Idaho Business Review, Boise articles from November 2003

Idaho Business Review, Boise archives from November 2003

Idaho bankruptcies rise 10.3% over '02.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Brad Carlson Bankruptcy filings increased by 10.3 percent through the third quarter as Idahoans struggled to pay credit card, medical and other bills while unemployed or under-employed.The number of filings has been increasing more...

Boise-based Idaho Saltwater Emporium serves growing demand for saltwater aquariums.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Steve Martin ***** CORRECTION: CorrectionA story in the Nov. 3 Business Review, headlined "Shop serves growing demand for saltwater aquariums," incorrectly referred to "Garden City West" on Fairview Avenue near Cloverdale...

Sun Valley-based Elkhorn Golf Club to get $6 million in renovations.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Brad Carlson It's one of Idaho's most famous golf courses; it was designed by world-renown architects - Does Elkhorn Golf Club in Sun Valley need a $6 million makeover?The club's owners and managers think so, as they started...

Arizona-based Petsmart plans third Idaho store in Meridian.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Steve Martin Petsmart, an Arizona-based retailer of pet food and other supplies, has started construction on a store at the Meridian Crossroads shopping center on Eagle Road near Fairview Avenue.Andrea Davis, a communications...

Micron Technology stock gets boost from Merrill Lynch upgrade to 'buy'.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Brad Carlson Micron Technology Inc. stock gained value through much of last week after an upgrade by Merrill Lynch analyst Joe Osha reversed a series of four downgrades by other brokerages in October.Osha upgraded Micron stock...

San Francisco-based Building Materials Holding Corp. reports decline in third-quarter net income.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Brad Carlson Building Materials Holding Corp. last week said net income in the third quarter declined to $8 million, or 59 cents per diluted share, from the year-earlier level of $9.7 million, or 73 cents a share.The parent company...

Boise to get its 2nd dueling-piano bar, Boogie Woogies.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Steve Martin Dueling dueling-piano bars will duke it out in downtown Boise beginning Nov. 7 with the arrival of Boogie Woogies in the Mode Building at Eighth and Idaho streets.Franc Winkley, a Boogie Woogies partner, said tenant...

Intermountain Outdoor Sports Bldg. in Boise to be converted into multi-tenant use and expanded.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Brad Carlson The Intermountain Outdoor Sports Building, vacant in Meridian since the business closed just more than a year ago, will be converted for multi-tenant use and expanded, new owners say.A Treasure Valley group recently...

Developers plan mixed-use building project, La Strada Place, for downtown Eagle.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Brad Carlson Citing demand for housing and small commercial spaces in downtown Eagle, a local group proposes to build a small mixed-use building west of Eagle City Hall. The three-story La Strada Place, planned at the southwest...

Boise-based Extended Systems appoints Willis as sales vice president.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Brad Carlson Extended Systems Inc. appointed David Willis as vice president of North American sales.Willis brings more than 13 years of senior-level, strategic sales management experience to the Extended Systems executive team, the...

Commentary: Unmasking those spooky 'free access' dialer scams.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Rick Edvalson Is there a ghost in your machine? Halloween is a good time to consider whether your computer is haunted, because if it is and you don't know it, it could be expensive.Consider the widely reported case of the Oviatt...

Northern Idaho ammunition maker, Alliant Techsystems, wins U.S. contracts.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Brad Carlson Alliant Techsystems, a $2.2 billion aerospace, defense and ammunition company based in Minnesota, recently received federal contracts that bode well for its three ammunition plants in Lewiston, in north Idaho.Alliant -...

Boise-based General Fire & Casualty offers insurance for livestock diseases.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Brad Carlson General Fire & Casualty Co. recently launched an insurance product covering losses due to certain livestock diseases."The CattleGuard" covers loss from the diseases even if a terrorist act causes an outbreak of...

Knoxville, Ark.-based Coast to Coast Carports plans Heyburn plant.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Brad Carlson Coast to Coast Carports Inc. plans to build an assembly plant in Heyburn.The Knoxville, Ark.-based company plans initially to employ 20 workers in the 10,000-square-foot plant and up to 50 within two years, a news...

Wi-Fi 'hot spots' begin popping up around Boise.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Ken Levy From coffee shops to airports to hotels, notebook and PDA users are finding more locations to get online with wireless connections, thanks to Wi-Fi technology. Wi-Fi, short for Wireless Fidelity, refers to the 802.11...

