Idaho Business Review, Boise articles from January 2006

Idaho Business Review, Boise archives from January 2006

There to stay: Manager says Macy's to remain in downtown Boise.
January 2, 2006... Byline: Lora Volkert Customers often question Sonja Eau Claire, manager of the Macy's in downton Boise, about rumors of the store's impending closure. They have been greatly exaggerated, to paraphrase Mark Twain. "I really want...

Oregeon-based Cascade Bancorp to buy F&M State Bank.
January 2, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson Cascade Bancorp plans to grow Boise-based Farmers & Merchants State Bank, not make cuts, officials with both banks say. F&M will be sold to Cascade for $147.1 million in cash and stock, the banks announced last...

Further gains seen in home sales Ada and Canyon counties.
January 2, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson November home sales continued to show small gains from October levels in Ada and Canyon counties, and still topped year-earlier levels by hefty margins, new data indicate. Sales of new and existing homes in Ada...

Meridian eyes development needs, considers creating medical district.
January 2, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson Meridian is in for another strong year of commercial growth, in business parks as well as downtown, Economic Development Coordinator Cheryl Brown says. "The pace is going to be the same," she predicted. "We will...

Boise-based Primary Health Inc., sans clinics, looks forward to growth.
January 2, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson Primary Health Inc., which sold its Treasure Valley medical clinics in mid-2005, expects its remaining business to prosper this year, CEO Elwood Kleaver says. The Boise-based company provides health insurance to...

Legal advice on property law seen as aid to developers.
January 2, 2006... Byline: Lora Volkert The Crescent Rim condominium project was Murphy's law in action for Givens Pursley partner Gary Allen. "There were any number of legal issues that came up that could have derailed the project," said Allen, who...

Idaho's 2.4% gain in population ranks 3rd in nation.
January 2, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Idaho was the nation's third-fastest growing state between 2004 and 2005, according to new U.S. Census Bureau population estimates released late last month. The Gem State added 33,956 residents in the 12 months...

Postal hikes due Jan. 8 may boost mailing firms.
January 2, 2006... Byline: Lora Volkert The 2-cent increase in the price of first class stamps slated for Jan. 8 is likely to mean a boost in business for mail automation services. Though most businesses simply respond to the postage rate hike by...

RiverWalk developers eye third building in Boise.
January 2, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Owners of the RiverWalk office complex have signed several leases recently, and plan a third building. RiverWalk I, a 15,300-square-foot building near the southwest corner of Shoreline Drive and Americana...

State of Idaho sees economy easing in '06.
January 9, 2006... Byline: Steven Anderson If economists were given to catchy phrases, they might have reached back four decades and entitled the state's latest Economic Forecast "Feeling Groovy." That was the informal title of a 1966 Simon & Garfunkel...

17-story, mixed-use bldg. planned on Front St. in Boise.
January 9, 2006... Byline: Lora Volkert "There really was nothing else to do on this small, postage stamp-sized piece of land." That's how Boise City Planner Martin Santoyo describes Scott Kimball's plans for a 17-story mixed-use building on the 40-foot...

Nonprofit, religious aviation organization to move to Nampa airport this year.
January 9, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson Mission Aviation Fellowship, a nonprofit, religious aviation organization, is due to land at the Nampa airport this year, bringing with it a $30 million annual operating budget and 100 or more employees. Mission...

Idaho Economic Symposium set Jan. 31 in Boise.
January 9, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report The Idaho Economic Symposium, set Jan. 31 in Boise, will focus on connections between the economy, employment and education. The symposium will include presentations from U.S. Department of Labor Assistant...

Global Market talks set for Jan. 17 in Garden City.
January 9, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report International business and export opportunities are to be discussed at a seminar Jan. 17 in Garden City. The Idaho Commerce & Labor Department and the Idaho Department of Agriculture plan to co-host the seventh...

Demand seen for assisted living in Idaho.
January 9, 2006... Byline: Lora Volkert The assisted living industry seems poised for resurgence, as overbuilt space from the '90s is absorbed by increasing demand, several in the industry say. Occupancy rates in the state's 270 assisted-living...

