Idaho Business Review, Boise articles from January 2009

Idaho Business Review, Boise archives from January 2009

Wachovia Securities consolidating in Boise's U.S. Bank Plaza.
January 2, 2009... Byline: Brad Carlson Wachovia Securities will consolidate Boise brokerage offices in U.S. Bank Plaza, 101 S. Capitol Blvd. downtown. Branch Manager David Nelson said staff from the former A.G. Edwards office will join Wachovia...

Power outage hits parts of Boise.
January 2, 2009... Byline: Brad Carlson A power outage Jan. 2 left more than 6,100 Idaho Power customers in Boise without power, published and broadcast reports said. Idaho Power spokesman Russ Jones at about 4:20 p.m. said about 3,750 customers were...

Ferwood garnet mine to close temporarily.
January 2, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff WGI Heavy Minerals has temporarily closed its Emerald Creek Garnet mine in Fernwood. Company officials stated in a release that a combination of adverse weather conditions in December and recent lower grades of garnet...

Avista plans to cut prices of natural gas in Idaho and Washington.
January 2, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Report Avista Corp. has filed requests with Idaho and Washington utility commissions to reduce natural gas prices effective this month. If the filing is approved by the Idaho Public Utilities Commission, a residential...

Idaho-based Mountain West Bank won't take TARP funds.
January 2, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Report Mountain West Bank will not participate in the U.S. Treasury Capital Repurchase Program, CEO Jon Hippler said in a release. Parent company Glacier Bancorp Inc. was approved but recently informed Treasury...

Hagerman property owner receives EPA compliance order.
January 5, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Hagerman property owner John Shaw received a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Clean Water Act Compliance Order for unauthorized dredging and filling of the Snake River near his home, EPA said in a release last week....

Wells Fargo puts Idaho in different region.
January 5, 2009... Byline: Brad Carlson Wells Fargo's Dec. 31 merger with Wachovia Corp. should be seamless for Idaho banking customers, but it puts Wells Fargo's Idaho operation into a different region, Boise-based Wells spokesperson Amy McDevitt said. ...

North Idaho College in Coeur d'Alene offers streamlining workshops for biz owners in tough times.
January 5, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Coeur d'Alene-based North Idaho College will begin a nearly yearlong series of monthly business leadership workshops Jan. 6, focused on business owners who want to re-align or fine tune their firms. This has been a...

Year-end reports predict commercial R.E. market in Boise-Nampa area to stay tough.
January 5, 2009... Byline: Brad Carlson Recently higher vacancy in commercial property is expected to persist in the Boise area, according to two new reports. Colliers International says in its just-released 2008 market review of the Boise-Nampa area...

Nampa's MPC closes doors: Financing options failed for computer manufacturer.
January 5, 2009... Byline: Simon Shifrin MPC Corp. announced last week it would permanently shut down and immediately lay off 147 employees. The Nampa PC manufacturer's remaining 51 employees will be retained solely to assist the company in liquidation...

CEO of Idaho-based MPC Corp.: Gateway acquisition was correct decision in spite of failure.
January 5, 2009... Byline: Simon Shifrin MPC Corp. CEO John Yeros said he and other executives are not second guessing the company's acquisition of Gateway's professional computing division in October 2007, a move that in large part forced the company to...

After rate reduction, Idaho's economy in wait-and-see mode.
January 5, 2009... Byline: Brad Carlson The Idaho economy stands to benefit from a recent drop in residential mortgage interest rates to record lows, market participants in the Boise area said. The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that the annual...

High-speed in the hinterlands: Rural Idaho looks to rev up Web connection.
January 5, 2009... Byline: Zach Hagadone When online tech journal PCMag.com ranked all 50 states based on their average Internet connection speed in December, Idaho came in 37th at 461 kilobytes per second. Not the worst, but certainly nowhere near the best....

