Idaho Business Review, Boise articles from March 2007

Idaho Business Review, Boise archives from March 2007

Boise Metro of Chamber of Commerce leads trip to Austin, TX.
March 1, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert The Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce last week led a three-day trip to Austin, Texas, to learn what they could about how that city manages growth. Developers, architects and officials from the city of Boise,...

Investors plan to develop new Boise hospital.
March 1, 2007... Byline: Eddie Kovksy A group of local investors plan to build a new 120,000 square foot, 50-bed hospital in Boise, on the 3.4 acre site located at Fairview and 27th Avenue. Spokeswoman Bobbie Kale said the project was being managed by 24...

Idaho tech tax credit, thwarted once, rises again.
March 1, 2007... Byline: Eddie Kovksy The House Revenue and Taxation Committee voted to introduce the bio and tech investor tax credit. The legislation would give investors in Idaho biotech companies a 45 percent tax credit, and a 35 percent tax credit for...

Boise Cascade income results fall on housing trends.(Financial report)
March 1, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson Boise Cascade Holdings LLC on March 1 reported 2006 net income of $71.6 million, down 41 percent from $121.4 million in 2005. Last year's result included $3.7 million in income for special items. The 2005 total...

Union demonstrations good business for Idaho contractor.
March 1, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert A Boise local carpenter's union has sent letters to general contractors threatening to picket them if they subcontract work to American Wallcover. But American Wallcover President Randy Pierce said contractors haven't...

Idaho Senate axes a bill allowing lawyers to serve auto insurance cos. with notification of lawsuits.
March 2, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert The Senate Commerce and Human Resources Committee axed a bill that would have allowed attorneys to serve auto insurance companies with notification of their clients' lawsuits if defendants in the suits cannot be found....

'Car-junkie' sits in Idaho Automobile Dealers Association driver's seat.
March 2, 2007... Byline: Gaye Bunderson Trent Wright is the executive vice president of the Idaho Automobile Dealers Association. A self-described car-junkie, he brings knowledge of the car industry, as well as the legislative process, to his work. ...

Idaho Finance committee approves Commerce budget, including TechConnect funds.
March 2, 2007... Byline: Eddie Kovksy The Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee has approved a $33.3 million operating budget for the Department of Commerce and Labor. The committee added a line item to include $300,000 for Idaho TechConnect, which...

Cabela's wants to build Post Falls freeway interchange in exchange for tax break.
March 2, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert The House Revenue and Taxation Committee Friday morning approved a bill that would give Cabela's a sales tax rebate in exchange for building a freeway interchange in Post Falls. Specifically, the bill would refund...

Idaho official says urban renewal agencies need to be reined in.
March 2, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert A bill that would prevent urban renewal agencies from expanding or changing their boundaries passed the House Revenue and Taxation Committee Friday morning. Urban renewal district representatives testified that...

Execs selected for Special Olympics Winter Games slated for Boise, Idaho.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Idaho Business Review Staff Report Organizers of the Special Olympics World Winter Games slated in Idaho in February 2009 have named three key executives. CEO Gary Hunter announced Feb. 27 that Randy Schubert is the new senior...

Boise Real Estate Briefs: March 5, 2007.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Idaho Business Review Staff Report Lumber Liquidators leased 5,981 square feet at 7428 S. Cole Road, Boise, in South Cole Business Park. Move-in is anticipated April 1. Chris Pearson of Thornton Oliver Keller Commercial Real Estate...

Bid Briefs.
March 5, 2007... The Aspen mixed-use project, including condominiums, retail space, restaurant and parking garage, is planned in downtown Boise. Details of the 17-story, 128,985-square-foot project are available from Dan Sweig, AEI, 2127 W. Overland Road,...

Contracts Awarded.
March 5, 2007... St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center, Boise, is the owner and construction manager for St. Luke’s Eagle Medical Center at 3101 E. State St., Eagle. Cost estimate: $20 million. Layton Construction Co., Boise, was awarded a contract...

Univ. of Idaho alumni a big part of Idaho Legislature.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Idaho Business Review Staff Report Twenty-four Idaho Legislators, including the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader, are alumni of the University of Idaho. Fifteen alumni came together...

University of Idaho expands scholarship program.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Idaho Business Review Staff Report Idaho high school students have a new incentive to pick a college close to home. The University of Idaho announced late last month that it will offer a minimum of $6,000 over four years to any...

