Idaho Business Review, Boise articles from May 2005

Idaho Business Review, Boise archives from May 2005

Looking up: Unabated housing boom pushes Idaho outlook higher.
May 2, 2005... Byline: Steven Anderson The Idaho economic outlook gets a bit of a boost this time around from state economists, who in their new forecast project job growth this year at 1.9 percent - up from January's 1.3 percent estimate. But the...

Boise area businesses offer education benefits.
May 2, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert Several large employers in the Boise area offer education benefits, but they're not just for the sake of learning. Some employers have found that tuition benefits can be used to further company strategy, and others...

Traffic volume climbs to pre-9/11 levels at Boise Airport.
May 2, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Traffic to and from the Boise Airport continued to grow in the first quarter, rising by 10 percent on the heels of a 6 percent gain for all of 2004, airport officials report. Passenger volume for the first three...

Boise-based Washington Group Inc. announces mine contracts.
May 2, 2005... Byline: Idaho Business Review Staff Washington Group Inc. signed a five-year contract with Agrium Conda Phosphate Operations to perform mining services at the Dry Valley Phosphate Mine in southeastern Idaho. The company said it also...

Boise-based chain of Stinker convenience stores plans expansion.
May 2, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Charley Jones & Shawn Davis plan to expand the Boise-based chain of Stinker convenience stores they acquired in late 2002, and to keep promoting ethanol-blended fuels. They expect to open a new store in west Boise...

Idaho's science-tech license plate contest begins to draw ideas.
May 2, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert License plate designs were easier to draw when Idaho was just known for potatoes. How does one illustrate science and technology? Idaho design firms and art and science students have taken on the topic in response...

Meridian Chamber to honor 3 'Small Businesses of the Year'.
May 2, 2005... Byline: Idaho Business Review Staff All American Insurance, Meridian Automotive & Machine and KeyBank are the winners of the Meridian Chamber of Commerce's 2005 Small Business of the Year awards. The chamber plans to honor the...

Two retail buildings planned for Meridian.
May 2, 2005... Byline: Idaho Business Review Staff Two multi-tenant retail buildings are slated in the southwest quadrant of Fairview Avenue and Eagle Road in Meridian. Millstone Marketplace will have a combined 15,600 square feet of retail space, in...

Job, real estate gains boost Idaho, Zions Bank says.
May 2, 2005... Byline: Idaho Business Review Staff Idaho's economic rebound "remains on track," on strong gains in jobs and real estate values, Zions Bank Economic Consultant Jeff Thredgold reported. In the spring edition of the bank's Insight:...

Boise-based EmergeCore sees steady growth for server products.
May 2, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert After a few years of tinkering, executives of Boise-based EmergeCore Networks say they've reached a point where the IT firm is ready to take off. The company has retooled its server products to heighten their...

Office condos gain allure for established, stable firms in Treasure Valley.
May 2, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Office condominiums represent a small but growing segment of the Treasure Valley real estate market. Lease space and owner-occupied buildings still dominate, but more condos are showing up - from Boise and Eagle to...

Ex-Garden City City Hall site to get business park.
May 2, 2005... Byline: Idaho Business Review Staff Developers plan 10 small office buildings on the former City Hall site in Garden City. Midtown 50 Business Park will contain buildings of 2,000 to 7,000 square feet sited around a planned park. Site...

Caldwell-based Murphy Law plans branch in Meridian.
May 2, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report A Caldwell law firm, Murphy Law Office, plans to open a branch office in a new building it plans in Meridian next month. Robnett Construction, Eagle, is general contractor for the 3,000-square-foot building,...

Idaho bankruptcies fall slightly in 1Q despite March gain.
May 2, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Idaho bankruptcy filings fell by 1.5 percent in the first quarter, despite a 5.1 percent increase in March. U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Boise saw 2,253 filings in the first quarter, down by 1.5 percent from 2,283 a...

