Idaho Business Review, Boise articles from June 2007

Idaho Business Review, Boise archives from June 2007

Idaho State Treasurer gets top rating from S&P.
June 1, 2007... Byline: Idaho Business Review Staff The Idaho State Treasurer's Diversified Bond Fund and Local Government Investment Pool recently received Standard & Poor's highest fund credit rating: AAAf. The AAAf rating signifies that the...

Panel to discuss taking Pocatello hospital private.
June 1, 2007... Byline: Idaho Business Review Staff A panel of experts are scheduled to discuss the pros and cons of selling Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello to a for-profit health-care company or making it into a nonprofit 501(c)3 entity in a...

Scientific groups plan Boise State University meetings June 17-21.
June 4, 2007... Byline: IBR Staff More than 800 scientists, faculty and students from eight Western states and several foreign countries will gather in Boise June 17-21 for regional meetings of two major national scientific organizations. The five-day...

Idaho-based company to launch Web site to serve academic community.
June 4, 2007... Byline: Eddie Kovsky Before there was Web 2.0 and the World Wide Web it evolved from, there was just the Internet: a series of obscure protocols used to exchange small packets of data. When it was still in its infancy, the Internet was...

Turning back the clock on Idaho's mortgage industsry.
June 4, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson Turn back the clock on Idaho's mortgage industry. We went through such a housing boom in the last two to three years, where we are now is back to a sort of normal market, like 2002-03, said Idaho Association of...

Countrywide offers workforce housing in Idaho.
June 4, 2007... Byline: IBR Staff Countrywide Home Loans has created a new workforce housing program that employers can offer to their workers as a benefit. The Employee Home Loan Advantage Program combines discounted interest rates, fee waivers and...

Blackfoot hospital considers becoming nonprofit.
June 4, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert Administrators of a second Idaho hospital, Bingham Memorial Hospital in Blackfoot, are considering taking the hospital nonprofit because a 2006 lawsuit makes it harder for county-run hospitals to raise capital without...

Idaho Republicans approve closed primary.
June 4, 2007... Byline: IBR Staff Report Idaho Republicans have voted to close their primary elections to people not registered with the party. At a semiannual meeting of the Idaho Republican Party Central Committee on Saturday in Burley, delegates voted...

What happens now? Boise-based Washington Group International merges with URS.
June 4, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson As mergers and corporate headquarter shakeups go, this one could have been worse. Washington Group International last week announced that it would be purchased by San Francisco-based URS Corp. Economists,...

Federal Court rules in favor of Microsoft in Timeline Suit.(Chronology)
June 4, 2007... Byline: Eddie Kovsky The United States District Court for the Western District of Washington has granted a partial summary judgment in favor of Microsoft over a patent dispute between Microsoft and its subsidiary, ProClarity, and Timeline,...

Boise-based Albertsons LLC recalls ground beef.
June 4, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson Boise-based Albertsons LLC is voluntarily recalling certain ground beef items due to a possible contamination of the E. coli 0157:H7 bacteria. Albertsons LLC does not operate any Idaho grocery stores. But the...

Idaho mortgage broker, lender licenses up slightly.
June 4, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson Idaho had 1,925 mortgage broker and lender licensees as of May 25, said Anthony Polidori, supervising examiner with the Idaho Department of Finance. The number refers to offices authorized to do business in Idaho,...

Contracts Awarded.
June 4, 2007... AEI Construction, Boise, is the construction manager for the Aspen high-rise mixed-use condominium, retail, restaurant, and parking garage building on Ninth and Front Street in Boise. Cost not listed. ESI (Engineered Structures Inc.),...

Building Permits.
June 4, 2007... BUILDING PERMITS CITY OF BOISE PERMIT/TYPE    OWNER    BUILDER    LOCATION    VALUE 01352-sign    not listed    Golden West Advertising  ...

Boise Real Estate Briefs: June 4, 2007.
June 4, 2007... Byline: IBR Staff Fit For Adventure leased 4,200 square feet of retail space at 4585 S. Cloverdale Road, Boise. Ryan Martin of DK Commercial brokered the transaction. Wells Fargo Bank leased 3,688 square feet at 660 Watertower Lane,...

Bid Briefs.
June 4, 2007... A Holiday Inn Express is planned on Vista Street in Pocatello. Project details are available from K2 Construction Inc., 8555 W. Hackamore Drive, Suite 200, Boise, Idaho 83709. A bid opening for subcontractors and suppliers is to be set soon....

