Idaho Business Review, Boise articles from January 2008

Idaho Business Review, Boise archives from January 2008

Pend Oreille development in northern Idaho causes environmental stir.
January 2, 2008... Byline: Robb Hicken A development on Lake Pend Oreille in northern Idaho that will include a 105-slip marina and a float plane dock is causing a stir. Pend Oreille Bonner Development wants about 42 acres rezoned from rural to...

Minn. firm buys Boise-based Intermountain Tech Group.(Company overview)
January 2, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Intermountain Technology Group, a Boise firm founded in 1982, has a new owner. The information technology services company on Emerald Street in Boise was purchased by Minneapolis-based Corporate Technologies....

Economist tells Idaho Legislature panel to expect slow growth.
January 3, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson It's likely to take all of this year and part of 2009 for the Idaho economy to improve from its current slow-growth mode, Wells Fargo regional economist Kelly Matthews told the Idaho Legislature Economic Outlook &...

Idaho Power to build substation at Hoku Scientific.
January 4, 2008... Byline: IBR Staff Report Hoku Materials Inc., a subsidiary of Hoku Scientific, will pay Idaho Power $14.8 million to build an electrical substation to help provide power to its polysilicon production plant in Pocatello. Hoku, based in...

Idaho unemployment rises in December.
January 4, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Idaho seasonally adjusted unemployment rose to 3 percent in December, from 2.7 percent in November, the state Department of Labor reported. Unemployment averaged 3.2 percent in December 2006. The Idaho unemployment...

Public Utilities Commission modifies rates paid to small-power developers.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Eddie Kovsky Beginning Jan. 1, the amount utilities must pay small-power producers under provisions of the federal Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act will be calculated under a different formula. According to a press release...

Highways and community colleges among Idaho governor's priorities for '08.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Idaho's business sector figures to feel the impacts of a number of proposals and policy stances that Gov. C.L. Butch Otter rolled out today in his State of the State and Budget Message that opened the 2008 legislative...

Lobbyists gear up for Idaho legislative session.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Robb Hicken When Gov. C.L. Butch Otter's top aide, Jeff Malmen, left to take a position with Idaho Power Co., a Boise lawmaker cried foul to the ethics of it. But, due to the fact there is no revolving-door this may not be the...

Gov. Otter opens Idaho Legislature with state address.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Idaho Business Review Staff Report Sometimes nobody gets what they want. But that too is part of the process, Gov. C.L. Butch Otter wrote in an opinion piece in April 2007 at the close of the legislative session. Political...

Idaho moves to national mortgage licensing system.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Idaho and six other state agencies began participating in the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System. The system is part of a new regulatory framework that aims to enhance consumer protection, unify and streamline...

Nampa-based Home Federal Bank becomes publicly owned entity.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Nampa-based Home Federal Bank, which in 2004 completed its initial public stock offering, on Dec. 19 said it finished its conversion from mutual to publicly owned entity. Depositors and borrowers of the bank, and...

Boise-based J.R. Simplot Co. posts record results.(Financial report)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Idaho Business Review Staff Report Boise agribusiness conglomerate J.R. Simplot Co. recently reported record revenue for fiscal 2007. This past year was a home run for us, President and CEO Larry Hlobik said in a release. We...

Effective or not, lobbyists paid for 'access' to Idaho lawmakers.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Idaho Business Review Staff Report Steve Ahrens has worked as political editor for the Idaho Statesman, as a lobbyist/consultant for Boise Cascade and as executive director of IACI, and currently covers political issues in a column...

Idaho committee ponders legislative fix for urban renewal.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Lora Volkert Legislators are worried that voters are getting more than they bargain for when they approve school bonds. When school districts ask voters to pass a bond, they inform voters about the amount of money the district...

Zions consultant expects 'more subdued' economy in Idaho.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Idaho Business Review Staff Report More subdued characterizes Idaho's economic outlook, Jeff Thredgold said in the winter 2008 Insight: Economic News of Idaho and the Nation. He is economic consultant for Zions Bank. He expects...

Boise Place bankruptcy may be converted from Chapter 11 to Chapter 7.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Lora Volkert Charterhouse Boise Downtown Properties, the firm founded by Gary Rogers to build a 34-story tower called Boise Place, has not filed the monthly financial reports it was required to file under the terms of its Chapter...

Wells Fargo analysts foresee inflation, weak dollar in current year.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Robb Hicken Consumers may feel like a recession has begun as the New Year begins, but top economists for Wells Fargo Bank are forecasting a slowing in consumer credit and inflation as the culprits. Many Americans appear to be...

