Idaho Business Review, Boise articles from May 2008

Idaho Business Review, Boise archives from May 2008

First Quarter figures show drop in permits issued.
May 1, 2008... Byline: Dani Grigg If you haven't yet had enough of the downward-plunging nightmares, here's another one for you: the number of first-quarter building permits issued in Ada and Canyon counties has dropped dramatically over the last few...

Idaho ACLU executive director steps down.
May 1, 2008... Byline: IBR Staff Report Jack Van Valkenburgh has stepped down as executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union as of today. During Van Valkenburgh's tenure, the ACLU in Idaho grew from 350 to over 2000 members, and from...

Idaho Dept. of Finance orders mortgage lender to stop deceptive mailers.
May 2, 2008... Byline: IBR Staff Report The Idaho Department of Finance has ordered a Colorado-based mortgage lender to stop sending misleading and deceptive mailers to Idaho residents. The department alleges that Assurity Financial Services LLC sent...

Dept. of Water Resources: Change in ownership of fish farm near Twin Falls to reduce water conflicts.
May 2, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Ownership of the Pristine Springs fish farm near Twin Falls changed following a series of transactions in April. The ownership change aims to address conflicts between spring water users and ground water users in...

Linens 'n Things in Idaho Falls to close after bankruptcy.
May 2, 2008... Byline: Dani Grigg Linens Holding Co., the operator of the national home retail chain Linens 'n Things, announced today it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. It has plans to close 120 underperforming retail outlets across the...

Western Aircraft seeks permit for interior-refurb facility in Boise.
May 5, 2008... Byline: IBR Staff Report The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality seeks public comment on a proposed air quality permit to construct for the aircraft interior refurbishing facility that Western Aircraft Inc. operates in Boise. ...

Plans call for La Quinta Inn near Boise Airport.
May 5, 2008... Byline: Simon Shifrin Developers behind a La Quinta Inn near the Boise Airport face a key public hearing before the Boise Planning & Zoning Commission tonight. The developers' plans call for a 78-room, four-story hotel on West Elder...

Ex-catcher now plays in big league of buying and selling businesses.
May 5, 2008... Byline: Dani Grigg Growing up, Kyle Hopstad's dreams centered around baseball. He was on teams throughout grade school and went on to play for the Pacific Lutheran University Lutes. His position was catcher, and he wouldn't have had it...

Boise celebrates National Building Safety Week.
May 5, 2008... Byline: Dani Grigg This week is National Building Safety Week, and the City of Boise wants to recognize those who have made building safety a priority. At a luncheon on May 15, the city will recognize three building owners who have...

Acquisition drags Boise Inc. in quarter.
May 5, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Boise Inc. posted a net loss in the first quarter, although sales rose from a year earlier. The company formed in February after predecessor Aldabra 2 Acquisition Corp. bought the Paper, and Packaging and Newsprint,...

Renewal rush: Low office vacancy in downtown Boise inspires some businesses to renew.
May 5, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Low office vacancy in downtown Boise inspires some businesses to renew leases or secure expansion space sooner rather than later. In some cases they will come to us long before the stated notice period, said Liz...

Idaho farmers find ways to deal with fuel hike.
May 5, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Just get your checkbook out. That was John Hartman's initial response when asked how he and Hartman Farms, near Parma, deal with the recent spike in farm fuel prices. On the strictly technical side, he said they...

Idaho firms tout trip to Mexico.
May 5, 2008... Byline: Simon Shifrin Stephen Kaiser traveled to Mexico unsure if there would be demand for his company's automated welding products. He returned last week from a trade mission with Idaho Gov. C.L. Butch Otter with three specific...

Dedication of Indian Creek in Caldwell only a beginning.
May 5, 2008... Byline: Dani Grigg With Indian Creek restored, downtown Caldwell is ready to lure developers back. At the ribbon-cutting dedication ceremony, the city announced a package of incentives that included a 60-percent cost-share program for...