Consumer hurls false advertising suit at Meridian-based Corey Barton Homes.
June 4, 2007... A consumer who failed to qualify for financing for a Corey Barton home has sued the company for false advertising and demands the company apologize using a big sign. Aaron MacSween Hill demanded that the home builder give him $350,000 and...

A little less green in Idaho.
June 4, 2007... Big timber - 1. Green building - 0. That was the score last legislative session when a legislative committee tabled a bill that would have required all new state government buildings and major renovations to be built at LEED Silver level. ...

Sandpoint-based Coldwater Creek boosts earnings in first quarter.(Financial report)
June 4, 2007... Byline: IBR Staff Coldwater Creek reported first-quarter net income of $12 million, or 13 cents per share, up 4 percent from a year earlier. The Sandpoint-based retailer of women's apparel and accessories said net sales in the May 5...

Boise office of the SBA seeks Minority Small Business of the Year nominees.
June 4, 2007... Byline: IBR Staff The Boise District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration seeks nominations for the 2007 Minority Small Business of the Year Awards. The awards are given annually to outstanding minority small business...

Hotel-like approach to service works for Idaho Trust National Bank.
June 4, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson That's no misprint on Leah Pietrucci's Idaho Trust National Bank business card. She really is a concierge, like you'd find at an upscale hotel or fancy retail store. Pietrucci assists bank clients with...

EPA awards city of Caldwell $200K for Indian Creek work.
June 4, 2007... Byline: IBR Staff The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently awarded a $200,000 brownfields grant to the city of Caldwell. Caldwell officials will use the grant to conduct a community-wide inventory and assessment of...

Commentary: No way to dodge raising highway revenues.
June 4, 2007... Byline: Steve Ahrens Editor's note: Last week Steve Ahrens addressed the topic, Rough road ahead for transportation. This column continues that theme. Every now and then in the world of politics, philosophy runs head-on into reality....

Nampa Planning and Zoning commissioner tabbed for City Council.
June 5, 2007... Byline: Idaho Business Review Staff Report Nampa Mayor Tom Dale plans to recommend Pam White to fill the City Council vacancy created by Lynda Clark's resignation. Dale chose White from among several candidates, he said in a statement. ...

Boise Planning and Zoning votes to scale back Hillside Nursery development.
June 5, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert Planning and Zoning Commissioners approved a rezone and permits for David Hale's plan to build condos and townhouses on the Hillside Nursery site. But they still sent him back to the drawing board. Hale proposed...

More trouble for memory manufacturers.
June 5, 2007... Byline: Eddie Kovsky Here's the latest from the DRAM industry deathwatch. The memory industry was counting on Vista - Microsoft's new resource-hungry operating system - to drive hardware sales. But enthusiasm for the new operating...

Gov. Otter fills judicial vacancies in Canyon and Bannock counties.
June 6, 2007... Byline: Eddie Kovsky Gov. C.L. Butch Otter has appointed new district judges in the 3rd and 6th judicial districts, filling vacancies in Canyon and Bannock counties, according to a press release. In the 3rd District, Otter named...

Dowtown Boise Assn. says Alive After Five moves indoors.
June 6, 2007... Byline: Rick Carpenter The Downtown Boise Association has announced that because of weather conditions, Alive After Five will be held indoors at The Reef. Booth space will not be available but the emcee will still recognize sponsors,...

Developer Mark Rivers sells BoDo in downtown Boise.
June 6, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert Developer Mark Rivers recently sold three of the buildings in BoDo, the former 8th Street Marketplace, for $30 million, according to a listing on Loopnet.com. The sale included the buildings that house Office Depot,...

Idaho led U.S. in 2006 Gross State Product growth.
June 7, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson Idaho in 2006 led the nation in Gross State Product growth on a percentage basis, the state Commerce & Labor Department said in a statement. A big increase in manufacturing productivity led growth in nearly every...

Idaho Gov. Otter names new Admin. director.
June 7, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson Michael Gwartney, a former Boise Cascade executive who led Gov. C.L. Butch Otter's transition team following the November 2006 election, is the new director of the Idaho Department of Administration. Otter on June...

Beef recall expanded.
June 7, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson United Food Group has expanded a recall of ground beef it supplied to grocery stores including Albertsons. Vernon, Calif.-based United announced earlier this week that it was recalling 75,000 pounds of ground beef...

Blackstone Group changes accounting approach in IPO.
June 8, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson U.S. private equity firm Blackstone Group said in a regulatory filing this week that it would change an accounting practice that it expected to use in an initial public offering that could generate well over $4...

Idaho to sign wheat deal with Taiwan group.
June 8, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson Taiwan Flour Mills Association representatives and Idaho wheat industry officials on Monday are scheduled to sign an agreement that could boost wheat exports from the United States over the next two years, according to...