Space batteries built at Idaho National Lab to power NASA mission to Pluto.
January 9, 2006... Byline: Rick Carpenter A NASA space mission to the planet Pluto that will launch as early as Jan. 17 will use a $100 million space battery built at the Idaho National Laboratory to send data back to Earth.The battery, called a Radioisotope...

12-story bldg. planned south of WGI Plaza in Boise.
January 9, 2006... Byline: Lora Volkert A mixed-use complex with a 12-story tower is planned south of Washington Group Plaza on Park Boulevard near Front Street. The project, called Nine Sixteen after the address of the 1.7-acre parcel on Park Boulevard,...

3 'District' office-retail buildings in Star sell out.
January 9, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Investors have snapped up all 13 units in The District, an office-retail complex developed recently on State Street in Star. A real estate firm is also negotiating for another 8,000-square-foot building under...

Boise Cascade restarts 2nd shift at LaGrande sawmill.
January 9, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Boise Cascade Co. plans to restart the second shift at its LaGrande, Ore., sawmill this month. BCC cut the shift Oct. 31, impacting 70 employees. The company said it will recall the workers. Production...

Evans plans 2 office-retail bldgs. on Emerald St. near Boise mall.
January 9, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Two retail and office buildings are planned on a 3-acre site at Rifleman and Emerald streets on the north side of the Boise Towne Square mall. The 20,300-square foot and 13,900-square foot buildings could be...

Washington Group International unit fined for accidents in 2004 at Livermore laboratory.
January 9, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report A Washington Group International unit working with the University of California and Bechtel Corp. to manage Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico has been fined $192,500 for accidents in 2004 at Lawrence...

Bird flu, oil-gas ventures seen among new scams, BBB says.
January 9, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Several fraudulent investment schemes have cropped up in the new year, the Better Business Bureau warns. Many schemers peddle products and investments tied to current headlines, said Nora Carpenter, executive...

Kris Ormseth - Stoel Rives' Boise chief likes solving issues, not arguing them.
January 16, 2006... Byline: Lora Volkert When Kris Ormseth was on summer vacation from grade school, his father paid him and his siblings 25 cents an hour to do yard work for three hours every morning. Ormseth said he "felt put upon" at the time because...

Plan to build condos atop parking ramp in Boise challenged.
January 16, 2006... Byline: Lora Volkert A Boise resident has appealed the Design Review approval of the Capitol Terrace Apartments project, an 81-unit apartment complex planned on top of the Capitol Terrace parking and retail building. The project would...

Boise-based Intermountain Gas Co. 'hopes' to avoid further rate hikes this year.
January 16, 2006... Byline: Steven Anderson The good news, according to Intermountain Gas Co., is that another rate hike isn't likely this year - on top of the 28 percent increase that took effect Oct. 1. And IMG officials even say there's a possibility...

Boise Factory Outlets mall sees vacancy drop, eyes augmenting store mix.
January 16, 2006... Byline: Lora Volkert Sales increased 12 to 14 percent overall at the Boise Factory Outlets mall last year, a great improvement over five years ago, when the mall stood nearly half empty, according to its owner. The mall's high...

Boise-based Intermountain Gas said to rank No. 1 in growth.
January 16, 2006... Byline: Steven Anderson Intermountain Gas Co. is "probably the fastest-growing" natural gas distributor in the U.S. these days, officials of the Boise-based utility say. IMG added more than 16,000 customers in its most recent fiscal...

Meridian streamlines permitting in downtown zone.
January 16, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson Meridian recently approved downtown building-design guidelines that amount to a sort of deal with prospective developers. If a developer proposes a building project that meets the guidelines, it will be eligible...

Buy Idaho Capitol Show slated Jan. 18.
January 16, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Buy Idaho plans to hold its 16th annual trade show, the Buy Idaho Capitol Show, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 18 in the Idaho Statehouse. During the trade show, members of Buy Idaho will offer brochures and...

Auditorium board eyes more height for convention center in Boise.
January 16, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson The Greater Boise Auditorium District is exploring expanding Boise Centre on the Grove by adding a mezzanine and second story. Boise architect Neil Hosford told the GBAD board last week that it's feasible to expand...

Microsoft executive to keynote Jan. 25-26 in Boise.
January 16, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Microsoft executive Aaron Bernstein is scheduled to keynote the 15th Annual Idaho Business & Technology Expo, slated from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 25 and 26 at the Boise Centre on the Grove. Bernstein,...

