Idaho Business Review, Boise articles from May 2006

Idaho Business Review, Boise archives from May 2006

Colliers International's George Iliff takes commercial real estate to new heights in Treasure Valley.
May 8, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson Colliers International's George Iliff takes commercial real estate to new heights in Treasure Valley's biggest commercial real estate markets because he has worked in them. Now the managing principal at Colliers...

The Man on top of BoDo: Colliers International's George Iliff takes commercial real estate to new heights in Treasure Valley (An IBR Executive Profile).
May 8, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson

First 3-story building in Hidden Springs project heads for August finish.
May 8, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson Builder Chuck Miller said he expects to complete the first of five Marketplace at Hidden Springs buildings in August. Chuck Miller Construction started the first building recently near the entrance to the Hidden...

Navigating the Boise planning & zoning maze just got easier.
May 8, 2006... Byline: Lora Volkert When the elevator doors open on the second floor of City Hall, visitors are greeted by signs for various departments: subdivisions, planning services, building. But developers and homeowners don't always know what...

Idaho Legislature's pro-business grade said to slip this year.
May 8, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson Property tax wrangling kept the Idaho Legislature from passing the pro-business test with flying colors this year. The Idaho Association of Commerce & Industry and the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce laud several...

Ameriquest Mortgage closes Boise branch.
May 8, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Ameriquest Mortgage Co. closed 229 retail branch offices last week, including one in Boise, reducing its companywide work force by 3,800. About 11 people worked at the Boise office, at 1673 W. Shoreline Dr. ...

Ameriquest Mortgage closes branches.
May 8, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report

Refugees came to U.S. with two bags and one big desire to work.
May 8, 2006... Byline: Rick Carpenter Mira and Zvonimir Bjekic found themselves in no-man's land in Bosnia in 1992. While the former Yugoslavian country was in a state of war between Catholic, Christian Orthodox and Muslim religions - each religion...

Refugees came to U.S. with two bags and one big desire to work.
May 8, 2006... Byline: Rick Carpenter By Rick Carpenter Idaho Business Review Mira and Zvonimir Bjekic found themselves in no-man's land in Bosnia in 1992. While the former Yugoslavian country was in a state of war between Catholic,...

Pocatello-based AMI plans to acquire assets of hearing aid manufacturer.
May 8, 2006... Byline: Lora Volkert Pocatello-based AMI Semiconductor recently announced first quarter earnings of 9 cents a share and said it plans to purchase an integrated circuit design center in Colorado Springs from hearing aid manufacturer Starkey...

Dinosaurs return to Earth - in robot form.
May 8, 2006... Byline: Lora Volkert A good robot should make you forget it's a robot. That's how inventor Caleb Chung and others at Ugobe Life Forms, a sophisticated toy maker in Emeryville, Calif., hope people will react to Pleo, a robot dinosaur...

Boise-based ITG opens small business document management unit.
May 8, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Intermountain Technology Group's just-launched Small Business Document Management Group aims to enable small and mid-sized business to reduce the hassle and cost of handling paper in the office. The new unit...

ITG opens small business document management unit.
May 8, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report

Boise Cascade Holdings LLC sales rise, earnings fall in 1Q.
May 8, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Boise Cascade Holdings LLC reported $0.1 million in earnings for the first quarter, down from $64.7 million a year earlier and $42.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2005. Last year, special items raised...

Publicly traded firm buys Boise Office Equipment.(Company overview)
May 8, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Boise Office Equipment Inc. has a new owner. Global Imaging Systems Inc. acquired the Boise company, including its Twin Falls sales office, for an undisclosed price in late April. Global, based in Tampa,...

Boise-based Albertsons Inc. shareholders prepare for buyout vote.
May 8, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report The proposed sale of Albertsons Inc. to a group that includes Supervalu Inc. comes to a vote soon. Both grocery chains announced last week that their shareholders will vote May 30 on the acquisition of...

MarCon Inc. starts building permanent headquarters in Meridian.
May 8, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson MarCon Inc. plans to occupy an 18,000-square-foot building under way in western Meridian in November. President Elaine Martin said the building on 13 paved acres enables the company - which builds highway guardrail...