Idaho Power requests increase in base rates.
June 8, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson Idaho Power wants to raise base rates for electricity. The Boise company on June 8 filed an application with the Idaho Public Utilities Commission to increase its base rate for electricity by an average of 10.35...

Microsoft wins judgment against Timeline in patent dispute.(Chronology)
June 8, 2007... Byline: Eddie Kovsky The United States District Court for the Western District of Washington has granted a partial summary judgment in favor of Microsoft in a patent dispute between Microsoft and its subsidiary, ProClarity, and Timeline...

Developer proposes Water Cooler business incubator for Boise.
June 8, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert Developer Mark Rivers hopes to create a business incubator called The Water Cooler, Boise's Creativity Business Development Center, with the help of CCDC. The Water Cooler would sublease office space to small...

Northwest Nazarene University neighborhood plan in Nampa may be updated.
June 11, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson Nampa may rezone the 16th Avenue South / Holly Street neighborhood that Northwest Nazarene University anchors. At a May 31 meeting that drew 85 people to the remodeled Holly Plaza shopping center, concerns...

Harley dealership in Boise revved up for service.
June 11, 2007... Byline: Rick Carpenter Thirty years after its brand was known for leaving oil spots wherever its motorcycles were parked, Harley-Davidson has completely turned around its image and capitalized on its customers' brand loyalty. That...

Bingham Memorial Hospital in Blackfoot mulls shift to nonprofit.
June 11, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert Administrators of a second Idaho hospital, Bingham Memorial Hospital in Blackfoot, are considering taking the hospital nonprofit because a 2006 lawsuit makes it harder for county-run hospitals to raise capital. ...

Hale's Hillside Nursery development near Boise scaled back.
June 11, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert David Hale apparently likes challenges. And it's a challenge he got when he decided to redevelop the site of the former Hillside Nursery. The site is a long, narrow parcel carved out of the Boise Foothills along...

Idaho Truss ramps up Boise wall panel plant.
June 11, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson Even though prefabricated wood wall systems are found in only 5 percent of residential and light-commercial construction projects, Idaho Truss is ramping up a four-fold increase in production of that product. The...

Microsoft, Boise-based ProClarity wins judgment against Timeline in patent dispute.(Chronology)
June 11, 2007... Byline: Eddie Kovsky The United States District Court for the Western District of Washington has granted a partial summary judgment in favor of Microsoft in a patent dispute between Microsoft and its subsidiary, ProClarity, and Timeline...

Director of Idaho National Lab says demand for energy driving interest in nuclear power.
June 11, 2007... Byline: Eddie Kovsky A renewed interest in nuclear energy will be good for the future of the U.S. economy, the Idaho National Lab, and the state of Idaho as a whole. That was the message John Grossenbacher, director of the Idaho...

Beef operation a fresh opportunity for food firm in Meridian.
June 11, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson Receiving boxed beef by truck twice a week from a sister facility in Spokane was no longer the best approach for Food Services of America or its increasingly sophisticated clientele. In December and January, the...

Block 44 in downtown Boiselands Anthropologie store.
June 11, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson Anthropologie, the high-end retailer of clothing and other items inspired by world travel, plans to open by year's end at 822-824 W. Idaho St. in downtown Boise's Block 44 development. The retailer, founded in...

Air quality in the Treasure Valley may exceed maximum amount allowed by fed gov. by summer.
June 11, 2007... Byline: Eddie Kovsky The air quality in the Treasure Valley could be designated a non-attainment area by the Environmental Protection Agency by the end of the summer. Pollution, generated mostly by automobiles, could exceed the maximum...

Idaho Hispanic Chamber draws members, curiosity.
June 11, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson Membership signups have been strong for the new Idaho Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, providing an answer to a question that President and CEO Sam Byrd says he receives from time to time: Why is the group necessary?...

Boise Real Estate Briefs: June 11, 2007.
June 11, 2007... Byline: IBR Staff Anthropologie, a retailer of clothing, accessories and jewelry for women as well as specialty items for the home, leased 9,000 square feet at 822-824 W. Idaho Street in downtown Boise's Block 44. Move-in is anticipated by...

Contracts Awarded.
June 11, 2007... The Ewing Co., Boise, is the construction manager for Lone Star Middle School at Lone Star and Middleton roads in Nampa. Cost estimate: $15 million. Micron Technology, Boise, is the owner and contractor of a research building to be...