Going 'green' catches on in Idaho.
January 16, 2006... Byline: Ken Miller Backers of a nationally recognized "green building" organization in Idaho are quickly moving toward approval of the Idaho chapter - another sign that sustainable building is moving from trend to the mainstream. "You...

A-1 Heating & Air Conditioning plans relocation to Meridian.
January 16, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report A-1 Heating & Air Conditioning plans to move from downtown Boise to a larger facility in Meridian. The company recently began building a 17,000-square-foot building containing warehouse and shop space and a...

Idaho's largest 'green' project heads for finish line.
January 16, 2006... Byline: Ken Miller The "greenest" building ever erected in Idaho is nearing completion in downtown Boise, and while tenants are signing up to move in this spring, the developer says the new Banner Bank's environmental attributes are only...

Education, service top agenda for Idaho Associated General Contractors's Franz.
January 16, 2006... Byline: Ken Levy Educational opportunities and improving customer service top the agenda of the Idaho Associated General Contractors and its new president, Paul Franz. Shortages of experienced craftsmen and equipment operators continue...

Meridan-based PrecisionCraft earns design kudos.
January 16, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report The "Eagle's Nest," a new design by PrecisionCraft spin-off Mountain Architects Inc., Meridian, has been recognized in Log Home Living's eighth annual design contest as a Top 10 Design and the "Editors' Choice."...

Millstone retail center in Meridian nears finish.
January 16, 2006... Byline: Ken Levy Construction of the Millstone Marketplace in Meridian should be wrapped up by the end of January, according to builder and owner Renny Wylie. Wylie, owner of JRW Construction, Eagle, said the roughly...

Boise-based CTA Architects Engineers receives 'Above and Beyond' award.
January 16, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report The buildings are unique, and its projects span the gamut, but it was the company's quiet service to a fellow employee that earned it a national award. CTA Architects Engineers, a 40-year Boise firm, recently...

Boise '05 construction spending up 45%.
January 16, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson Construction spending increased by 45 percent in Boise in 2005, to $554.5 million. The city's monthly construction report said multiple-family housing produced the biggest increase in 2005 - 70 percent, to 356...

Boise office of GeoEngineers wins honors for bridge work.
January 16, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report GeoEngineers' Boise office was recently selected to receive a first place award for its use of geofoam at the Dry Creek Bridge in Hidden Springs. The American Council of Engineering Companies of Idaho (ACEC)...

Remodel show, design expo slated Jan. 27-29 in Boise.
January 16, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Renovation of kitchens, bathrooms, and home or office technology features will highlight the Sixth Annual Idaho Remodeling Show, and Sources & Design Expo held simultaneously Jan. 27 to 29 at the Boise Centre on...

Office condos in Boise's BoDo project sell well, developer Mark Rivers says.
January 23, 2006... Byline: Lora Volkert Strong sales of office condos at Boise's BoDo project prompted an increased allotment of space for office use - and it still could have done with more, according to developer Mark Rivers. As announced three years...

'Digital drugs' - next big thing for Pocatello-based AMI Semiconductor?
January 23, 2006... Byline: Lora Volkert Digital drugs and bending headlights. Those are two of the latest markets that Pocatello-based AMI Semiconductor is banking on to strengthen its position as a niche manufacturer of semiconductors for the medical,...

Interest-rate forecaster to address Ninth Annual Boise Commercial Real Estate Symposium.
January 23, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Robert Genetski, an economist considered an excellent interest-rate forecaster, is scheduled to keynote the Ninth Annual Boise Commercial Real Estate Symposium with a presentation titled, "The Coming Economic...

Boise-based Banner Bank Building said to be one-third pre-leased.
January 23, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson Businesses have reserved one-third of the space in the 11-story Banner Bank Building under construction at 10th and Bannock streets in downtown Boise. Developer Gary Christensen, of Christensen Corp., Boise, said...

Boise's tallest building U.S. Bank Bldg. still considered prestigious business address.
January 23, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson U.S. Bank Plaza, still Boise's tallest building, remains a coveted address 28 years after Idaho First National Bank first built and anchored it. The 20-story, 270-foot-high structure at Main Street and Capitol...