Building Permits.
March 5, 2007... BUILDING PERMITS CITY OF BOISE PERMIT/TYPE    OWNER    BUILDER    LOCATION    VALUE 00412-roofing, siding, windows    not listed    Pro-Tech...

Supervalu CEO Jeff Noddle: Boise vendors won't vanish.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson Although some vendor consolidation started after Supervalu's November 2006 announcement that the company would move its merchandising and marketing group from Boise to Minneapolis, Supervalu CEO Jeff Noddle said Feb....

Director advocates for Idaho's retailers.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Gaye Bunderson Membership in professional organizations often means representation at the Idaho Legislature. Pam Eaton, president and chief executive officer of the Idaho Retailers Association, spends much of her workday during...

Association memberships mean more than titles, says administrative assistant with Boise law firm.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Gaye Bunderson Bertha Bert Barton is an administrative assistant with the Boise law firm of Moffatt, Thomas, Barrett, Rock & Fields. She is a member of two professional organizations: the Boise chapter of NALS, an association for...

Idaho Automobile Dealers Association: In the business of helping business.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Gaye Bunderson Trent Wright is the executive vice president of the Idaho Automobile Dealers Association. A self-described car-junkie, he brings knowledge of the car industry, as well as the legislative process, to his work. ...

Boise's CradlePoint acquires Mobility's cradle business.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Idaho Business Review Staff Report CradlePoint, a Boise firm developing wireless networking solutions for mobile phones, has purchased the handheld cradle assets of Mobility Electronics for $2.1 million. The divestiture of the...

Idaho National Lab 3rd largest employer in Idaho.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Eddie Kovsky The Idaho National Lab's presence in eastern Idaho has a profound impact on the state economy, according to an economic impact report. The 900-square-mile facility - one of the largest national labs in the country...

Union pickets improve business for carpentry firm American Wallcover.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert Life is good for so-called rat Randy Pierce. Pierce, president of carpentry firm American Wallcover, is currently a big target for the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters. The union has led...

Canyon County, Idaho, expecting more people, growth.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson Canyon County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the U.S., and officials there are planning for more population growth. As a result of all of this growth we are all experiencing, Canyon County is in the top...

Idaho Power offers commercial, industrial conservation incentives.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Idaho Business Review Staff Report Idaho Power recently introduced new incentive programs for commercial and industrial customers. The utility offers financial incentives for new construction projects and for simple and complex...

Winners of Idaho Governor's Awards for Excellence in Agriculture announced.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Idaho Business Review Staff Report Winners of the Governor's Awards for Excellence in Agriculture were announced Feb. 21 at the annual Larry Brannen Ag Summit at the DoubleTree Riverside Hotel, Garden City. Technical Innovation:...

2007 marks centennial of Idaho's "Trial of the Century".
March 5, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson This year marks the centennial of the trial that followed the murder of former Idaho Gov. Frank Steunenberg. The trial of three Western Federation of Miners leaders - accused of hiring Harry Orchard to kill...

Insurance legislation in Idaho House would clarify languages.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert The House Business Committee voted 10-6 last week to recommend passage of a bill that would allow insurance companies to advertise in Spanish or other languages, but write insurance policies in English. Opponents of...

Local-option funding for public transit takes first step in Idaho Legislature.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Eddie Kovsky In the last year and a half, the Citylink bus service in Kootenai and Benewah counties has served some 200,000 passengers, and the service plans to expand. The Coeur d'Alene Tribe and Citylink will offer 27 new...

Idaho House committee introduces bio and tech investor tax credit.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Idaho Business Review Staff Report The House Revenue and Taxation Committee voted to introduce the bio and tech investor tax credit. The legislation would give investors in Idaho biotech companies a 45 percent tax credit, and a 35...

New hospital planned for Boise.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Idaho Business Review Staff Report A group of local investors plans to build a new 120,000-square-foot, 50-bed hospital in Boise, on the 3.4 acre site located at Fairview and 27th Avenue. Spokeswoman Bobbie Kale said the project...

Property price disclosure bill held up in Idaho Senate.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Idaho Business Review Staff Report An Idaho Senate committee put the brakes on a bill that would have required that the price of real estate be disclosed to county assessors to help them determine property taxes. Sen. Shawn...

Interior demolition, cleanup begins of former Pix Theatre in downtown Nampa.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson Efforts to restore and reinvent downtown Nampa's landmark Pix Theatre entered the long-awaited gut/cleanup phase late last week. Workers prepared to start the interior work March 2, followed by community volunteers...