Office building planned for Eagle.
May 2, 2005... Byline: Idaho Business Review Staff A 3,000-square-foot office building is planned on North Palmetto Avenue, across from the Eagle Post Office. Don Flynn of Shadow Mountain Construction, Eagle, plans to raze a home to clear the site....

Imaging the stars: Micron Technology sensors help to make Star Wars look virtually real.
May 9, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert When Lucasfilm wanted to create scenes from a galaxy far, far away, cameramen for its latest Star Wars prequel used cameras with Micron Technology high-speed imagers. Micron's imaging division and its predecessor,...

Pennsylvania-based 84 Lumber to enter Idaho market.
May 9, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Pennsylvania-based 84 Lumber Co., among the largest privately held sellers of building materials that focus on contractors, plans to enter the Idaho market this year. A Meridian store and a Post Falls component...

Idaho Falls firm finds growth in environmental tasks.
May 9, 2005... Byline: Steven Anderson One of the largest private employers in the Idaho Falls area, North Wind Inc., achieved a higher profile recently as a result of several awards generated by the U.S. Small Business Administration. North Wind,...

Idaho Business Review to publish a magazine recognizing contributions of construction industry.
May 9, 2005... Byline: IBR In recognition of the contributions the construction industry makes to the state's economy while simultaneously building quality-design structures, the Idaho Business Review will publish its first Idaho Top Projects magazine on...

Boise-based Vision Air specializes in use of infrared technology for wildlife surveys.
May 9, 2005... Byline: Angela Jones, Special to the IBR Editor's note: Idaho Innovator is a monthly IBR series, featuring Idaho innovators and their products and services. Got bighorn sheep to count but no sure-fire way to collect the data? Vision...

Crane Creek Country Club in the Boise Highlands plans $900,000 remodel.
May 9, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Crane Creek Country Club in the Boise Highlands plans major remodeling at its clubhouse. The $900,000 project includes full renovation of main-floor dining facilities, major pool repairs and upgrades to the...

Toyota-Scion dealership due in Nampa.
May 9, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Tom Scott Motors plans to construct a 43,000-square-foot building near the Idaho Center for its Toyota and Scion dealerships. The company will move them to the east Nampa site near several other dealers in Idaho...

Boise-based Albertsons' stock faces on-going battle for market share, say analysts.
May 9, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson What about stock in Albertsons Inc.? It's seemingly an attractive value at about 25 percent below its one-year high of $27 - as of last week - which came back in June 2004. The Boise-based food and drug giant keeps...

Commentary: Need a host for website? - Choose carefully.
May 9, 2005... Byline: Rick Edvalson One of our sons is buying a home, and he is learning how hard it is to evaluate mortgage offers. Because the various lenders manipulate things like buy-down points, origination fees, floating vs. fixed rates, mortgage...

Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne to travel to Asia, Mexico for trade.
May 9, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert Gov. Dirk Kempthorne is increasing the amount of diplomacy he does on behalf of Idaho companies with two trade missions planned this year. The governor plans to travel to Japan, South Korea, China and Taiwan May 14...

TechLaunch for Idaho entrepreneurs slated June 29 in Sun Valley.
May 9, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Idaho innovators will compete for more than $25,000 in startup funds at the second annual TechLaunch event June 29-30 in Sun Valley, a statement from the state Office of Science & Technology says. TechLaunch...

Women's and Children's Alliance to honor 40 Boise-area business women.
May 9, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report The Women's and Children's Alliance plans to honor 40 business women this week with its 2005 Tribute to Women and Industry awards. The awards will be presented during a luncheon at noon on May 10 at the...

Tamarack Resort development helps rural Idaho town survive mill closure.
May 9, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Ten years after Boise Cascade Corp. closed its Council sawmill and gave 77 acres to the city, the Council Business Center employs more people than BCC did, and may expand. Many of the nearly 90 employees in the...

IdaCorp's net grows 17% to 51 cents a share.
May 9, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report IdaCorp, the parent company of Idaho Power, last week reported first quarter earnings of $23.1 million, or 55 cents per share, up 17.3 percent from the company's earnings of $19.7 million, or 51 cents per share, a...