Law, financial firms anchor U.S. Bank Plaza building in Boise.
January 23, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Law and financial firms occupy most of the 256,000-square-foot U.S. Bank Plaza building. U.S. Bank is the largest single tenant with 21 percent of the space, said Dan Preisler, general manager of the building....

Speakers at Franklin forum see little letup for housing market.
January 23, 2006... Byline: Steven Anderson Try on these statistics * Nampa commercial building permits up 102 percent. (Jerry Van Engen.) * About 900,000 square feet of office space absorption in the Treasure Valley. (Jerry Van Engen.) *...

'Affordable' condos slated in McCall.
January 23, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson Sixteen condominiums planned in downtown McCall "will be spacious and sleep enough people, but also will be affordable," Realtor Pat Hill says. Hill, an agent with Century 21 Clark Real Estate in McCall, said...

Meridian-based grocery wholesaler Capitol Distributing expands space.
January 23, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Capitol Distributing, the Meridian-based grocery wholesaler, will more than double its warehouse space on Commercial Court. Capitol, sister company to convenience-store chain Jacksons Food Stores, is adding...

Construction on Marriott in El Dorado Business Campus gets under way.
January 23, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson Construction has begun on the Valley's latest hotel project, a 145-room Courtyard By Marriott in the El Dorado Business Campus, near Overland and Eagle roads, and developer Drew Hardy expects it to open next December....

Idaho Public Utilities Commission plans workshops on electricity rate hike.
January 23, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report The Idaho Public Utilities Commission plans three workshops on the 7.8 percent average rate increase requested by Idaho Power Co. The 7 p.m. workshops are scheduled Jan. 23 at PUC headquarters, 472 W....

Idaho trade rep. in Shanghai offers tips on selling in China.
January 23, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson Exports to China and Hong Kong have doubled in five years, but doing business there is easier if you follow a few simple rules. Cao Guoli, of the State of Idaho trade office in Shanghai, delivered that message to...

Reports: Albertsons talks resume.
January 23, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report A previously rejected offer to buy Albertsons Inc. is back on the table, with revisions, according to reports published last week. Albertsons directors revisited a consortium's bid last week after rejecting the...

Treasure Valley real estate pros expect strong 2006; costs may push lagging lease rates up.
January 23, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson Treasure Valley commercial real estate professionals expect a strong 2006, though they agree that the hot market of 2005 will be tough to top. Wild cards this year include the pace of economic and population...

Idaho midwives - Enabling non-hospital births.
January 30, 2006... Byline: Lora Volkert Picture a hospital room. Picture your home. Picture a converted home in the near North End, with colorful paintings and posters of pregnant and nursing mothers on warm-colored walls and pastel quilts on the...

What now for Albertsons executives, professionals at the Boise headquarters?
January 30, 2006... Byline: Steven Anderson How many Albertsons people will remain on ParkCenter Drive? Supervalu CEO Jeff Noddle says he doesn't know - yet. Teams of executives from both companies will evaluate the strengths of Albertsons and...

Boise charities anticipate blow - Albertsons will be a major loss, they say.
January 30, 2006... Byline: Lora Volkert The sale of Albertsons to Supervalu may have a large impact on Boise-area nonprofit organizations that rely on the grocery chain's philanthropy. Albertsons and its associates, customers and vendors donated $82...

Supervalu stock outlook seen as relatively promising.
January 30, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson The people who own Albertsons Inc. stock may fare better when they own shares of Supervalu Inc. Albertsons shareholders will own 35 percent of Supervalu stock after a group that includes Supervalu divides up...

BlueShield of Idaho to add space in Pioneer Plaza in Boise.
January 30, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson Lewiston-based health insurer Regence BlueShield of Idaho plans to expand operations in Boise to meet recent and anticipated growth, President and CEO John Stellmon says. Though long headquartered in Lewiston,...

Futurist to speak at Idaho Economic Symposium Jan. 31.
January 30, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report State and federal Labor departments plan Idaho Economic Symposium 2006 from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Jan. 31 at Boise Centre on the Grove. Speakers plan to address how education, employment and rapid changes in...

Nampa employer Plexus says quarterly net jumps to 28 cents a share.
January 30, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Plexus Corp. said earnings for the fiscal first quarter ended in December jumped to $12.6 million, or 28 cents per share, from $3.02 million, or 7 cents per share, a year earlier including restructuring costs. ...