Boise-area developer to resubmit plan for 762 acres near Middleton.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson A Boise-area developer plans to submit a new plan for 762.7 acres off Purple Sage Road in eastern Canyon County, near Middleton. Dick Phillips, president of Willowbrook Development in Garden City, on Feb. 15...

Boise market of well-paid jobs aided by housing trends.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson The U.S. housing slowdown isn't entirely bad news if you're looking for a well-paying job in the Boise area, as Rich Davila sees it. His company, Professional Career Solutions, helps people find higher-paying jobs,...

Austin, Texas, warns Boise, Idaho, to plan for growth before it's too late.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert A community college. Mass transit. Affordable housing. Boiseans found a few things to envy when they went on a Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce-sponsored trip to Austin, Texas. It's always useful to go see how...

Firm taps University of Idaho graduate for second term as chairman.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson Deloitte & Touche nominated University of Idaho accounting graduate Sharon Allen to her second four-year term as chairman of the board. The accounting and financial consulting firm in 2003 named Allen the first woman...

Sellers of manufactured homes in Idaho may undergo background checks.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert The Senate Commerce and Human Resources Committee last week voted to recommend passage of a bill that would require fingerprinting and criminal background checks for sellers of manufactured homes. The bill also creates...

St. Alphonsus Hospital steps back from Jerome hospital.
March 6, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson St. Alphonsus has transferred ownership of St. Benedicts Family Medical Center in Jerome to the Benedictine Health System, a Catholic healthcare organization that specializes in operating rural hospitals and long-term...

Idaho real estate agents could see easing of some requirements.
March 6, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert The Idaho House Commerce and Human Resources Monday passed a housekeeping bill for the real estate industry. The bill would change some requirements for real estate agents. For example, purchase offers would no longer...

Idaho House passes Uniform Real Property Electronic Recording Act unanimously.
March 6, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert The Idaho House of Representatives unanimously passed the Uniform Real Property Electronic Recording Act, which could allow title companies and county clerks to use paperless title and real estate documents. The...

Idaho-based Coldwater Creek tops $1 billion in yearly net sales.
March 7, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson Coldwater Creek Inc. reported higher sales but lower earnings for its fourth quarter, ended Feb. 3. Full-year earnings and sales both increased, the Sandpoint-based retailer of women's clothing and accessories said in...

Idaho's local-option tax transportation bill appears dead for 2007.
March 7, 2007... Byline: Eddie Kovksy The House Revenue and Taxation Committee voted this morning to hold House Bill 246 in committee. The bill would have allowed citizens in the Treasure Valley to vote on implementing an additional sales tax in Ada and...

Urban renewal district reform bill approved by Idaho House.
March 7, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert A bill that would prevent urban renewal districts from changing their boundaries has passed the Idaho House 40-30. When urban renewal districts are formed, the city performs a study to determine what areas are in...

Ada County honors Boise architect.
March 7, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert The Ada County Commissioners honored architect Charles Hummel with the 2007 Ada County Making History Award. Commissioner Paul Woods praised Hummel for his restoration of the Egyptian Theater and St. John's Cathedral,...

Ada County wants task force to study open space needs.
March 7, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert Ada County has formed an open space task force to identify areas that should be preserved as planned communities are built in the county, Ada County Commissioner Fred Tilman said. Members of the task force would...

Owner of The Big Easy in Boise: 'Absolutely outraged'.
March 8, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert The Idaho State Police served notice to eight bars that their liquor licenses would be revoked for violating Idaho statutes regarding nudity, simulated sex acts and related acts. The bars are The Big Easy, The...

Real estate 'minimum service' bill heads to full U.S. Senate.
March 8, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert The Senate Commerce and Human Resources Committee has green-lighted a bill that would require real estate agents to be on hand to present all purchase offers to the seller of a property. Heinrich Wiebe, co-owner...

Washington Group wants to hire 1,000- nationwide.
March 8, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson Washington Group International said March 7 that it plans a national recruiting campaign to hire more than 1,000 engineers, other professionals, and support staff. We are seeing the strongest markets in our...

Idaho Housing and Finance Association launches new mortgage products.
March 9, 2007... Byline: John M. Foster The Idaho Housing and Finance Association has two new loan products and a new down-payment assistance program. The products offered through the association's IdaMortgage program target credit-worthy borrowers who do...