Underground tanks delay BoDo building start - maybe 'til January.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Steve Martin Construction of three new retail and commercial buildings at 8th Street Marketplace in downtown Boise has been pushed back to late this year or early 2004, developer Mark Rivers says.Rivers, principal in BoDo Partners,...

Retail, eatery planned for Kuna.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Brad Carlson An additional commercial center is planned in growing Kuna.Sandstone Plaza, slated at the southwest corner of Avenue E and Fourth Street, is envisioned by two development groups - one planning to renovate and expand...

'Outlook' speakers hold out hope for '04 rebound.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Steven Anderson Warmer economic weather is ahead.That was the forecast from speakers at the annual Economic Outlook Forum, staged on a chilly Tuesday morning last week by the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce.Economist John Mitchell...

Commercial construction seen gaining in year ahead.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Steve Martin Commercial construction in the Treasure Valley is expected to pick up in 2004, but the surge might not begin for at least another six months. That prediction came in an outlook presentation last week by the Idaho...

Micron builds testing plant in Puerto Rico.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Brad Carlson Micron Technology Inc., which has been doing some final-stage manufacturing in Puerto Rico since the beginning of this year, last week broke ground on a 48,000-square-foot plant there.It will replace a facility that...

Taco Del Mar franchisee plans 4 eateries in Valley.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Steve Martin Taco Del Mar, a Seattle-based quick-service Mexican food chain, plans to open its first Boise restaurant in January, and plans three other Treasure Valley eateries by spring.Franchise developer Todd Hicks, a former...

Syringa Networks presses on with rural broadband project.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Brad Carlson Syringa Networks LLC expects to complete its largely rural broadband network across the southern two-thirds of Idaho by year's end.While construction of the approximately $40 million network is about six months behind...

Regence Blue Shield names new president.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Brad Carlson Regence Blue Shield of Idaho has named John Stellmon as president and CEO, effective Nov. 14.Stellmon will be based in Boise, although corporate headquarters will remain in Lewiston. The company also has offices in...

Idacorp's third-quarter net grows 27 percent.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Brad Carlson Idaho Power Co. parent Idacorp Inc.'s third-quarter earnings exceeded year-earlier levels, as financial benefits outweighed the impacts of below-average water levels.Idacorp last week reported net income of $46.8...

Bank of America to build its first Treasure Valley branch in eight years.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Brad Carlson Bank of America plans to build its first Treasure Valley branch in eight years in front of the Home Depot store under construction on State Street near Idaho 55, in Eagle, and may build others. The Eagle branch...

Boise developer releases plans for construction of Eagle Towne & Country Centre.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Brad Carlson Eagle Towne & Country Centre, to be anchored by a Home Depot under construction and eventually by a WinCo Foods store, ultimately will include three large buildings and 10 smaller buildings on outlying pads. A...

Apartment vacancy rate in Ada County tightens a bit.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Brad Carlson The apartment vacancy rate remains in double digits in Ada County, and may be as high as 15 percent. Ada Real Estate Surveys, in its latest quarterly report, pegged average vacancy at 10.5 percent at the end of...

Getting a liquor license in Boise takes either lots of time or money.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Ken Miller Kevin Settles is a successful restaurateur, having recently opened Bardenay in Eagle, but he sympathizes with his wannabe competitors who dream of opening their own restaurants and serving mixed drinks to patrons. ...

San Jose-based Novellus Systems Inc. relocates its Boise office.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Brad Carlson Novellus Systems Inc., which builds the wire-like strands that connect integrated circuits, has relocated its Boise office. The company moved the staff of 12 to a space of just over 1,700 square feet in the Teal...

Women's business group NAWBO grows S. Idaho chapter, started in '02.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Steve Martin Helping women entrepreneurs navigate the road to success is the goal behind a national women's advocacy organization, whose southern Idaho chapter is steadily growing in numbers. For nearly three decades, the...

Mountain West Bank posts record earnings.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Brad Carlson Mountain West Bank earned $4.4 million after taxes for the nine months ended Sept. 30, up nearly 54 percent from the year-earlier period. "Record mortgage originations and asset growth were largely responsible for...

Capitol Village gains tenants.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Steve Martin Despite the continued absence of an anchor tenant, Capitol Village at Capitol Boulevard and University Drive is starting to fill up. For several months earlier this year, the 3 1/2-year-old retail center looked as...