Boise planning manager tells BOMA development code 'really horrible,' needs work.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Boise's effort to update its comprehensive plan and related ordinances will draw some opposition, but the process has its upside, Building Owners and Managers Association Boise 2007 President Geoff Wardle said...

Bid Briefs.
January 7, 2008... Lava Hot Springs plans to install two make-up air units for an existing 25-yard swimming pool and enclosure in Bannock County. Project details are available from Myers / Anderson Architects AIA, Jerry Myers, 101 N. Main St., Pocatello, Idaho. A...

Contracts Awarded.
January 7, 2008... Lemley & 3D is the contractor and Jacobsen/Hunt Joint Venture is the construction manager for the Idaho State Capitol Building renovation and restoration project in Boise. Cost estimate: $70 million. Hartanov/Fuller GC, Mead, Wash., was...

Idaho nonprofit expands loan programs.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Idaho Business Review Staff Report The nonprofit Idaho Housing and Finance Association's IdaMortgage unit recently expanded several existing loan programs by adding a refinancing option. Borrowers who now have adjustable-rate...

Market gyrations lead to tax-loss questions.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson A look at the six-month charts for U.S. stock indices on the last day of 2007 reminded me of the view inside a front-load washing machine. Some stocks and sectors during much of the year notched gains that look...

Building Permits.
January 7, 2008... BUILDING PERMITS CITY OF BOISE PERMIT/TYPE    OWNER    BUILDER    LOCATION    VALUE 03217-alteration    not listed    Lytle Signs Inc  ...

Trainers: Most software underutilized.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Gaye Bunderson Computer training is a sound business investment. For the employee, training can mean more money and the chance to move up. Employers, on the other hand, get knowledgeable staff who are more productive and, often,...

Catch up to the present -- before the future overtakes you.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Gaye Bunderson Some people haven't updated their computer skills in years, said PCKey Technology Solutions owner Erin Olsen. If you think about it, only 15 years ago, desktop computers were just becoming commonplace, said...

Profile: Idaho woman worked weekends & holidays - and, from that, a banking career was born.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Gaye Bunderson In an odd twist, it was Lori Dizes' extensive experience in retail that helped propel her into her current career in banking. An end-of-'07 survey in U.S. Banker magazine featuring a state-by-state list of the...

Father, son, business partners in Boise.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Gaye Bunderson From the Big Apple to the City of Trees. Fred Beguin and his wife Renata moved to Idaho from New York City six years ago, having traveled to the Gem State many times to enjoy its skiing and other offerings....

Indian Creek to be diverted this month in downtown Caldwell.
January 8, 2008... Byline: Lora Volkert Indian Creek will be diverted into a new channel through downtown Caldwell by the end of January, according to Caldwell Mayor Garret Nancolas. The plans to uncover or daylight Indian Creek are the centerpiece of plans...

Idaho Power contracts with Wireless Matrix Corp. for satellite data communicators.
January 8, 2008... Byline: Robb Hicken Idaho Power contracted with Wireless Matrix Corp. for satellite data communicators last year. "[This] will allow us to quickly deploy seamless communication with our mobile workforce without a significant cost...

Jeske hired as manager of Idaho Cobalt Project.
January 8, 2008... Byline: Robb Hicken Formation Capital Corp. has appointed Guy Jeske as general manager for the underground mine and mill of the company's Idaho Cobalt Project. Formation Capital is developing a primary cobalt mine in Lemhi County, Idaho,...

Idaho legislators weigh in on governor's budget proposals.
January 8, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Idaho lawmakers have some positive things to say about Gov. C.L. Butch Otter's Jan. 7 State of the State Address and Budget Message - and a few questions. The Idaho Democratic Caucus issued a response to the speech in...

Developer claims green building may have added health benefits.
January 8, 2008... Byline: Lora Volkert A few consumers care about the energy savings from green buildings - but not too many, according to Jeff Kingsbury, principal of Indiana development firm Greenstreet Ltd. Not too many people do it because they care...

Boise-based J.R. Simplot unit buys Wash. ag supplier-retailer.
January 8, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson J.R. Simplot Co.'s AgriBusiness Group on Jan. 7 acquired H&R Ag Inc., a Pasco, Wash.-based agricultural supplier and retailer with satellite locations in Washington and Oregon. The Simplot AgriBusiness Group will make...

Meridian-based Bodybuilding.com enters agreement with Liberty Media.
January 9, 2008... Byline: Robb Hicken CEO Ryan DeLuca said a deal with Liberty Media, of Colorado, does not include moving the Meridian-based company. "All our employees and managment team will remain intact," the founder said Tuesday afternoon. "This...