Elimination of personal property tax clears Idaho House.
March 9, 2007... Byline: Eddie Kovksy Legislation to phase out the personal property tax has passed the House. The bill calls for the Legislature to reimburse $92 million to the counties and urban renewal districts as the tax is phased out. The Idaho...

Idaho-based Micron's chip enables HD video in simple cameras.
March 9, 2007... Byline: Eddie Kovsky Micron has unveiled two new image sensors for use in digital cameras and camcorders. The new sensors enable true high-definition video capture in point-and-shoot cameras, the company said in a press release. The...

Idaho House approves electronic records act.
March 12, 2007... Byline: IBR Staff The Idaho House of Representatives unanimously passed the Uniform Real Property Electronic Recording Act, which could allow title companies and county clerks to use paperless title and real estate documents. The...

Youth Ranch succession plan gives Jones new job.
March 12, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson Leadership changes at the Idaho Youth Ranch include a new position created for , a Ranch employee since 1975 and the CEO since 1992. Jones is now assistant to the chairman for special projects. He said he will...

Will Boise get a new hospital?
March 12, 2007... Byline: IBR Staff A group of local investors plan to build a new 120,000 square foot, 50-bed hospital in Boise, on the 3.4 acre site at Fairview and 27th Avenue. Spokeswoman Bobbie Kale said the group is buying two parcels of land at...

Boise Real Estate Briefs: March 12, 2007.
March 12, 2007... Trojan Apartments, 204 E. Hazel St., Caldwell, and Caldwell Townhomes, 1312 E. Ash St., Caldwell, were sold to an undisclosed investment company based in Meridian. The complexes contain 52 dwelling units combined. Steve Russell of The Firm Real...

Idaho Construction Briefs: March 12, 2007.
March 12, 2007... Byline: IBR Staff Elevator replacement is planned at a state-owned building at 320 Collins Road, Boise. Details are available from Leatham Krohn Van Ocker Architects, 1735 Federal Way, Boise, Idaho 83705-3164. A bid opening is scheduled at...

Contracts Awarded.
March 12, 2007... Acme Enterprises, Roseville, Mich., was awarded a contract to remodel the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Caldwell. Cost not listed. R2 Construction, Eagle, was awarded a contract for Shangri La restaurant at 10388 Ustick Road, Boise. Cost not...

Boise-based Healthwise wins national workplace awards.
March 12, 2007... Byline: IBR Staff The Boise firm Healthwise was awarded the 2007 Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award by the American Psychological Association. The company was recognized for implementing unique programs for employee well-being and...

Idaho Legislature considers medical measures.
March 12, 2007... Byline: IBR Staff This year, the Idaho Legislature considered several proposed laws that would change the way health care is managed in Idaho. This information was collected from the Idaho Legislative Services Office. Certificate of Need...

Boise Business Briefs: March 12, 2007.
March 12, 2007... Byline: IBR Staff SourceOne changes name to S1 IT Solutions SourceOne Inc. has changed its name to S1 IT Solutions to better reflect the technology products and professional services it offers, the company said in a statement. S1 IT...

Building Permits.
March 12, 2007... BUILDING PERMITS CITY OF BOISE PERMIT/TYPE    OWNER    BUILDER    LOCATION    VALUE 03412-alteration    Hormaechea LP    Russell Corp.  ...

Urban renewal boundary bill passes Idaho House.
March 12, 2007... Byline: IBR Staff A bill that would prevent urban renewal districts from changing their boundaries last week passed the Idaho House 40-30. When urban renewal districts are formed, the city performs a study to determine what areas are...

Ada County forms open space task force.
March 12, 2007... Byline: IBR Staff Ada County has formed an open space task force to identify areas that should be preserved as planned communities in the county, Ada County Commissioner Fred Tilman said. Members of the task force would explore ways to...

Kickstart 2007 to highlight Idaho's innovators.
March 12, 2007... Byline: Eddie Kovsky In less than a month, the technology entrepreneurs behind Kickstand will host a two-day event to champion Idaho innovators and future stars. If the workshop titles are any indication, Kickstart 2007 won't be like...

Boise startup company, Cradlepoint Technology, creates portable broadband modem.
March 12, 2007... Byline: Eddie Kovsky A Boise startup is hoping for big things from a small package. The company, Cradlepoint Technology, is betting that business travelers would like to do more with their smartphones than check e-mail. Cradlepoint makes...

