the 'hidden' features of Microsoft Word.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Rick Edvalson Chances are nine in ten that you use Microsoft Word - just as I do. And the chances are almost as high that you have made little use of a very powerful feature. Word enjoys a market share of over 90 percent. I...

Idaho companies, workers join in tsunami relief donations.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert Some Idaho employers have found they have connections to countries hit by the Dec. 26 tsunami disaster, which reportedly has killed as many as 200,000 people in the Indian Ocean region. "Our company has a personal...

Meridian's Cherry Plaza to get Chinese eatery.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Cherry Plaza in old Meridian will get a boost this year with the addition of a Chinese eatery, Mandarin Buffet, and an expansion of closeout retailer Big Lots. Both tenants will bolster the draw of the...

Amalgamated Sugar Co. in Nyssa plans to lay off 100 employees this year.
January 24, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Amalgamated Sugar Co. plans to curtail work at its sugar beet processing plant in Nyssa, Ore., this year in what the company said is a temporary move. About 100 of the plant's 190 employees are to have 30 to 40...

Boise-area developer demolishes 40-year-old Bannock Garage.
January 31, 2005... Byline: Steven Anderson Work on the 11-story Banner Bank Building got under way in earnest last week with demolition of the 40-year-old Bannock Garage, which Boise-area developer Gary Christensen acquired last year in a property swap with...

Analyst questions Boise-based Micron Technology's plan to build in China.
January 31, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert Micron Technology says its plan to build in China will position the company to take advantage of that immense country's burgeoning tech sector. But a noted industry analyst questions just how helpful Micron's...

Bankruptcies finally subside in Idaho.
January 31, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert Idaho bankruptcies dropped by 2 percent last year - the first decline in five years - despite a December spike. After a 1.3 percent drop in 2000, filings rose by 13.77 percent in 2001 as the economy sagged, and by...

Two Boise office buildings planned near St. Mary's Church.
January 31, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert Two office buildings are planned for State and 27th streets in Boise, kitty-corner from St. Mary's Church. The development, called St. Mary's Crossing, will consist of a two-story, 16,700-square-foot building and a...

Middling rank for Idacorp stock beats sector average.
January 31, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Idacorp Inc. stock will largely tread water unless streamflows improve, but some of its non-utility business shows promise, recent opinions suggest. KeyBanc Capital Markets initiated coverage of Idaho Power's...

Idaho Independent Bank to open branch in Star.
January 31, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Idaho Independent Bank plans a full-service branch this spring in Star, which now has no bank. The branch is planned at the southeast corner of State Street and Star Road, in the existing Blue Heron Plaza,...

Treasure Valley-based Goodwood Barbecue expands in Utah.
January 31, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert The owners of two Treasure Valley barbecue restaurants have expanded their concept outside Idaho. A Goodwood Barbecue opened last week in Orem, Utah, northwest of Provo. Goodwood's owners plan to start construction...

Johnstone Supply plans to build on Executive Dr. in west Boise.
January 31, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson A building of 34,600 square feet is slated for Johnstone Supply Co. - a heating and refrigeration wholesaler - on the south side of Executive Drive west of Five Mile Road in west Boise. Johnstone will own the...

Three-story building slated at Hillcrest Business Ctr. in South Boise.
January 31, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report South Boise is slated to get a new three-story, 28,000-square-foot mixed-use building this year at Hillcrest Business Center on Overland Road, across from Hillcrest Country Club. Dennis Kelley and Ted Sigmont,...

Idaho's 3rd Tamarack Resort sale brings in $91.5 million.
January 31, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Buyers took all 103 residential lots offered by Tamarack Resort on Jan. 22, generating $91.5 million, the resort said in a news release last week. The sales add to $79 million generated by two real-estate...

Cheerleaders Sports Bar & Grill to open in Boise.
January 31, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert Name. Address. Date of birth. Former places of employment. Singing and dancing experience. An Eagle restaurant with a cheerleading theme, due to open in May, tells job applicants on its website that "dancing and...

Idaho-based Extended Systems ekes out income of 7 cents a share for quarter.
January 31, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Extended Systems Inc. reported net income of $1.1 million in its fiscal second quarter, or 7 cents per share, up from $459,000 a year earlier, when it benefited from a real estate sale and broke even. Revenues...

Retooled Alloway Electric plans move to larger site in Garden City.
January 31, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Eight decades after it was founded, a downsized but now "steadily growing" Alloway Electric Co. Inc. plans to occupy a new 7,000-square-foot home in Garden City. The firm is slated to move March 1 to a new...

Zions Bank economist predicts 3.5% job growth in '05 for Idaho.
January 31, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Idaho is poised for gains in jobs, home prices, and commercial construction and leasing this year, says economist Jeff Thredgold, a consultant to Zions Bank. The state's economic rebound "remains on track, with...

Tax experts, clients face another year of change in Idaho and across the country.
January 31, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Adjusting to new tax rules has become an annual event in recent years, keeping tax professionals and clients on their toes. Congress has tweaked the tax system each year since 2001, mainly to provide economic...

2004 tax rule changes at a glance ...
January 31, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Here are some new rules for the 2004 tax filing season and beyond, as outlined by the Clifton Gunderson LLP accounting and consulting firm and by Brookwood Tax Service. Many of the changes result from the American...

Withholding filing available online for Idaho employers.
January 31, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Idaho employers now have an easier way to file their annual reconciliation return for income tax withholding. They can file Form 956 online through the Idaho State Tax Commission's website at tax.idaho.gov (click on...

Boise-area merchants discuss whether debit card will replace checks.
January 31, 2005... Byline: Ken Levy Despite the added costs of accepting electronic transactions, many Boise-area merchants seem satisfied with the apparently increasing trend toward electronic payments over check writing. A study released by the Federal...

Choose electronic merchant account vendor wisely.
January 31, 2005... Byline: Ken Levy Setting up the ability to process electronic transactions is easier than you may think. Merchants can establish credit- and debit-card capabilities through any bank or credit union, or through private companies...

Have your business plan in hand before seeking $$$.
January 31, 2005... Byline: Gaye Bunderson Getting a business funded begins first and foremost with a viable business plan. "A complete business plan will provide evidence to the lender that the owner has thoroughly investigated his or her new business,"...

Following 'evaluation points' could help venture get financed.
January 31, 2005... Byline: Gaye Bunderson Before making a decision on whether or not to provide funding for a new or expanding business, lenders evaluate certain criteria to help them make a decision. Business lending analysis can be quite complex, said...