Idaho business owners offer advice on staying the course in '09.
January 5, 2009... Byline: Gaye Bunderson The IBR asked business owners in the community the following question: Do you have any advice you might give a business person who is facing hard times right now and looking toward the new year perhaps with some...

Virtual assistants offer off-site alternative.
January 5, 2009... Byline: Dani Grigg An alternative to hiring an employee has been gaining popularity in the business world. Virtual assistants - independent professionals who do bookkeeping, marketing, Web design or any number of other tasks for companies...

Boise Real Estate Briefs: January 5, 2009.
January 5, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Report Regis Hair Salon leased 1,556 square feet of retail space in Karcher Mall, 1509 Caldwell Blvd., Nampa. Colliers International retail property specialists Brook Blakeslee, Mike Christensen and Lew Goldman brokered...

Rate increase presentations set for Jan. 7-8 in Rexburg, Preston.
January 5, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Report Rexburg and Preston residents will hear a presentation on Jan. 7-8 about PacifiCorp's (dba Rocky Mountain Power in eastern Idaho) application for an average 4 percent rate increase. IPUC commissioners and staff...

Cephalon settlement requires $171,000 payment to Idaho.
January 5, 2009... Pharmaceutical company Cephalon, Inc. paid the state of Idaho $171,755 in a settlement agreement with Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden and the state Department of Health and Welfare’s Medicaid Division over allegations of improper...

Bids.
January 5, 2009... Water main realignment, Overland Road, Meridian. Bids 3 p.m. Jan. 5 to Linder 109 LLC. Construction of a 12-inch diameter C-900 PVC water main including valving, hydrants and other miscellaneous appurtenances. Spring Creek Overland senior...

Commentary: Watching the technology chips fall.
January 5, 2009... Byline: Robb Hicken When a report was issued just before Christmas that Micron Technology Inc. was having another bad quarter, there was a groan of concern exhaled by technology watchers across the state. Only a week before that...

Building Permits.
January 5, 2009... BUILDING PERMITS CITY OF BOISE PERMIT/TYPE    OWNER    BUILDER    LOCATION    VALUE 02590-sign    Jacksons Food Stores Inc    Yesco  ...

Boise Airport goes high-tech.
January 5, 2009... Boise officials have signed an agreement to install a new optical fiber network at the Boise Aiport. The new partnership with American Fiber Systems will aid in network security for the airport’s parking, flight information and baggage...

Idahoans on the Move: January 5, 2009.
January 5, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Report Promotions/ Appointments NW distributor names new CEO, president West Coast Paper Co., a Washington-based wholesale distributor of paper, packaging and supplies with an office in Boise, has announced the...

Boise to sweep away illegal signs.
January 6, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Report Next week Boise officials will begin cracking down on illegal signs. Illegal signs generally include unpermitted portable signs (like A-frame or sandwich boards) and banners attached to buildings or poles....

Boise-based M2E Power hires CEO.
January 6, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Report Boise-based renewable energy and design company M2E Power announced Jan. 5 that Eric Apfelbach has joined the company as president and CEO. Apfelbach, former president and CEO of Virent Energy Systems, Inc., will...

Idaho state Sen. Little named as lieutenant governor.
January 6, 2009... Byline: Simon Shifrin Gov. C.L. Butch Otter named state Sen. Brad Little of Emmett as his pick for lieutenant governor this morning. Upon confirmation by the state Senate, Little will replace Jim Risch, who was sworn in to the U.S....

Bad weather cancels PUC workshops on PacifiCorp rate hike in E. Idaho.
January 6, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Report The Idaho Public Utilities Commission has cancelled a round of workshops on PacifiCorp's application for an average 4 percent rate increase in eastern Idaho, citing bad and potentially worsening weather conditions....

Idaho Pepsi bottlers sold.(Company overview)
January 7, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Report Pepsi Bottling Ventures LLC on Jan. 6 announced that it signed a letter of intent to purchase Nagel Beverage Co. of Boise and Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co. of Twin Falls, both Pepsi-Cola independent franchise bottlers...