Boise State University to host mock world trade event for area students.
May 8, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report The International Economic Summit, a mock world trade event for 400 Boise-area high school students, is planned for May 9 at Boise State University. The event includes an executive luncheon for 100 business,...

Boise-based Arrow 1031 Exchange teams with Nevada firm.
May 8, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Arrow 1031 Exchange, Boise, recently partnered with Southwest Exchange Corp. to provide processing services for Arrow's exchange transactions. The companies handle tax-deferred property exchanges under Internal...

Health Savings Accounts gain ground as public comprehends insurance alternative.
May 15, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson After taking awhile to catch on, Health Savings Accounts represent an established and growing line of business for several Idaho health insurers and insurance brokers. Officials with Regence BlueShield of Idaho,...

HSAs gain ground as public comprehends insurance alternative.
May 15, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson

Sundance markets final pieces of Boise's BlackEagle Center.
May 15, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson Strong transaction activity this year in BlackEagle Center brings the 45-acre business park in southwest Boise close to completion, according to project developers. A single, 0.8-acre parcel that could accommodate...

Forum makes case for Blacks Creek planned community in southeast Boise.
May 15, 2006... Byline: Lora Volkert Developers, consultants and government agencies made the case for a planned community in southeast Boise in a public forum last week at the Egyptian Theatre. The Treasure Valley will need plenty of housing over the...

Albertsons boosts employee volunteering.
May 15, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Albertsons' 240,000 employees volunteered more than 1.8 million hours to support charitable causes in the year between May 2005 and April 2006, up from 1.4 million hours the prior year, the company announced last...

Idaho Public Utilities Commission approves Simplot power sale.
May 15, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report The Idaho Public Utilities Commission has approved a sales agreement between Idaho Power Co. and J.R. Simplot Co., which operates a cogeneration facility at its industrial site near Pocatello. The seven-year...

Capital City Development Corp. seeks condo proposals for former warehouse site in Boise.
May 15, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Capital City Development Corp. plans to issue a request for qualifications and proposals May 15 for developing condos on just over an acre at 620 S. 9th St., Boise. The Boise urban renewal agency seeks to work...

TechLaunch 3.0 introduces entrepreneurs to investors.
May 15, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Organizers of TechLaunch 3.0, a competition in which entrepreneurs pitch their startup firms to angel investors and venture capitalists, are seeking early-stage business owners to present at the event. ...

Micron Technology, Hewlett-Packard rank among top corporate citizens.
May 15, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Business Ethics magazine listed Hewlett-Packard and Micron Technology among its "100 Best Corporate Citizens" for 2006. U.S. firms in the S&P 500, Russell 1000, and Boston-based KLD Research and Analytics'...

Owners of Blackfoot, Idaho-based firm named Small Business Persons of Year.
May 15, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report The U.S. Small Business Administration last week named Premier Technology Inc. owners Mark Brown, Daniel Acevedo and Douglas Sayer 2006 Idaho Small Business Persons of the Year. Premier, based in Blackfoot,...

Boise-based Washington Group International fires on all cylinders for qtr.
May 15, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Washington Group International Inc. earned $19 million in the first quarter, or 62 cents per share, up 18 percent from $16.1 million, or 55 cents a share, a year earlier. Analysts expected the Boise...

Idacorp's earnings increase in first quarter.
May 15, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Idacorp Inc. earned $25.5 million in the first quarter, or 60 cents per share, up 10.4 percent from $23.1 million, or 55 cents a share a year earlier. Revenue increased by 39.5 percent to $273.6 million. ...

BoDo's Rivers plans more Boise projects.
May 15, 2006... Byline: Lora Volkert BoDo developer Mark Rivers said he plans to pursue more mixed-use development projects in downtown Boise, including at least one he plans to launch this summer. Rivers plans to open a 3,000-square-foot office of...

Middleton growth continues with more commercial space.
May 15, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson Middleton is getting more office and retail space. Mill Town LLC plans an office and retail complex, to include medical offices and a larger store for grocer Ridley's, on the east side of Middleton Road south of...