Boise-based Keynetics spins off new online anti-fraud company.
January 9, 2008... Byline: Robb Hicken Boise-based Keynetics Inc has spun off a subsidiary, Kount Inc. a fraud control technology geared toward online merchants, according to a release. Brad Wiskirchen has been named as CEO of both Kount, Inc. and its...

Boise-based Keynetics set to launch fraud control technology for online merchants.
January 9, 2008... Byline: Eddie Kovsky Keynetics Inc. announced the formation of a new subsidiary, Kount, which will offer an online fraud detection and prevention tool. The company's new executive team includes veterans of parent company Keynetics: ...

Georgia Insurance agency buys Meridian-based Magnum OPUS.
January 9, 2008... Byline: Robb Hicken Idaho-based Magnum OPUS has been acquired by Carrollton, Ga.-based Britt/Paulk Insurance Agency. The plan is to build this office up considerably, said vice president Chad Winston. It allows us access to many more...

EPA settles with Pocatello developers.
January 9, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Three Pocatello developers have paid U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fines for storm water management violations. The EPA said in a release Jan. 8 that it levied penalties of $4,050 to Tuscany Hills Development...

Hearings set for Idaho Power rate case.
January 9, 2008... Byline: Eddie Kovsky The Idaho Public Utilities Commission will conduct three hearings across southern Idaho later this month regarding Idaho Power Company's proposed electric rate increase. Hearings are scheduled for Jan. 23 in Boise,...

Meridian approves zoning for lifestyle center.
January 9, 2008... Byline: Lora Volkert The Meridian City Council approved a zoning change for a planned lifestyle center, Meridian Town Center, last night. CenterCal Properties plans to build 500,000 square feet of retail, restaurant, entertainment and...

Id. Office of Energy Resources administrator says base-load options few.
January 9, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Idaho Office of Energy Resources Administrator Paul Kjellander today told Idaho legislators that the state has more energy generation and transmission projects proposed than ever - of many types - because they are...

Water users convention to meet in Boise.
January 10, 2008... Byline: Robb Hicken U.S. Bureau of Reclamation commissioner Bob Johnson tops the list of high level officials expected to take part in Idaho's largest water user group's convention Jan. 22-24. Johnson is scheduled to address the Idaho...

Hispanic forum in Nampa focuses on information distrubution.
January 10, 2008... Byline: Robb Hicken Hispanic entrepreneurial businesses need more information as they open in Nampa, mayor Tom Dale told business owners and development officials. Maybe we need to require a business license program in the city, said...

Idaho Dept. of Environmental Quality to finance sewer project for Lake Cascade developments.
January 10, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson The North Lake Recreational Sewer and Water District in Valley County recently received a $6 million, low-interest loan for wastewater construction, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality announced. The...

Idaho House committee recommends approval of rules for mortgage licensing.
January 10, 2008... Byline: Lora Volkert The Idaho House Business Committee on Wednesday recommended extending temporary rules that dictate how Idaho mortgage lenders apply to be licensed nationally. Last year the Legislature voted to participate in a newly...

Meridian City Council approves Cavanaugh planned community.
January 10, 2008... Byline: Lora Volkert Meridian City Council approved a 548-home planned community at Victory and Meridian roads on Tuesday. Cavanaugh, which is planned by Kastera Development, would contain 548 homes in a mix of apartments, condos, lofts...

Nampa business leaders look to national exposure.
January 10, 2008... Byline: Robb Hicken Canyon County has seen an adjustment in all areas of commercial real estate availability and development this past year. More than 100 business leaders participated in the Nampa chamber's Business and Breakfast...

Meridian-based RxElite buys FineTech Laboratories assets.
January 11, 2008... Byline: IBR Staff Report Meridian-based RxElite, a developer, manufacturer, and marketer of specialty generic prescription drug products, has bought FineTech Laboratories, located in Haifa, Israel, for $6.2 million in cash and 18,632,383...

Idaho Public Utilities Commission to sort out wind developer deposit issue.
January 11, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Exergy Development Group of Idaho, a wind developer with five wind projects in the Magic Valley, claims Idaho Power Co. is requiring deposits it is not allowed to assess small-wind generators. The state Public...

Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs hopes to enlighten lawmakers.
January 11, 2008... Byline: Robb Hicken The Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs wants state lawmakers to give a look at the communities by inviting them to a reception. There has been much speculation about the educational, economic and social status of...