Idaho governor slated to open first Global 21 conference May 13.
May 5, 2008... Byline: IBR Staff Report Idaho Trust National Bank, Boise, plans to present the first Global 21 International Business and Investment Conference from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. May 13 at Boise Centre on the Grove. Conference topics will...

Executive director of ACLU in Idaho steps down.
May 5, 2008... Byline: IBR Staff Report Jack Van Valkenburgh has stepped down as executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union. During Van Valkenburgh's tenure, the ACLU in Idaho grew from 350 to over 2,000 members, and from having no...

Eagle Road medical office market adding big spaces.
May 5, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Customers come from miles around to Spinal Dynamics Chiropractic and Rehabilitation Specialists, which in January opened on Overland Road southeast of the Eagle Road interchange with Interstate 84, Meridian. Suzi...

Women's and Children's Alliance's TWIN event recognizes accomplishments of 42 women.
May 5, 2008... Byline: Idaho Business Review Staff Report Community leaders and friends gathered to honor the accomplishments of 42 professional women as part of the Women's and Children's Alliance tribute held last week. These remarkable women are...

New annexation in Kuna points to larger growth.
May 5, 2008... Byline: Dani Grigg The recent annexation of the 37-acre Mellin Property by the Kuna City Council continues to raise excitement about growth in the area. Kuna Planning and Zoning Director Steve Hasson said there are a few reasons Kuna...

ADHD coach in Eagle finds demand among entrepreneurs.
May 5, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson More people now know that Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder have business implications, said Gayla Wilson, an Eagle-based ADHD coach whose clients include entrepreneurs. Many...

Commentary: 'Purifying' the GOP - by closing primaries? -- The Longer View.
May 5, 2008... Byline: Steve Ahrens Napoleon famously said, Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake. No one interrupted him when, in an act of extreme military hubris and political ego, he invaded Russia. We all know how that turned...

Commentary: One person can make a difference for the entire planet.
May 5, 2008... Byline: Robb Hicken Global warming. Yes the entire world is now concerned with global warming and the pollution that is spewing into the atmosphere. Everything we do seems to add up on the worldwide global warming frenzy. And, yes, I too...

Boise Real Estate Briefs: May 5, 2008.
May 5, 2008... Byline: IBR Staff Report Provident Funding leased 1,951 square feet in the Sonoma Square office building, 1940 S. Bonito Way in Meridian's El Dorado Business Campus. Steve Vlassek of El Dorado developer W.H. Moore Co. represented the...

Bid Briefs.
May 5, 2008... D&S Factors plans an office building on Whitley Drive in Fruitland. Details of the two-story, 13,000-square-foot project are available from general contractor Hansen-Rice Inc., P.O. Box 337, Nampa, Idaho 83653. A bid opening for subcontractors...

Contracts Awarded.
May 5, 2008... Steve Winslow Construction, Nampa, is the general contractor for the Boise Plaza parking garage at 1111 W. Jefferson, Boise (negotiated). Cost not listed. Petra Inc., Boise, is the general contractor for the Valley View Skilled Nursing...

Commentary: How life in cubicles evolved.
May 5, 2008... Byline: Salle Ann Robinson Space planning for today's office is not as simple as it once was. Every decade has offered new recommendations on how best to design the environment for the office worker. Germany introduced the open plan...

Idaho contractor Kevin Sligar left building career.
May 5, 2008... Byline: Gaye Bunderson Kevin Sligar realized he needed an alternative career when the housing market started to slow down. Up until last year Sliger built investment duplexes with Rob Wold, his partner in a firm called Valley Builders. ...

When it comes to office products, it's better to beware than to be cheap.
May 5, 2008... Byline: Robb Hicken When Dave Silva worked for nationwide photocopier supply company IBM, he said he heard horror stories of how sales representatives would bad-mouth and say just about anything to make a sale. That was in the early...