Bid Briefs.
June 11, 2007... Charles Schwab Co., an investment brokerage, plans interior build-outs at 905 N. 9th St., Boise. Details of the 3,700-square-foot project are available from PKC Construction Co., 520 W. 103rd St., Kansas City, Mo. 64114. A bid opening for...

Building Owners and Manager Assn.: Treasure Valley's 'big tent' group.
June 11, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert Geoff Wardle, an attorney at Hawley Troxell Ennis & Hawley, has worked in government affairs for the Building Owners and Managers Association for about eight years and serves as its president. He spoke about the...

New Plymouth-based Truckstop.net's suit against Sprint continues.
June 11, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson A sister entity to The Internet Truckstop in November 2004 sued Sprint Communications over a halted venture to bring wireless Internet service to truck stops. New Plymouth-based Internet Truckstop made news...

Building Permits.
June 11, 2007... BUILDING PERMITS CITY OF BOISE PERMIT/TYPE    OWNER    BUILDER    LOCATION    VALUE 01384-commercial roofing    Boise City    Madison...

Documentary on Idaho State Legislature airs Wednesday on Idaho Public Television.
June 11, 2007... Byline: Eddie Kovsky A documentary on the Idaho State Legislature airs Wednesday at 9 p.m. on Idaho Public Television. Filmmaker Frederick Wiseman followed lawmakers through the 2004 session as they went through the process of making...

Boise-based Capital City Development Corp. gives Library Blocks its next go-ahead.
June 11, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert Capital City Development Corp. today approved an exclusive right to negotiate with Mark Rivers for his plans to build River8 on CCDC property. CCDC and Rivers would use the negotiation period to come up with a...

Robert Fischer sued for fraud by Idaho Department of Finance.
June 12, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert The Idaho Department of Finance has sued Robert Fischer and The Babco Group for allegedly misusing funds investors had given him to invest in real estate and instead betting the funds on Internet poker. Fischer and...

Boise-based Albertsons LLC to acquire Raley's stores in N.M.
June 13, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson Boise-based Albertsons LLC said in a statement that it intends to acquire the 10 Raley's stores in New Mexico - one closed store and eight operating stores in Albuquerque, and one operating store in Taos. Albertsons...

Boise-based Washington Group lands work on specialized, coal-fired plant.
June 13, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson Washington Group International said June 12 that it was selected by the FutureGen Industrial Alliance to provide architectural, design and engineering support services for the FutureGen initiative. The initiative is a...

Avista proposes pilot program to Id. Public Utilities Comm. in effort to reduce electrical demand.
June 14, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson Avista Utilities wants the Idaho Public Utilities Commission to approve a program it says would reduce electrical demand during times of peak use when electricity is most expensive. The pilot program would include...

State of Idaho grant goes toward Hanigan auto mall in Fruitland.
June 14, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson Hanigan Motors' plan to build an auto mall in Fruitland will benefit from a $500,000 grant from the state. Idaho Gov. C.L. Butch Otter approved the Rural Community Block grant for Payette County to assist in the...

Idaho Dept. of Water Resources director restricts junior water users in the Thousand Springs Area.
June 15, 2007... Byline: Eddie Kovsky Idaho Department of Water Resources Director David Tuthill has issued orders curtailing the junior water rights of ground water users in the Thousand Springs area of south-central Idaho. The curtailment order affects...

Albertsons parent firm consolidating Boise area operations to 5 buildings.
June 18, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson Albertsons parent Supervalu Inc. said last week that it plans to consolidate Idaho operations from 10 buildings into five in the Boise area. No staff cuts are planned in addition to those announced late last year,...

Commentary: What changed community college landscape?
June 18, 2007... Byline: Steve Ahrens For more than two decades, Idaho politicians and educators sagely agreed: Tax-averse voters won't approve property tax funding to create a new community college. Suddenly, in 2007, the impossible metamorphosed...

Workshop focuses on manufacturing issues in Idaho.
June 18, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson Finding qualified entry-level workers is just one staffing challenge that manufacturers face, according to several participants in the Treasures of the Valley: Manufacturing in Southwest Idaho workshop series June...

Resort official picked for Idaho Travel Council Region 1 seat.
June 18, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson Governor C.L. Butch Otter selected Jason J. Jaeger, the Coeur d'Alene Resort's sales and marketing director, to fill the Idaho Travel Council Region 1 seat. Jaeger replaces Silverwood Theme Park Marketing Director...

Record Exchange in downtown Boise different - but not - at 30.(Interview)
June 18, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert The Record Exchange at 11th and Idaho streets in downtown Boise is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Owner Michael Bunnell sponsored a show by The Frames at the Egyptian Theater to celebrate, and plans to...