Economists predict more pain before housing turnaround.
January 7, 2009... Byline: Dani Grigg Speakers at an economic forum hosted by Franklin Building Supply in Boise today acknowledged the deep pain in today's housing industry and predicted things will get a little worse before they can get better. The U.S....

Electronics manufacturer Plexus Corp. cuts jobs at Nampa plant.
January 7, 2009... Byline: Zach Hagadone Electronics manufacturer Plexus Corp. laid off 35 full-time employees and another 100 contracted part-time workers at its Nampa facility Jan. 6, citing weakened demand from customers hit by the global economic...

Dairy leads Idaho '08 farm receipts.
January 7, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Report The dairy industry held on to its status as Idaho agriculture's leading cash cow last year. Cash receipts from Idaho's farms rose 11 percent to a record $6.3 billion in 2008, buoyed in part by a 5 percent...

Idaho economist projects four quarters of decline in 2009.
January 7, 2009... Byline: Simon Shifrin State economist Mike Ferguson presented Idaho lawmakers today with their first detailed economic outlook of 2009, predicting four quarters of economic decline, further growth in unemployment and an overall drop in...

Idaho Transportation Department votes on priority projects should stimulus plan pass.
January 8, 2009... Byline: Zach Hagadone After a sometimes-contentious hour-long meeting Jan. 7, Idaho Transportation Department board members voted on a list of priority projects that could receive Idaho's share of a stimulus package for highway funding,...

Dry Creek Ranch planned community near Eagle tabled.
January 8, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Report Expressing concerns about the density of the project, the Board of Ada County Commissioners on Jan. 8 unanimously agreed to table a decision on a 1,414-acre planned community in the foothills north of Eagle. ...

ON Semiconductor to close 1 Pocatello fab center.
January 8, 2009... Byline: Mark Mendiola ON Semiconductor will shut down one of its two Pocatello microchip fabrication centers earlier than originally planned this year as part of drastic cost-cutting measures it announced on Jan. 7. At least 150 workers...

Idaho companies await pick-up in demand.
January 8, 2009... Byline: Brad Carlson Low demand for products and services will dog the Idaho economy for much of this year, though the U.S. financial system and some sizable Idaho businesses are in somewhat better shape now compared to when the world's...

Meridian-based The Real Estate Group merges with CB Tomlinson Group.
January 8, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Report Meridian-based The Real Estate Group merged with Coldwell Banker Tomlinson Group Jan. 1. Rick McGraw, Amanda Alvaro and Brad Minasian formed The Real Estate Group in 1986. The firm fields 30 agents. The...

Future City regional competition at Boise State University builds future engineers.
January 9, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Report This Saturday, seventh- and eighth- grade students from Salt Lake City and 10 Idaho cities will showcase their visions for the cities of the future. Each team worked with an engineering mentor to design a city,...

Judge rules Rambus can't enforce patents in suit against Micron.
January 9, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Report Micron Technology doesn't have to pay out royalties demanded by memory chip-maker Rambus, Inc., a federal judge in Delware ruled today. As reported by Bloomberg, U.S. District Judge Sue L. Robinson decided...

Interest in green building course at Boise State University evaporates.
January 9, 2009... Byline: Dani Grigg A green building course scheduled to begin this month will probably be called off due to lack of enrollment. I'm just baffled about the situation this year, said Lyn Moore of Boise State University's Center for...

NFIB survey finds little support for vehicle miles traveled tax in Idaho.
January 9, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Report A survey of Idaho small business owners found strong opposition to a tax on motorists based on how many miles they travel, an idea floated by Idaho Gov. C.L. Butch Otter several months ago. The questionnaire,...

Idaho unemployment jumps to 6.6 percent.
January 9, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Report Idaho's unemployment jumped in December to 6.6 percent as job losses mounted in high-paying categories including construction and manufacturing. The Idaho Department of Labor said in a release Jan. 9 that more...