Building Permits.
May 5, 2008... BUILDING PERMITS CITY OF BOISE PERMIT/TYPE    OWNER    BUILDER    LOCATION    VALUE 00392-grading    Karan’s Corner LLC    New West...

Company picks Idaho for uranium enrichment plant.
May 6, 2008... Byline: Simon Shifrin The French-owned energy firm Areva Inc. has decided to build a $2 billion uranium enrichment plant near Idaho Falls. The Associated Press broke the story this morning. Areva said in a press release today that the...

Calif.-based Synoptek plans operations move to Boise.
May 6, 2008... Byline: Robb Hicken Synoptek, of Santa Ana, Calif., has acquired The Network Group Inc. of Boise. The systems consulting and IT outsourcing firm intends to build a service deliver operation in Boise that will serve customers in both Idaho...

Idaho's Highway 12 Ventures gets boost with new partners.
May 6, 2008... Byline: IBR Staff Report Miles Mahoney and Glenn Michael are now part of Highway 12 Ventures as general partners, according to a news release. Mahoney previously was with SAS as vice president of global alliances and channels. Michael...

U.S. Geothermal begins drilling at eastern Oregon site.
May 7, 2008... Byline: IBR Staff U.S. Geothermal Inc., a renewable energy company focused on the production of electricity from geothermal energy, has begun drilling on the first full-size exploration well at the Neal Hot Springs Project in eastern...

U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge wants more information on Boise Place investor.
May 7, 2008... Byline: Simon Shifrin Progress in the Boise Place bankruptcy case now depends on the disclosure in court of financial information on a new investor who hopes to redevelop the long-delayed tower project at the heart of Boise's downtown,...

WellPoint NextRx signs pact with Blue Cross of Idaho.
May 7, 2008... Byline: IBR Staff WellPoint NextRx, the nation's largest health plan-owned pharmacy benefits manager, has signed a five-year agreement with Blue Cross of Idaho to serve as the pharmacy benefits manager for nearly 550,000 members. ...

Eagle vintner premiers first wine Saturday.
May 8, 2008... Byline: Dani Grigg Eagle will pop open its first all-local bottle of wine May 10. 3Horse Ranch Vineyards has been growing grapes in the Eagle's newly designated wine district for four years, and this week the fruits of their labor will be...

Construction begins Monday on Morrison Center plaza.
May 8, 2008... Byline: Dani Grigg A portion of Cesar Chavez Lane in front of the Morrison Center will be closed beginning, Monday, to allow for greenbelt, roadway improvements and a new plaza. Parking for the box-office will be on the west-side next...

Boise Mayor kicks off Green Week.
May 9, 2008... Byline: Dani Grigg Today the mayor kicked off Boise's Green Week with an announcement at the Grove. We talk a lot about making Boise and keeping it the most livable city in the country, but we can't be livable if our planet is not, Mayor...

Meridian-based Western Electronics awarded contract.
May 9, 2008... Byline: IBR Staff Report Western Electronics recently entered a manufacturing agreement with data storage experts Plasmon LMS Inc. According to a release, Western will help with the GX and G chassis of archival storage libraries for...

Idacorp reports lower earnings.(Financial report)
May 9, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Idaho Power parent Idacorp Inc. on May 8 said below-average hydroelectric production levels and other factors dragged first-quarter earnings below year-earlier levels. The Boise-based company reported first quarter...

Builders in Boise area: price is ripe.
May 12, 2008... Byline: Dani Grigg When Charles and Noelle Desrosiers started in November to look for a home in Boise, they had a few ideas in mind: they wanted it to be close to school and work, they wanted it to be attractive, they wanted it to be new,...

Put brake on infringement: Boise start-up files lawsuit against car manufacturers.
May 12, 2008... Byline: Simon Shifrin A Boise start-up is hitting back in federal court at a dozen vehicle manufacturers it claims have infringed on its 2002 patent for an automatic brake control system that makes it less likely for a vehicle to roll out...