Boise-based Extended Systems reports earnings of $2.2 million in third quarter.
May 9, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Extended Systems Inc. reported earnings of $2.2 million for its fiscal third quarter ended March 31, or 14 cents per share, on net revenue approaching $11.6 million. President and CEO Charles Jepson said in a...

Profile: Don Kemper -- Helping us take charge of our health decisions.
May 16, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert When you walk into the Healthwise headquarters in Boise, you may see one of its 134 employees with a dog on a leash. Employees check out company bicycles, go on group hikes, dress casually and work flexible...

Boise lawyers urges corporate directors to ... direct!
May 16, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Despite all the attention on corporate governance in the wake of high-profile scandals, people who serve on corporate boards can't afford to overlook their core mission, a Boise lawyer says. Thomas Chandler, a...

Meridian-based Western Electronics to shift top job.
May 16, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert Western Electronics, a Meridian-based contract manufacturer with operations in three states, is planning changes in its corporate leadership - and possibly an alliance with a foreign company. Rob Subia, executive...

Insurer Foresters' Boise-based financial services office to move, add staff.
May 16, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Foresters, a members-owned insurance and mutual fund company, plans to relocate its Boise-area financial services office and add staff. Toronto-based Foresters is part of The Independent Order of Foresters, a...

Two buildings planned at Boise Research Center.
May 16, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report A research and development building and a single-story office building are planned at the Boise Research Center, according to documents filed with the City of Boise. The research building, planned for an acre...

Suddenly, it's 1959 again ...; Boise fan brings back '50s, '60s radio.
May 16, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert The oldies most radio stations play weren't old enough for Robert Combs. Some stations, he'd noticed, had shifted from '50s- and '60s-era tunes to those of the '60s and '70s, he said. "Anything pre-Beatles is...

Idaho Business League plans Business Builder Day May 25.
May 16, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report The Idaho Business League plans "Business Builder Day" from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 25 at Boise Centre on the Grove. Time-management specialist and author Joe Cirillo is the scheduled luncheon speaker. ...

Boise State Univ. students to present Yahoo! ad proposal to marketing execs.
May 16, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Boise State University marketing students plan to present their proposal for a $10 million Yahoo! advertising campaign to members of the Boise Advertising Federation May 19 at the DoubleTree Riverside. Check-in...

Rain helps reduce drought woes in southwest Idaho.
May 16, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Unusually heavy rains in southwest Idaho have greened things up, but they don't mean an end to Idaho's six-year drought. The Idaho Department of Water Resources says precipitation levels have reached 215 percent of...

State plan for single workforce board draws flak.
May 16, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson The state plans a wholesale revamp of its workforce training program to keep recent federal budget cuts from reducing benefits to Idahoans. But the plan to replace six regional workforce investment boards with one...

Glanbia to boost cheese-making, milk use in Gooding.
May 16, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Glanbia Foods Inc. plans to keep expanding its cheese-production operations in Gooding. A $13 million project to start this month will increase production by 20 percent and will require milk from 20,000 more cows,...

Idaho Banking Co. plans home-loan office at El Dorado.
May 16, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Idaho Banking Co. plans to open a Home Loan Center next month in Meridian's El Dorado development. The bank leased 4,100 square feet in the new Sierra Plaza, just west of the branch that it opened about a year...

Commentary: Treasure Valley builders cope with rising fuel prices.
May 16, 2005... Byline: Ken Levy In the midst of the continuing building boom, Treasure Valley contractors are taking higher gas and diesel prices as another cost of doing business, and adjusting. The end customer ultimately may pick up much of the...

Boise construction numbers double.
May 16, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Boise construction volume more than doubled in April on big gains in the commercial and apartment segments. Meanwhile, year-to-date totals increased in Boise and several other Treasure Valley cities through last...