Boise Cascade to close Oregon mill.
January 9, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Report Boise Cascade on Jan. 8 announced plans to close its plywood manufacturing facility in White City, Ore., March 13. The Boise-based company said in a statement that the closure will affect 110 hourly production...

NW Energy Summit focuses on clean tech, alt. energy innovation.
January 9, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Report The Northwest Energy Innovation Summit is set to begin Jan. 12 at the Boise Centre on the Grove. The event, hosted by the WaterCooler in Boise, will run from 11 a.m. on Jan. 12 through 5 p.m. on Jan. 13, with...

Ada, Canyon counties defaults doubled in '08.
January 9, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Report Default filings more than doubled last year in Ada and Canyon counties. Ada County received 3,081 default notices, or foreclosure starts, compared to 1,433 in 2007, IdahoDataProviders said in a release. Canyon...

Idaho Dept. of Labor & state economist project continued decline in '09.
January 12, 2009... Byline: Simon Shifrin State economist Mike Ferguson presented Idaho lawmakers last week with a detailed economic outlook of the year ahead, predicting four quarters of economic decline, further growth in unemployment and an overall drop in...

Idaho Legislature faces difficult 2009 session.
January 12, 2009... Byline: Mark Mendiola Editor's note: Idaho Business Review reporters talked this week with a number of legislators statewide to get some insight into what to expect from this year's session and what issues rank high on the priority list....

Commercial real estate financing stays tight despite falling rates.
January 12, 2009... Byline: Brad Carlson It's too early to tell if a recent drop in residential mortgage interest rates to 37-year lows will impact the commercial market, Hawkins Capital principal Jason Galloway said. The company provides short-term financing...

Pocatello's Diane Bilyeu: 'It's quite a challenge'.
January 12, 2009... Byline: Mark Mendiola Sitting on two pivotal state committees, Diane Bilyeu gets a front-row perspective on Idaho's struggling economy and the opportunity to help determine how to serve dwindling slices of revenue pie throughout the state....

Idaho legislators brace for debate-heavy budget talks.
January 12, 2009... Byline: Simon Shifrin Treasure Valley lawmakers say balancing the budget to match falling revenue will likely loom over all other issues this session, though job creation and economic development will be top priorities. Gov. C.L. Butch...

Budget to headline this year's Idaho Legislature.
January 12, 2009... Byline: Dani Grigg Legislators in southern Idaho agree that the headliner for this year's session is going to be the budget - spending is going to have to be cut, though where those cuts will come is unknown. Rep. John A. Stevenson, a...

Legislators from northern Idaho prepare to tackle budget.
January 12, 2009... Byline: Zach Hagadone Like their counterparts elsewhere in the state, the budget is top priority for legislators in northern Idaho. Sen. Gary Schroeder, a Republican from Moscow who chairs the Resources and Environment Committee, said...

Idaho could pave way for hybrid energy systems.
January 12, 2009... Byline: Mark Wilcox In an economy increasingly concerned with alternative energy production, it is Idaho that has in many ways stepped up to show the world how it's done. We must rethink our approaches to energy because energy markets...

Idaho lenders maintain higher 'spreads' on long-term deals.
January 12, 2009... Byline: Brad Carlson Don't expect commercial real estate loans to go on sale or to become more widely available just because several benchmark interest rates dropped recently. Lenders haven't backed off strict qualification standards or...

City of Boise begins sweep for illegal temporary signs.
January 12, 2009... Byline: Dani Grigg This week, the City of Boise is tackling a preponderance of illegal temporary signs throughout its limits. While the city allows businesses to put up sandwich-board signs and banners advertising sales and promotions,...

Economists predict more pain before turnaround in U.S. housing market.
January 12, 2009... Byline: Dani Grigg While Dr. Lynn Michaelis objects to the media's likening of the current economic downturn to the Great Depression, he doesn't sugarcoat what's going on in the economy. The U.S. economy is at the beginning of a...