Manufacturing jobs loss continues in Idaho; workforce looks good.
May 12, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Idaho's manufacturing employment has spiraled downward for the past nine months, leaving experts concerned but optimistic when looking at the state's overall economic picture. The goods-producing side of the...

Marriott adds to Idaho Falls downtown hub.
May 12, 2008... Byline: Dani Grigg In April, M-13 Construction broke ground on a Marriott Residence Inn on Broadway Avenue in Idaho Falls. The 98,704-square-foot building will have five stories and 107 rooms equipped with the amenities like kitchens and...

Uranium enrichment plant predicted to have $5 billion impact on E. Idaho economy.
May 12, 2008... Byline: Simon Shifrin The decision by French-owned energy firm Areva Inc. last week to build a $2 billion uranium enrichment plant near Idaho Falls will provide a huge boost to the eastern Idaho economy with an estimated $5 billion worth...

Idaho Power parent Idacorp reports lower earnings in hydropower.(Financial report)
May 12, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Idaho Power parent Idacorp Inc. on May 8 said below-average hydroelectric production levels and other factors dragged first-quarter earnings below year-earlier levels. The Boise-based company reported first quarter...

Higher education construction in Idaho presses on despite funding.
May 12, 2008... Byline: Dani Grigg AGC Construction's most recent inflation report stated while overall educational construction climbed 14 percent across the nation in 2007, public education construction, from pre-kindergarten through universities, may...

Opening information on Boise Place may move bankruptcy along.
May 12, 2008... Byline: Simon Shifrin All parties interested in the development of Boise Place are encouraging greater disclosure - including the bankruptcy judge. In bankruptcy court last week, U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Jim Pappas said the case's...

Industrial buildings market in Boise diversifies.
May 12, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Brandon and Cody Caldwell had a dream. Both have been avid outdoor enthusiasts: bikers, hikers and skaters. We wanted to start the first BMX, skateboarding and snowboard specialty shop, said Cody, the younger of...

Boise-based Washington Division boosts URS earnings in first quarter.(Financial report)
May 12, 2008... Byline: Idaho Business Review Staff Report URS Corp. said May 7 that its first-quarter profit climbed 63 percent, helped by the engineering and construction company's recent acquisition of Washington Group International Inc., Boise. ...

Commentary: Political gas is passing on business.
May 12, 2008... Byline: Robb Hicken I shop around when I'm looking to fill up my tank with gasoline. I've been everywhere from Albertsons to Frontier and from Stinker to Costco. There's no way around it, the cheap gas just isn't getting any cheaper. ...

When companies change, credit unions follow.
May 12, 2008... Byline: Simon Shifrin In the wake of news that Albertsons Inc. was up for sale in September 2005, officials at the Albertsons Employees' Federal Credit Union began to examine their own operations. By December 2007, the credit union had...

Pat Vaughn makes career move from banks to credit unions -- Focus Profile.
May 12, 2008... Byline: Gaye Bunderson Only 35,000 people lived in Boise when Pat Vaughn graduated from high school in 1965. Except for time spent working in California in the early 1990s, he has been a lifelong Idahoan. Vaughn is the president and...

Financial planners must protect earnings.
May 12, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson An economic lull is no time for business owners and key employees to get complacent about their financial planning, nationally known Certified Financial Planner Sheryl Garrett says. She leads Shawnee Mission,...

Boise Real Estate Briefs: May 12, 2008.
May 12, 2008... Byline: Idaho Business Review Staff Report Microsoft Corp. leased 35,000 square feet in the Idaho Independent Bank Building, 401 W. Front St., Boise (Idaho Business Review, 5-5-08). Bill Beck of Tenant Realty Advisors and Don Schulz of...

Bid Briefs.
May 12, 2008... A Marriott Residence Inn is planned on Broadway Avenue in Idaho Falls. Details of the five-story, 98,704-square-foot project are available from M-13 Construction Inc., 775 W. 1200 N., Suite 100, Springville, Utah 84663-3010. A bid opening for...