Contracts Awarded.
June 18, 2007... Red Cliff Development, Eagle, is the owner, builder and developer of Rosecoft Place four-plexes at 1505 N. Mitchell St., Boise. Cost estimate: $3 million to $4 million. Red Cliff Development, Eagle, is the owner and contractor of...

Boise Real Estate Briefs: June 18, 2007.
June 18, 2007... Byline: IBR Staff Inflow Systems Inc. recently opened a Boise office at 4696 Overland Road, Suite 230. The Portland-based company integrates telephone systems with computer networks through custom software development. It employs two sales...

Bid Briefs.
June 18, 2007... Boise State University Business Building rooms 112 and 116 renovations are planned. Project details are available from Chad Slichter, Slichter Architects, 6613 Ustick Road, Boise, Idaho 83704. A bid opening is scheduled at 2 p.m. June 19. Cost...

Building Permits.
June 18, 2007... BUILDING PERMITS CITY OF BOISE PERMIT/TYPE    OWNER    BUILDER    LOCATION    VALUE 01454-alteration    Pleasant Valley LP    Magnum...

Complicated work just beginning on Idaho State Capitol.
June 18, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert Renovation of the Idaho State Capitol is on schedule, according to Idaho Capitol Commission Communications Liaison Gary Daniel. Washington Group International is proceeding apace with asbestos abatement, he said,...

Boise-based Lemley International tapped for two NY subway projects.
June 18, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert Boise-based Lemley International was recently awarded a contract to extend the No. 7 Subway Line in New York City. The project involves 7,200 feet of tunnel wide enough to accommodate two subway tracks, as well as...

Eagle-based company enthusiastic about simulated stucco.
June 18, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert Les Cullen says he has a solution to mold in stucco walls. Cullen first made his mark in the construction industry in 1977 by inventing the fireplace insert and selling it through his Eagle-based company Fabco for...

iBeam, Layton donate wireless camera to Boise State University.
June 18, 2007... Byline: IBR Staff Construction management students at Boise State University will have a powerful new tool for studying construction sites, thanks to a donation from iBEAM Systems and Layton Construction. The firms donated the iBeam...

Evergreen Engineering opens Boise office.
June 18, 2007... Byline: IBR Staff Headquartered in Eugene, Ore., Evergreen Engineering has expanded its engineering and construction services into Boise, Idaho, with an office space located at 250 Bobwhite Court, Suite 340. We recognize the technical...

Motorcycle industry group suit threatens Idaho, Oregon safety programs.
June 18, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert The fate of Idaho's motorcycle safety training program could rest on the outcome of a lawsuit brought by a motorcycle industry group. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation, an industry trade association, has sued the...

Boise P&Z approves permit for new hospital.
June 18, 2007... Byline: Eddie Kovsky The Boise City Planning and Zoning Commission has approved a conditional use permit to construct a new physician-owned hospital in Boise. According to documents submitted to the city, Surgical Hospital is the...

Correction.(Correction notice)
June 18, 2007... A June 11 IBR story on an Anthropologie store planned in downtown Boise’s Block 44 incorrectly referred to an existing tenant on the block as the “Lux on 9th,” as printed on a release from the property owner. The tenant is The...

Mark Rivers proposes Water Cooler business incubator in Boise.
June 18, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert Capital City Development Corp.'s Board of Directors expressed support last week for Mark Rivers' proposal for The Water Cooler, a business incubator. Rivers asked CCDC to lease him the 7,500-square-foot former...

Caxton Printers in Caldwell marks 100 years in business.(Company overview)
June 18, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert Caxton Printers was incorporated 100 years ago and earlier this month held a celebration to thank its customers. It has four business areas - printing, the Idaho Textbook Depository, school and office supply retail,...

Almost half of grant money for Id. Small Business Innovation Research goes unused.
June 18, 2007... Byline: Eddie Kovsky Nearly half the money set aside for Idaho Small Business Innovation Research grants has gone unused, and may likely be returned to the general fund. Bibiana Nertney, spokeswoman for the Idaho Department of Commerce...

Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters targets developer Gary Christensen.
June 18, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert Shame on the world-renowned Platinum LEED green Banner Bank Building? The Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters has set up a Shame Shame Shame banner in front of developer Gary Christensen's building and...

Caldwell mixed-use project would include new City Hall.
June 18, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson Requests for qualifications to develop a downtown Caldwell mixed-use project anchored by a new City Hall are expected to be in the hands of city officials July 10. Caldwell Redevelopment Coordinator Dennis Cannon...