WGI president resigns from URS Corporation.
January 11, 2008... Byline: Eddie Kovsky URS Corporation announced this morning that Thomas Zarges, Senior Executive Vice President for Operations, will replace Steve Hanks as president of the Washington Division. Hanks is retiring from the company and...

Governor's budget estimates reflect slower construction and real estate activity.
January 11, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Some lingering, uncertain conditions from slowing construction and real estate activity could be behind Idaho Gov. C.L. Butch Otter's more cautious 2008 growth estimates even though current revenue is strong, the...

Foreclosures in Ada, Canyon Counties were up in 2007.
January 11, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Foreclosure filings totaled 190 in Ada County and 120 in Canyon County in December, one-month highs for the year in both counties. An report provided by American Data Providers said Ada County saw mostly steady...

Boise State University, U of Idaho host "Introduction to Green Building".
January 11, 2008... Byline: Lora Volkert Boise State University and the University of Idaho are offering a non-credit course, Introduction to Green Building, for adults who work in the construction industry. The course is designed for planners, architects,...

Treasure Valley Marketplace in Nampa sold.
January 11, 2008... Byline: Lora Volkert CenterCal, a development firm with offices in Oregon and California, purchased Treasure Valley Marketplace last month. Treasure Valley Marketplace is one of Nampa's biggest new shopping centers in years and is...

Boise-based OXON to submit breathing systems for mining, military approval.
January 14, 2008... Byline: Robb Hicken Boise-based OXON Medical LifeSystems officials said the company is ready to submit their breathing systems for the mining industry and military for certification this year. The self-contained, self-rescue units are...

Idaho water managers say snow year still needs strong finish.
January 14, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Idaho needs to finish the Oct. 1 - April 1 snowpack year at 110 percent of normal to fill reservoirs and help avoid curtailments, state Department of Water Resources officials said. Recent above-average snowfall in...

Idaho State University president stresses need for medical education investment.
January 14, 2008... Byline: Lora Volkert Idaho is facing critical shortages in medical education programs that won't get better under the status quo, Idaho State University President Arthur Vailas told members of the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee...

Idaho Beef Council launches new state-wide campaign.
January 14, 2008... Byline: Robb Hicken The Idaho Beef Council is expected to spend $105,000 on its newest campaign to encourage consumers to eat more beef. Executive Director Laura Wilder said the state's campaign begins this week, while the national...

Alternate Energy Holdings suspends stock buyback.
January 14, 2008... Byline: Eddie Kovsky Alternate Energy Holdings announced Friday that it has suspended a stock repurchase plan announced in October. Due to the equity requirements of a nuclear reactor the company wants to build in Idaho, the buyback plan...

Idaho-based Coldwater Creek cuts guidance.
January 14, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Coldwater Creek Inc., the Sandpoint-based retailer of women's clothing and accessories, on Jan. 14 reduced its guidance for the final quarter of fiscal 2007. The company said in a release that it now expects a 16- to...

Idaho town avoids real estate crunch, thanks in part to the military base.
January 14, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Mountain Home's residential real estate market came down less drastically following the 2005-06 boom than that of some Idaho markets, thanks in part to the Air Force base. Builders, real estate agents and city...

Energy proposals abound in Idaho region.
January 14, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Idaho Office of Energy Resources Administrator Paul Kjellander today told Idaho legislators that the state has more energy generation and transmission projects proposed than ever - of many types - because they are...

Employment report shows December rise in Idaho.
January 14, 2008... Byline: Idaho Business Review Staff Report Idaho seasonally adjusted unemployment rose to 3 percent in December, from 2.7 percent in November, the state Department of Labor reported. Unemployment averaged 3.2 percent in December 2006. ...

Frank Lloyd Wright-style home centerpiece of Idaho community.
January 14, 2008... Byline: Lora Volkert It has floating ceilings, with a visible gap between the ceiling and the beams. A rock fireplace suspended from the ceiling, made from fitted stones as heavy as two tons. Wooden beams that extend, Frank Lloyd...

Meridian approves zoning for lifestyle center.
January 14, 2008... Byline: Lora Volkert The Meridian City Council approved a zoning change for a planned lifestyle center, Meridian Town Center. CenterCal Properties, located in Oregon and California, plans to build 500,000 square feet of retail,...

Border wars flare up with Canada over potato cyst nematodes.
January 14, 2008... Byline: Robb Hicken Border battles with Canada continue to flare over potato cyst nematodes. Discovery of infected fields in eastern Idaho two years ago stymied the potato export/import between the two nations. Both sides'...