Contracts Awarded.
May 12, 2008... Big D Corp., Salt Lake City, is the general contractor for Idaho State University’s Center for Advanced Energy Studies at the University Place campus adjacent to the Snake River in Idaho Falls. Cost estimate: $14.4 million. ESI...

Building Permits.
May 12, 2008... BUILDING PERMITS CITY OF BOISE PERMIT/TYPE    OWNER    BUILDER    LOCATION    VALUE 00358-parking lot    Vista Village LLC    Genther Masonry...

Do it yourself - but not all alone.
May 12, 2008... Byline: Gaye Bunderson Some people are outright averse to working with tools. Others wish they had the skills to take on a desired home project but lack the courage to start tearing into part of the beloved structure that is their...

Workforce Development Alliance officially under way.
May 12, 2008... Byline: IBR Staff Report Recipient of a three-year, $5 million grant from the U.S. Dept of Labor's Employment & Training Administration (DOLETA) under the WIRED initiative, the eight counties of Idaho's south-central Region IV have created...

Defaults through April increase in second quarter.
May 12, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Default filings keep increasing in Ada and Canyon counties as the second quarter unfolds, IdahoDataProviders.com says in a new report. Monthly filings in Ada County increased from 85 in January 2007 to 191 in...

Boise agency considers parking fee hikes.
May 13, 2008... Byline: Simon Shifrin The Capital City Development Corporation is considering a hike in parking fees at its eight downtown Boise garages. The urban renewal agency's board of directors will debate a proposal to boost the fees from $1.50...

New numbers describe drop in houses sold in Idaho counties.
May 13, 2008... Byline: Dani Grigg The number of single-family homes sold in April 2008 in Ada County was down 35 percent compared to April 2007, according to a report from the Intermountain Multiple Listing Service. Canyon County's drop was even more...

Idaho Department of Environmental Quality extends comment period on Simplot air permit.
May 13, 2008... Byline: IBR Staff Report The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality recently extended the comment deadline involving J.R. Simplot Co.'s application for a permit at its Don plant in Pocatello. Department officials said in a release...

Work key to tapping into international markets, says speaker at Boise conference.(Conference news)
May 13, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson The additional work required to tap international markets is worth it for Idaho businesses, speakers said today at the Global 21 International Business and Investment Conference in Boise. Amy Benson, director of the...

Idaho foreclosures drop in most recent month.
May 14, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson U.S. foreclosure-related filings in April jumped 65 percent from April 2007 and rose 4 percent from March 2008, Irvine, Calif.-based RealtyTrac reported May 14. The group tracks default notices, auction sale notices...

Revised Whole Foods project in Boise up for hearing tonight.
May 14, 2008... Byline: Simon Shifrin Boise's Design Review Committee will examine at a public hearing tonight revised plans for the Whole Foods project on Broadway Avenue between Front and Myrtle streets. The developers, Texas-based Schlosser...

BMHC streamlining to bring jobs to Boise.
May 14, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Building Materials Holding Corp., a San Francisco-based company that has most of its administrative operations in Boise, said it plans to unify and streamline its BMC West and SelectBuild operations. The company will...

Kapolei, Hawaii-based Hoku Scientific posts Q4 loss; ends Merrill debt pact.(Financial report)
May 14, 2008... Byline: Robb Hicken Fuel cell parts maker Hoku Scientific posted a wider-than-expected fourth-quarter loss and said it ended an agreement with Merrill Lynch to borrow up to $185 million, sending its shares down as much as 9 percent. ...

MPC Corp. gets non-compliance notice from stock exchange.
May 15, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Nampa computer maker MPC Corp. on May 14 said it received a non-compliance notice from the American Stock Exchange. The notice indicates that MPC is not in compliance with Rule 1003(a)(i) of the AMEX Company Guide...