MP Mask to build Boise plant, hire 75, make technology for smaller chips.
May 15, 2006... Byline: Lora Volkert Boise-based Micron Technology Inc. and Photronics Inc., a Brookfield, Conn.-based manufacturer of photomasks, have formed a joint venture to develop and make photomasks, which are used in manufacturing...

Boise-based Insurance Network partners with public insurance holding company.
May 15, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Insurance Network America, Boise, recently entered a marketing relationship with a publicly traded life and health insurance holding company. The agreement with Independence Holding Co., Stamford, Conn., gives...

Samsung, Infineon settle suit; Boise-based Micron faces similar lawsuits.
May 15, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Samsung Electronics in South Korea and Germany-based Infineon Technologies, two major competitors of Boise-based semiconductor maker Micron Technology, last week settled a class-action lawsuit over memory chip...

Greater Boise Auditorium District moves ahead with convention center plans.
May 15, 2006... Byline: Lora Volkert Even though it was defeated twice at the polls, a new, larger convention center may still be in the cards for downtown Boise. The Greater Boise Auditorium District board voted last week to finance phased...

Supervalu picks three former Albertsons leaders for its executive team.
May 15, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Supervalu's executive team will include three former Albertsons Inc. leaders when Supervalu finishes buying part of Albertsons. A group including Supervalu plans to buy Albertsons in mid-June for about $17...

Steel prices still on the rise.
May 15, 2006... Byline: Ken Miller With the warm-weather construction season cranking up, Idaho contractors report a welcome stabilization in steel supplies and more stable prices, but costs continue to rise due to surging transportation costs and high...

Redesigning your house? Check those covenants first.
May 15, 2006... Byline: Gaye Bunderson Rules called covenants govern what homeowners can and can't do on their own property and how homebuilders construct houses in subdivisions and planned communities. The thought behind Conditions, Covenants and...

Boise construction volume slips in April.
May 15, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson Construction dollar volume fell by 28 percent in Boise last month, to $37.5 million from $52.1 million in April 2005. That included a 40 percent decrease in commercial construction volume, to $16.9 million. ...

Design-build trend gains traction.
May 15, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson The "design-build" alternative to traditional construction bidding can save time and money - in the right situation. Several builders and developers in the Boise area say it's gaining acceptance, but probably won't...

Gas prices, new models drive Scooters' growth.
May 22, 2006... Byline: Lora Volkert (This article originally ran in Idaho Business Review, Boise, Idaho, another Dolan Media publication.) High gas prices have been good for at least one local business. Business has doubled at Scooters of Boise...

Commercial and residential assessed values in Ada County soar 18 percent over 2005.
May 22, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson Taxable property values rose sharply in Ada County this year, based on recent strong demand for commercial and residential real estate. Commercial and residential valuations each increased by about 18 percent from...

Hewlett-Packard honors Idaho Human Rights Commission's Goddard.
May 22, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Hewlett-Packard last week presented Leslie Goddard, the director of the Idaho Commission on Human Rights, with the 2006 HP Award for Distinguished Leadership in Human Rights. The award is given to leaders in...

Idaho Workforce Development Training Fund supports high-paying jobs.
May 22, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report The Idaho Workforce Development Council recently changed eligibility requirements for one of the state's major business incentive programs to encourage companies to add higher-wage jobs with benefits. The...

Valley Initiative for Prosperity raises $5 million in first year, hopes to add 11,000 jobs.
May 22, 2006... Byline: Lora Volkert Recruiting businesses to the Boise area will be easier with a $5 million budget. But the Valley still faces economic development challenges, including the lack of a community college, said Shirl Boyce, vice...

Single family rental homes show signs of improvement.
May 29, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson The investor segment of the Ada County housing market seems to be cooling, increasing the likelihood for rental houses to attract tenants, according to a property managers' group and one of the area's sizable banks....

Idaho exports reach $857 million in 1st quarter.
May 29, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Idaho exports set a record $857 million in sales for the January through March quarter, $47 million higher than a year ago. "Continued strength in our international markets means strength in Idaho, where one of...