Idaho governor wants repeal of personal property tax on businesses.
January 14, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Idaho Gov. C.L. Butch Otter last week rolled out a legislative priority list containing a few big-ticket expenditures but no huge spending initiatives or sweeping economic-development proposals. Continued...

Caldwell Mayor Garret Nancolas: Indian Creek to be diverted this month.
January 14, 2008... Byline: Lora Volkert Indian Creek will be diverted into a new channel through downtown Caldwell by the end of January, Caldwell Mayor Garret Nancolas announced in his State of the City address. The plans to uncover or daylight Indian...

Nampa Chamber members reflect on commercial real estate plight.
January 14, 2008... Byline: Robb Hicken Canyon County has a lack of Class A office and industrial space, but plenty of available retail space, according to broker Jerry Gunstream. More than 180 business leaders participated in the Nampa Chamber's...

Idaho Central Credit Union coming to Southside complex.
January 14, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Pocatello-based Idaho Central Credit Union recently purchased property at the southeast corner of Greenhurst Road and Southside Boulevard, where it is building a 3,500-square-foot branch office with drive-through lanes...

Treasure Valley has unique hurdles to building green.
January 14, 2008... Byline: Lora Volkert Panelists at an Urban Land Institute seminar last week, Can Green Turn to Gold?, highlighted problems faced by Treasure Valley developers when they want to build green and what might be done to solve them. Bill...

Idaho Business Review's annual Idaho Book of Lists comes out this week.
January 14, 2008... Idaho Business Review subscribers will see a familiar publication hit their mailboxes this week - the annual Idaho Book of Lists magazine. This year, you'll find more than 60 TopLists with statistical data on hundreds of Idaho companies and...

Idaho legislators respond to Governor Otter's speech.
January 14, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson The Idaho Democratic Caucus said its members were pleased by many of Otter's themes, and his positions on topics including air and water quality, roads and infrastructure, and education, said Senate Minority Leader...

Idaho Department of Environmental Quality finances sewer project for Lake Cascade developments.
January 14, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson The North Lake Recreational Sewer and Water District in Valley County recently received a $6 million, low-interest loan for wastewater construction, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality announced. The...

Commentary: Time to convert 'talk' into 'action'.
January 14, 2008... Byline: Steve Ahrens There's a lot to like in Gov. Butch Otter's 2008 legislative proposals. Like $134 million to continue the GARVEE road construction program, shifting Idaho State Police funding from highway taxes to the state...

Tell us the best places to work in Idaho.
January 14, 2008... Byline: Steve Martin What are the best places to work in Idaho? We want your input to find those standout employers. For the first year, the Idaho Business Review, in partnership with Boise-based independent marketing research firm...

Building Permits.
January 14, 2008... BUILDING PERMITS CITY OF BOISE PERMIT/TYPE    OWNER    BUILDER    LOCATION    VALUE 00536-addition    Jacksons Food Stores Inc    Western Idaho...

Boise Real Estate Briefs: January 14, 2008.
January 14, 2008... Byline: Idaho Business Review Staff Report Sage Development purchased the 6,000-square-foot former Louie's Pizza building, 620 W. Idaho St., Boise. Ben Zamzow, Chris Penland and Jerry Van Engen of Thornton Oliver Keller Commercial Real...

Contracts Awarded.
January 14, 2008... Goebel General Contractors, Spokane, was awarded a contract for a Kroc Community Center at 2903 N. Ramsey Road, Coeur d’Alene. Cost estimate: $26 million. Scott Hedrick Construction, Boise, is the contractor and construction manager...

Bid Briefs.
January 14, 2008... Idaho State University plans to remodel 66,000 square feet of the former Jabil Circuit building, near the Meridian Road interchange with Interstate 84. ISU plans to use the space for offices and classrooms. Project details are available from...

In the name of company security.
January 14, 2008... Byline: Robb Hicken What started off as a simple order to halt a leak of business secrets to the media became an ugly matter for former Hewlett-Packard chairwoman Patricia Dunn. In 2005, Dunn hired security consultants to search out...

Treasure Valley YMCA CEO credits others for his leadership standards.
January 14, 2008... Byline: Gaye Bunderson As part of a Q&A series on leadership, the IBR this week features Jim Everett, executive director of the Treasure Valley YMCA. Among his many achievements, Everett was awarded the St. Luke's Ralph J. Comstock, Jr.,...

Time-card cheaters, beware!
January 14, 2008... Byline: Gaye Bunderson According to business owner Matt Rissell, most people are guilty of padding their time cards. And employers end up shelling out extra money for time not worked. Now, Rissell feels he has a solution to stop time-card...