Tim White to leave University of Idaho for Cal-Riverside.
May 15, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Tim White will leave the University of Idaho presidency June 30 to become chancellor of the University of California at Riverside, news organizations and the universities reported May 15. He assumed the U of I...

St. Luke's, Mercy Medical Center ink cancer pact.
May 15, 2008... Byline: IBR Staff Report Officials from St Luke's Mountain States Tumor Institute and Mercy Medical Center in Nampa have entered into a partnership to enhance cancer services provided in the Western Treasure Valley. St. Luke's and Mercy...

International Isotopes Inc. 1Q results up $1.3 million.(Financial report)
May 15, 2008... Byline: IBR Staff Report International Isotopes Inc. released financial results for the first quarter ending March 31, showing revenue increased by 45 percent. Revenue for the three-month period ended March 31 was $1,3 million as compared...

Boise restaurant management company agrees to pay fine, back wages.
May 16, 2008... Byline: IBR Staff Report A Boise restaurant management company has agreed to pay $43,956 in back wages to 207 employees and a $37,000 civil fine for child labor law violations after an investigation by the U.S. Labor Department. The...

Boise honors builders for excellence.
May 16, 2008... Byline: Dani Grigg The city of Boise recognized five building owners or managers for excellence in building Thursday at a BOMA luncheon. Boise's director of Planning and Development Services Bruce Chatterton said their goal in planning is...

Atlanta Gold Inc. to terminate U.S. registration and SEC reporting obligations.
May 16, 2008... Byline: IBR Staff Report Atlanta Gold Inc. officials plan to end public trading in the U.S. Board members said the delisting is aimed at decreasing the paperwork on administration. Atlanta Gold holdings include 2,081 acres of land in...

IBR announces 2008 Accomplished Under 40 honorees.
May 16, 2008... Byline: Steve Martin The Idaho Business Review has announced its 2008 Accomplished Under 40 honorees. This year, the program's ninth, was the most competitive to date. More than 100 young movers and shakers across the state were...

Crude oil has hold on U.S. economy, Idaho Congressmen say.
May 19, 2008... Byline: Robb Hicken Senator Larry Craig, R-Idaho, looked back nearly a year ago when he started talking about the crude oil crisis engulfing the nation. He didn't look at the cost per gallon, but rather the huge investor glut that...

Fee hike - Boise agency may adjust parking rates.
May 19, 2008... Byline: Simon Shifrin The Capital City Development Corporation is considering a hike in parking fees at its eight downtown Boise garages to pay for what officials say is a growing list of needed infrastructure upgrades. The urban...

New homes fare better than existing homes in Ada and Canyon county market.
May 19, 2008... Byline: Dani Grigg The Ada and Canyon county housing markets are pulling out of the winter slump, though they haven't pulled up to the same heights as in years past. And as the market responds to the housing downturn's blows, the new-home...

Real estate securities investigations jump in Idaho.
May 19, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Doubling your money in one year is possible in real estate - if you're an Idaho Department of Finance fraud investigator. The financial impact of real-estate-related securities investigations by the department's...

Charge-offs drag Boise-based Syringa Bancorp's 1Q performance.
May 19, 2008... Byline: Idaho Business Review Staff Report Syringa Bancorp on May 2 said loan charge-offs reduced first-quarter earnings. The parent of Boise-based Syringa Bank reported a first-quarter loss of $135,535. Syringa said earnings were...

Bank of Cascades builds permanent branch in Kuna.
May 19, 2008... Byline: Idaho Business Review Staff Report Bank of the Cascades recently broke ground on a permanent branch office at 840 E. Avalon St., Kuna, to replace temporary quarters there. Idaho Region President Mike Mooney said in a release he...

Berg Integrated Systems passes Army-mandated tests.
May 19, 2008... Byline: Idaho Business Review Staff Report Berg Integrated Systems, an enterprise of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, announced last week it passed U.S. Army-mandated testing for its 210,000-gallon fuel tanks and is preparing to start full...