Syringa Bank plans Middleton branch.
May 29, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson Syringa Bank plans to open a Middleton branch in September. Construction of the 3,700-square-foot building started last week at 1020 W. Main St., in the Wellstone commercial development west of Middleton High...

Top Projects speaker: Treasure Valley market poses challenges.
May 29, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson Commercial and institutional construction will stay strong in the Treasure Valley into next year, but challenges lie ahead, the president of the Building Owners & Managers Association Boise chapter says. Geoff...

Ada County's apartment vacancy rate drops in April.
May 29, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Apartment vacancy averaged 6.3 percent in Ada County in late April, according to the quarterly Ada Real Estate Surveys report. Vacancy also averaged 6.3 percent for two-bedroom apartments. It stood at 4.8...

Washington Trust Bank: Slowing home sales won't stall growth.
May 29, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson A drop in Treasure Valley home sales this year won't curtail Washington Trust Bank's plans to develop new branch offices. Spokane-based WTB is sticking with plans announced last fall to add four branch offices in...

Twin Falls County to vote on sale of hospital to St. Luke's.
May 29, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Residents of Twin Falls County will vote May 23 on whether to sell Magic Valley Regional Medical Center, a tax-supported county hospital, to the not-for-profit, non-tax-supported St. Luke's Health System. St....

Macy's to close store in Pine Ridge Mall in Chubbuck.
May 29, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Macy's announced last week it will close its store in the Pine Ridge Mall in Chubbuck by late summer. The store did not generate sufficient revenue or profits, and Macy's was unable to find a place in the area...

Boise Centre Guest Lodge to become boutique-style hotel.
May 29, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson David Hale said he expects to start renovating Boise Centre Guest Lodge downtown into a boutique-style hotel within a month. The $2 million project will turn the 48-room lodge into the 41-room Modern Hotel - a...

Boise-based Knipe Janoush Knipe teams with Integra Realty Resources.
May 29, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Knipe Janoush Knipe LLC, a large real estate valuation and counseling firm based in Boise, recently joined Integra Realty Resources Inc. and changed its operating name to Integra Resources-Boise. Brad Knipe...

Command Center Inc. acquires franchise offices.
May 29, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Command Center Inc., a Post Falls-based provider of temporary staffing services, last week acquired the assets of 31 franchise companies that owned 48 Command Center offices. Command Center (BULLETIN BOARD:...

MPC Computers losses deepen despite high-margin product sales.
May 29, 2006... Byline: Lora Volkert HyperSpace Communications Inc., the parent company of Nampa-based MPC Computers, reported a net loss of $7.5 million for the first quarter of 2006 last week on revenue of $66.5 million. The loss, which amounted to...

Idaho's economy, water levels leave tourists awash with cash.
May 29, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson Combine swelled rivers and reservoirs with a strong Idaho economy and you get a bright outlook for the state's tourism industry. Even the high price of gasoline may boost business at some of the state's recreation...

Positron Systems finds strength in other people's damaged goods.
May 29, 2006... Byline: Lora Volkert The new CEO of Positron Systems, a Boise-based firm that tests materials for damage before cracks appear, aims to make Positron a $55 million company in five years by licensing its technology. A technology...

Immigration-reform proposals could affect construction trades.
May 29, 2006... Byline: Brad Carlson When Julio Berrelez took a carpentry internship after graduating from Nampa High School in 1972, relatively few Hispanics worked in the Idaho construction industry. "My parents were migrant workers. They didn't...

New Bown Crossing eateries scheduled to open doors soon.
May 29, 2006... Byline: Lora Volkert The owners of a new pizzeria say they think Bown Crossing is the perfect place from which to launch a chain. And a family that owns five Treasure Valley Mexican restaurants says it's a great place for a sixth. ...

Coldwater Creek reports earnings surge in quarter.
May 29, 2006... Byline: IBR Staff Report Coldwater Creek last week reported earnings of $11.6 million, or 13 cents per share, on revenue of $215.2 million for the company's first quarter, which ended April 29. Net income from retail, Internet and...