Boise Tour Train expansion may be stopped by Idaho Dept. of Transportation.
March 12, 2007... Byline: Eddie Kovksy The Department of Transportation has informed Don Becker - the new owner of the Boise Tour Train - that he can't register three Italian-made trains he imported to Boise. The new equipment does not have the proper...

Boise gets sneak-peak at guide for women in search of capital.
March 12, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson The Resource Guide for Women Seeking Capital won't be released nationwide until April, but the originators gave an advance look on March 8 to entrepreneurs in Boise. A preview event at Crane Creek Country Club...

Idaho House kills local option tax bill for transit system.
March 12, 2007... Byline: Eddie Kovsky When Fred Riggers retired, he decided to move from north Idaho to Boise to take advantage of everything the city offered - hospitals, entertainment and public transportation. He bought a house off State Street...

Real estate bill raises antitrust concerns in Idaho.
March 12, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert The Idaho Real Estate Commission watered down proposed legislation when federal Department of Justice attorneys told the commission it could violate antitrust laws. The legislation would have made it mandatory for...

Idaho House committee OK's bill to eliminate date stamp from purchase offers.
March 12, 2007... Byline: IBR Staff The Idaho House Commerce and Human Resources Committee last week passed a housekeeping bill for the real estate industry. The bill would change some requirements for real estate agents. For example, purchase offers...

Sales rise for Sandpoint-based Coldwater Creek in 4th quarter, but earnings tumble.(Financial report)
March 12, 2007... Byline: IBR Staff Coldwater Creek Inc. reported higher sales but lower earnings for its fourth quarter, ended Feb. 3. Full-year earnings and sales both increased, the Sandpoint-based retailer of women's clothing and accessories said in a...

Interview with Sharon Allen: Board chairman for Deloitte & Touche USA.
March 12, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson Deloitte & Touche USA announced last week that it nominated University of Idaho accounting graduate Sharon Allen, 55, to a second four-year term as board chairman for the Big-Four accounting firm. In 2003, she...

An Ounce of Prevention.
March 12, 2007... Byline: Eddie Kovsky Cynthia Culp is a family nurse practitioner. She owns the family clinic in Eagle, and runs the Choose to Lose weight loss program. What is a family nurse practitioner? Nurse practitioners are registered nurses with...

Dreams vs Reality in Donnelly.
March 12, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert It must have been a dream-come-true for Donnelly residents. A developer planned to build Tamarack, a huge ski resort, near their town. Skiers, golfers and resort employees would come down from the slopes and the...

Idaho's dairy industry plans to stay involved in water-rights issue.
March 12, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson Representatives of Idaho's sizable dairy industry said they have no plans to scale back their participation in the water-rights issue following a state Supreme Court ruling on senior and junior water rights. What...

Valley County commissioner: Development to pay for itself.
March 12, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert Growth hasn't been paying for itself in Valley County and that has to change, County Commissioner Frank Eld said. New development, such as Tamarack, drains city and county services, he said. The Valley County...

Housing crunch hits Tamarack.
March 12, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert Tamarack Resort in some ways could be called a victim of its own success. The company is a huge employer in Valley County. Depending on the season, 350 to 450 employees and 550 building contractors work at the...

New position created at Idaho Youth Ranch.
March 12, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson Leadership changes at the Idaho Youth Ranch include a new position created for Mike Jones, a Ranch employee since 1975 and the CEO since 1992. Jones is now assistant to the chairman for special projects. He said he...

Boise's Capital City Development Corp. commissioner recuses himself from transfer vote.
March 13, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert The Capital City Development Corp. Board voted to give developers Clay Carley and Gary Christensen an exclusive right to negotiate for property on Front Street. The city of Boise traded a small triangle of land in...

'Minimum service' real estate bill clears Idaho Senate.
March 13, 2007... Byline: Lora Volkert The Idaho Senate has passed a bill requiring real estate agents to be available to present all property purchase offers to their clients. The bill could prevent real estate agents from posting for-sale-by-owner...

Boise sees some impact from sub-prime mortgage shakeout.
March 14, 2007... Byline: Brad Carlson Fresh concerns about the country's sub-prime mortgage market affect the Boise area in the form of tightened underwriting standards, according to one local mortgage specialist. Sub-prime mortgage lenders make loans...

Micron, Intel form joint venture in Singapore.
March 14, 2007... Byline: Eddie Kovksy A new company, IM Flash Singapore, will manufacture NAND flash memory products based on designs developed by Micron and Intel. The details of the joint venture were filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on...