Reports: Commercial real estate market in Boise area to stay tough.
January 12, 2009... Byline: Brad Carlson Recently higher vacancy in commercial property is expected to persist in the Boise area, according to two new reports. Colliers International says in its just-released 2008 market review of the Boise-Nampa area...

Commentary: Media objectivity died during '08 campaign.
January 12, 2009... Byline: Steve Ahrens Sometime during the 2008 presidential campaign, the concept of objectivity in the national media - on life support for years - finally died. I thought that line made a catchy lead for this column. Imagine my...

Lose your job? 'Re-career': Degree with word 'computer' in it works out for Boise man.
January 12, 2009... Byline: Gaye Bunderson Jon Steel received some sage advice after a layoff: get a degree with the word computer in it. He acted on the advice and got both an associate's and a bachelor's degree of applied science in computer network...

Idahoans in the News: January 12, 2009.
January 12, 2009... Byline: Idaho Business Review Staff Report Promotions & Appointments O'Donnell named Holland & Hart managing partner Holland and Hart partner Thomas O'Donnell is the firm's new managing partner. O'Donnell will work with the firm's...

Boise Real Estate Briefs: January 12, 2009.
January 12, 2009... Byline: Idaho Business Review Staff Report System Tech Inc. plans a grand opening from noon to 6 p.m. Jan. 15 at its new Boise headquarters and training center, 2854 S. Featherly Way. The company designs and installs low-voltage...

Building Permits.
January 12, 2009... BUILDING PERMITS CITY OF BOISE PERMIT/TYPE    OWNER    BUILDER    LOCATION    VALUE 02591-sign     not listed    Lytle Signs Inc  ...

Governor Otter appoints Dene Thomas to Idaho Housing and Finance Association.
January 12, 2009... Byline: Idaho Business Review Staff Report Idaho Gov. C.L. Butch Otter has appointed Dene Thomas of Lewiston to the Idaho Housing and Finance Association's board of commissioners. Thomas is president of Lewis-Clark State College in...

Pets can stay at home when owners leave thanks to new business in Boise.
January 12, 2009... Byline: Gaye Bunderson Justin and Sheri Archambo of Boise like animals so much they decided to start a business caring for other people's pets. The couple spent $9,500 buying into a franchise called Fetch Pet Care. The business is...

MPC Corp. closure hits industrial buildings market in Nampa.
January 12, 2009... Byline: Brad Carlson MPC Corp.'s closure leaves a substantial amount of manufacturing and warehouse space vacant in north Nampa. The personal computer manufacturer, which once employed more than 1,000 people, recently announced that it is...

Economy prompts layoffs at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise.
January 12, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Report Citing increases in charity care and bad debt, Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise announced today it will lay off 66 employees. A statement from the hospital said the cuts represent less than 2...

Idaho Governor "Butch" Otter unveils budget with broad cuts.
January 12, 2009... Byline: Simon Shifrin In response to increasingly gloomy state revenue estimates, Idaho Gov. C.L. Butch Otter on Jan. 12 unveiled a budget that would cut state spending by $216 million and bring steeper cuts to a broad range of state...

Cooper Norman moves to larger office in Boise, adds staff.
January 13, 2009... Byline: Brad Carlson Cooper Norman Certified Public Accountants has moved its Boise office to accommodate a growing staff. The firm moved from a 4,300-square-foot space at 960 Broadway Ave., Suite 525, to a 7,000-square-foot space in...

Forbes names Boise one of 25 weakest housing markets.
January 13, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Report Boise has made another national list, and it is not an honor roll. Forbes has placed the Boise metro area on its list of the country's 25 weakest housing markets, those the magazine says are furthest from recovery....

Atova, new real estate firm, opens in Eagle, plans Boise office.
January 13, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Report Steve Barbey in early January opened Atova, an Eagle-based real estate brokerage with four full-time employees and 44 agents. The firm's headquarters is at 661 Rivershore Lane, Suite 120. Real estate brokerage...