Boise-based residential real estate brokerage Group One leases Eagle III bldg.
January 30, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson Boise-based residential real estate brokerage Group One Inc. will nearly triple the size of its Eagle office by occupying all of the 22,000-square-foot Eagle River III Building. The two-story building also will...

Industrial condos slated for southwest Boise.
January 30, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Industrial condos represent a fairly new concept for the Boise market, but "a couple others are on-line and doing well," Dan Minnaert says. An industrial properties broker with Thornton Oliver Keller...

Boise-based MotivePower lands contract totaling $93M.
January 30, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report MotivePower, Boise's locomotive builder, recently landed a major contract to build locomotives for New York City Transit. MotivePower parent Wabtec Corp. announced that New York City Transit, a unit of...

Idaho Bancorp earnings soar 45 percent in 2005.
January 30, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Idaho Bancorp, parent of Idaho Banking Co., has reported record earnings for 2005 of $1,175,000, up 45 percent from $812,000 in '04. Earnings increased to 65 cents per diluted share, from 46 cents a year...

Office-market players eye Albertsons' and its vendors' space in Boise area.
January 30, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson Ada County's office market stands to take a hit when Boise-based Albertsons is sold, but still-unknown factors warrant a wait-and-see approach. That's the view expressed by several players in the office market...

Midwifery requires certification from the American College of Nurse Midwives.
January 30, 2006... Byline: Lora Volkert Certified nurse midwives must earn a bachelor's degree in registered nursing and go through a two-year program to receive a certificate of midwifery from the American College of Nurse Midwives, according to Elizabeth...

Absence of regulations creates issues for midwives in Idaho.
January 30, 2006... Byline: Lora Volkert Idaho does not regulate the midwifery industry, a fact that frustrates nationally certified midwives who practice in the state. "It puts a lot of responsibility on the consumer to find a midwife that they're...

Small Business Day set Feb. 7 in Boise.
January 30, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report William Maurer, a national property-rights expert, is slated to address the Small Business Day at the Capitol forum Feb. 7 in Boise. The National Federation of Independent Business Idaho chapter and Wells Fargo...

E-filing - the wave of the future is here now, say two Boise-area CPAs.
January 30, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson Electronically preparing and filing tax returns is the rule rather than the exception - at least for two Boise-area certified public accountants, whose practices are going strong. "It's changed our work environment...

Achieving portfolio tax efficiency takes work.
January 30, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson Looking at your investment portfolio with an eye toward reducing tax impacts almost always pays off. Investors in all categories of wealth, experience and tax bracket can benefit from frequently reviewing their...

Charities offer tax-deductible way to give.
January 30, 2006... Byline: Gaye Bunderson Charitable donations are one way of getting a tax break from the government. For instance, the high winds of Hurricane Katrina affected southern regions of the nation in 2005. Now people in other parts of...

Get practical advice before gifting assets, advises Boise attorney.
January 30, 2006... Byline: Gaye Bunderson Deciding on the reasons for making a tax-deductible charitable donation requires focus and introspection, something Boise attorney Robert Aldridge helps his clients with every day. According to Aldridge, those...

Rules differ for corporate giving versus individual contributions.
January 30, 2006... Byline: Gaye Bunderson Businesses also make charitable donations, but the legal requirements and tax benefits differ from individual citizens' contributions. "Businesses can only deduct a percentage of their net income for donations,...

Tax experts share nuggets of wisdom on charitable giving.
January 30, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Why we give "I think all of us want to make a positive impact in our community, for our country, or even worldwide, but can often feel that our small gifts of time or financial means won't make much of a...

AmeriWell - Can it offset high health care costs?
January 30, 2006... Byline: Ken Miller A federal proposal to create long-term disability health care accounts for all Americans through innovative funding underscores the need to come to grips with a growing health care problem in Idaho, according to those...

Idaho financial planners advise staying informed about long-term care plans.
January 30, 2006... Byline: Ken Miller Idaho financial planners Jeff Currie of Applied Assets in Boise and Andy Byron of Financial Educators of Idaho agree it's good to start finding solutions to the huge financial burdens posed by long-term disability care....