Commentary: Remodelers find steady work in gutting old Boise homes.
May 16, 2005... Byline: Ken Miller Anyone who's remodeled a kitchen or bathroom knows the experience can be both exhilarating and intimidating. Imagine what it's like to strip a $300,000 "fixer-upper" right down to its frame and start anew. A...

Idaho Power rolls out incentive program.
May 16, 2005... Byline: Angela Jones A new Idaho Power energy-efficient incentive program for businesses helps companies run more efficiently and has Idaho looking a little greener. The Building Efficiency incentive program aims at new commercial...

Boise-based Keilty Construction earns national award.
May 16, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) has named Boise-based Keilty Construction Inc. the 2005 National Contractor of the Year in the "Entire House Under $250,000" category. Keilty...

McAlvain, Hansen-Rice land Boise State Univ. contract.
May 16, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Treasure Valley-based McAlvain Construction Inc. and Hansen-Rice Inc. have been selected by Boise State University and the Department of Public Works to build Boise State University's indoor practice facility. ...

Terracon Consultants marks 40th anniversary.
May 16, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Terracon Consultants Inc., an employee-owned consulting firm of engineers, scientists and technicians based in Kansas, celebrated its 40th anniversary in April. Terracon, which fields an office in Boise on West...

Boise-based BRS Architects receives design kudos.
May 16, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report BRS Architects is one of the recipients of the first Golden Eagle Awards from the City of Eagle, for Outstanding Building Design for Bardenay Restaurant and Distillery on Riverside Street in Eagle. The award...

Tourism resurgence seen for Idaho.
May 23, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Idaho tourism officials expect a strong season this year due to an improved economy, the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition's travels in Idaho, and good demand among some groups. "Right now the majority...

Fit to float? Idaho outfitters, guides adjust to low water.
May 23, 2005... Byline: Ken Miller SPECIAL TO THE IBR It's not easy earning a living from Idaho's rivers during a prolonged drought - particularly if you're an outfitter who doesn't know from one week to the next whether there will be enough water to...

Eagle based-Eagle City Market becomes 2nd upscale grocery to go down.
May 23, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Developer Bill Hodges is looking for another upscale grocery operator to replace Eagle City Market, which closed last week at City Marketplace at Chinden and Eagle Roads. The specialty grocery and the related City...

Bare-ground valuations to soar in Ada County.
May 23, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Vacant parcels will get the biggest median boost among commercial property types this year in Ada County. When the Ada County Assessor's Office mails assessment notices during the last week of May, owners of vacant...

24-hour St. Paul-based Anytime Fitness plans first Idaho gym in Kuna.
May 23, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert Anytime Fitness, a 24-hour gym franchise, is slated to open a fitness center in early June at the corner of Deer Flat and Linder roads in Kuna. Tenant improvements for the 4,100-square-foot building in Deer Flat...

Rising health care costs fuel wellness focus.
May 23, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Rising health care costs bring one positive trend to the workplace - new interest in employee wellness programs. United Heritage Life Insurance offers financial rewards for employees and their families to quit...

Idaho Assn. of Commerce and Industry rates legislators on pro-business voting.
May 23, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report The Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry has issued an assessment of state legislators' voting on IACI-designated business issues in the 2005 Legislature, which ended April 6. "Fifteen House members and...

Commentary: The dubious allure of rebates on tech products.
May 23, 2005... Byline: Rick Edvalson Nearly everyone I talked to prior to writing this column expressed annoyance with mail-in rebates. But, at the same time, all of them said that they would continue to consider rebate offers when purchasing...

Lloyd Lumber Co. to build 4-building Nampa complex.
May 23, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Lloyd Lumber Co. plans to expand in north Nampa, on Delta Drive south of Karcher Road. The building materials supplier is constructing four buildings, totaling about 35,000 square feet, said Bob Jacobsen, president...

Meridian Planning & Zoning Commission endorses plan for Marriott Courtyard at El Dorado.
May 23, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report The Meridian Planning and Zoning Commission has endorsed plans for a 140-room Marriott Courtyard hotel at the El Dorado development, near Eagle and Overland roads. The commission unanimously approved a height...