Deloitte, Idaho Governor Butch Otter recognize Boise-based Clearwater Analytics.
January 14, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Report Idaho Gov. C.L. Butch Otter in a Jan. 14 news conference recognized Boise-based Clearwater Analytics for receiving a Fast 500 award from the accounting firm Deloitte LLP. Otter spokesman Jon Hanian said the...

Boise-based Micron, partners reportedly looking for Taiwanese bailout deals.
January 14, 2009... Byline: Zach Hagadone According to reports from Taipei, Taiwan, Micron CEO Steve Appleton has been exploring partnerships with fellow memory chip-makers Nanya Technology and Inotera Memories. Such partnerships would allow Micron to take...

Green plumbing course offered in Boise Feb. 19.
January 14, 2009... Byline: Idaho Business Review Staff Report The plumbers of the Valley have a chance to learn about water conservation and green house gas emissions reduction in an upcoming course. GreenPlumbers, a national training program, will offer an...

Pieces go into place on East ParkCenter Bridge in Ada County, Idaho.
January 15, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Report Ada County Highway District's biggest project will get a big addition this week. Trucks are to deliver the first of 24 girders, or steel beams that support a bridge roadway, to the East ParkCenter Bridge...

State of Idaho lawsuit accuses Meridian-based DBSI of defrauding investors.
January 15, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff In a lawsuit, the Idaho Department of Finance is alleging that DBSI Inc., the bankrupt real estate investment company based in Meridian, schemed to defraud thousands of investors, many of them elderly, out of millions of...

Blue Cross of Idaho expands network in Twin Falls.
January 15, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Report Blue Cross of Idaho has added 57 physicians from St. Luke's Clinic Magic Valley to its preferred provider organization network in Twin Falls. The PPO network allows members access to health coverage from 181...

Economist tells NAI Boise contingent to stay wary of government help.
January 15, 2009... Byline: Brad Carlson Will the government please stop saving us? NAI Global Chief Economist Peter Linneman said Jan. 15 in an economic-outlook Webinar. NAI is a major commercial real estate services company based in Princeton, N.J....

Ernst & Young finance exec to keynote Boise State University conference on change.(Conference news)
January 16, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Report Carolyn Buck Luce will be the keynote speaker at the Frank Church Conference on Change: America's Challenges for the New Administration Feb. 2. Buck Luce is a well-known figure in the financial world as senior...

Projection would set spending $101 million less than Idaho governor's proposal.
January 16, 2009... Byline: Simon Shifrin The Idaho Legislature's budget-writing body, the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, this morning accepted a revenue projection for next fiscal year that is $101 million less than the $2.66 billion budget proposed...

Nampa airport mulls plan to boost commercial presence.
January 16, 2009... Byline: Brad Carlson New capital improvements slated for the Nampa Municipal Airport should be aimed at landing more business. What city officials are looking at is attracting more businesses to the field and to bring in more corporate...

Idaho's jobless benefit payout drops after 16 weekly increases.
January 16, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Report Regular state unemployment benefits dropped more than a million dollars during the Jan. 12-16 week, breaking a 16-week string of increases in the payout from Idaho's Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund. The...

Meridian-based DBSI calls state lawsuit inflammatory, potentially illegal.
January 16, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Report DBSI is hitting back at the state Department of Finance, calling claims in a civil securities lawsuit filed on Jan. 16 erroneous and inflammatory in a series of public statements. The Meridian real estate...

Idaho's congressmen support nuke clean up bill.
January 19, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Report Idaho's congressional delegates are supporting a bill that pushes for stimulus money to rejuvenate local economies with cleanup work, in a hope that it will provide freshly scrubbed land for industrial development....

Layoffs in Idaho squelch spending, squeeze merchants.
January 19, 2009... Byline: Brad Carlson and Mark Mendiola In late 2008, when Todd Williams lost his management job to a recession-sparked restructuring, he and his family trimmed an already lean household budget. Controlling spending is nothing new to...