Forum in Boise to focus on tech, IP issues.
May 23, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert Nanoscience, bioscience, energy and imaging technology are on the agenda for a forum scheduled for 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 8 and 9 at the Holiday Inn on Vista Avenue near the Boise Airport. Scientists, engineers,...

Boise Cascade Co. cancels IPO plan.
May 23, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Boise Cascade Co. last week canceled its previously announced plans for an initial public offering of stock, citing adverse market conditions. The company and its primary owner, Chicago-based Madison Dearborn...

What's up with downtown? Retail vacancies rise in Boise's core?
May 30, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Downtown Boise's retail scene shows a number of high-visibility "available' signs again, but is it only a cycle? The on-again, off-again debate over downtown's viability as a retail locus has resurfaced with...

20 Idaho counties OK retail liquor sales on Sunday.
May 30, 2005... Byline: Steven Anderson Running out for a bottle of booze on Sunday? Nearly half of Idaho's 44 counties, including four of the five bordering Ada County, have approved Sunday retail liquor sales, according to the Idaho State Liquor...

$15 million Twin Falls business park rises.
May 30, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Construction of the $15 million Renaissance Office Park, which is to have eight buildings, continues near the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls. Developer Joe Russell and Twin Falls orthopedist James Retmier...

Zions Bank offers 'Smart Women' grants for women in Utah and Idaho.
May 30, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff The Zions Bank Women's Financial Group plans to offer $20,000 in "Smart Women Grants" to women in various fields. Categories include small business startup and expansion, community development, continuing education...

Notable retail vacancies available in downtown Boise.
May 30, 2005... Byline: Brad Carlson Here are some notable retail vacancies in downtown Boise, and recent tenant signings and related activities for those spaces. In the Mode Building, at the northwest corner of Eighth and Idaho streets, a leasing...

Employer-provided day care in Boise? Two hospitals, BSU provide it.
May 30, 2005... Byline: Gaye Bunderson Taking your kids to work? Staff members at Boise State University, Saint Luke's Regional Medical Center, and Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center have that option because their employers provide on-site day...

NYC-based holding company buys Boise-based Idaho Timber Corp.
May 30, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Idaho Timber Corp. belongs to major holding company Leucadia National Corp. following an acquisition announced recently. Leucadia (NYSE:LUK) acquired Idaho Timber for an undisclosed price, the Boise-based...

Some Boise companies offer discounts for day care.
May 30, 2005... Byline: Gaye Bunderson On-site day care seems to be a rare part of company benefits packages, for various reasons. "T-Mobile does not have on-site day care," said the company's human resources manager Patti Perkins Currid, "though I...

Hewlett-Packard Co. issues prestigious award to Kelly Buckland, Boise.
May 30, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Hewlett-Packard Co. re-cently issued its Award for Distinguished Leadership in Human Rights to Kelly Buckland, Boise. Buckland, executive director of the Idaho State Independent Living Council, was a key player...

Idaho targets firms that falsify jobless insurance rates.
May 30, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Companies intentionally trying to avoid paying higher unemployment insurance taxes will face new penalties, starting July 1. The penalties target State Unemployment Tax Act (SUTA) dumping. The Idaho Legislature...

Financial markets to be discussed at the City Club of Boise luncheon June 9.
May 30, 2005... Byline: IBR Staff Report Experts from about 20 investment firms plan to discuss world capital markets at a City Club of Boise luncheon slated at noon June 9 at Owyhee Plaza, 11th and Main streets. Robert Maynard, who manages the Public...

Pizzerias planned for vacant Papa John's in Meridian.
May 30, 2005... Byline: Lora Volkert Two former Papa John's restaurants are to be renovated into a Rascal's Pizza and a Little Caesars. The owner of Rascal's Pizza, which operated a restaurant in Southern California, plans to open a pizzeria in...