NAPA expands into new downtown store.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Brad Carlson A Twin Falls-based company that owns 18 NAPA Auto Parts stores plans to move a downtown Boise outlet to larger quarters. Dynaparts LLC recently leased 12,000 square feet of building space at street level and 9,000...

El Dorado Business Campus starts to rise at Eagle, Overland.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Brad Carlson Seven buildings are under construction or "in the works" in El Dorado Business Campus in southeast Meridian, and "probably nine or 10 buildings will be completed by mid-'04, at minimum," developer Winston Moore says....

Extended Systems names new CFO.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Brad Carlson Extended Systems Inc. last week appointed Valerie Heusinkveld vice president of finance and chief financial officer. She succeeds Karla Rosa, who resigned to pursue other opportunities, the Boise company said in a...

Primary Health offers Basic Value insurance plan.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Brad Carlson Boise-based Primary Health Network Inc. has introduced Basic Value, a group voluntary health insurance plan for employees who do not qualify for an employer-sponsored health plan. The company also markets Basic...

Nampa's Mason Creek Plaza draws interest.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Brad Carlson Developers have completed paving and utility installation at Mason Creek Plaza, a 30-acre light-industrial and commercial park south of the Franklin Road interchange with Interstate 84 in Nampa. A 4-acre site is...

Idaho Public Utilities Commission eyes Mountain Home power plant.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Brad Carlson The Idaho Public Utilities Commission is taking written comments through Dec. 15 on Idaho Power Co.'s application to construct a 162-megawatt, gas-fired power plant in Mountain Home. Idaho Power selected a bid from...

Remaining flexible called key for '04 for contractors.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Steve Martin While commercial construction in the Valley is expected to pick up next year, contractors may need to be more flexible about the kind of projects they choose to bid on. Dennis Robinson, president of Boise general...

I-84 Connector project nears early end.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Ken Miller With the most disruptive Flying Wye construction work behind it, the Idaho Transportation Department now expects the state's biggest, most time-consuming construction project to be complete by next summer, rather than in...

Asin Homes builds on residential boom.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Ken Levy Business is building so quickly at Asin Homes LLC, Boise, that the company has surpassed 2002 revenues, according to owner Gary Asin. "We enjoyed a 37 percent growth in sales from 2001 to 2002," said Asin, who...

Commercial construction up 14% in Idaho towns.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Brad Carlson Boise commercial and apartment construction posted gains from year-earlier levels through October, the city's monthly construction report said. Meanwhile, the Wells Fargo Idaho Construction Report for August, the...

Holidays look hot for retail this year.
November 24, 2003... Byline: Steve Martin Many retailers are looking to the 2003 holiday shopping season with a decided air of optimism, thanks largely to numerous national reports touting a strengthening economy and continuing consumer confidence. "I...

Boise Office Equipment buys Finch-Brown unit.
November 24, 2003... Byline: Brad Carlson Boise Office Equipment plans to acquire the lion's share of competitor Finch-Brown Co., increasing its employee headcount by about 15 and annual revenues by more than a third. Boise Office Equipment, which employs...

Washington Group International wows Wall Street with 51 cents a share in 3Q.
November 24, 2003... Byline: Steven Anderson Washington Group International last week reported third-quarter earnings of $12.8 million, or 51 cents a share, unchanged from a year earlier, on revenues of $588 million, down 35 percent from $903.7 million in the...

Coldwater Creek net grows 16% on fall sales rush.
November 24, 2003... Byline: Steve Martin Women's apparel retailer Coldwater Creek Inc. (Nasdaq:CWTR) saw a 16 percent jump in its third quarter profits, attributed in part to strong sales in fall merchandise. Net income for the three-month period (ended...

5-story bldg. slated for Eagle Rd.
November 24, 2003... Byline: Brad Carlson A five-story, 92-000-square-foot office building is planned next year in the Meadow Lake Village senior community under development across from St. Luke's Meridian Medical Center. The building is being developed...

Horizon Health to build in Eagle's Rocky Mtn. park.
November 24, 2003... Byline: Steve Martin A 6-year-old health clinic plans to relocate from Meridian to a new building in Eagle by September. Sydney & Associates LLC has purchased a 1-acre lot on Plaza Drive in the Rocky Mountain Business Park in Eagle for...

Idaho State Chapter of March of Dimes to honor commercial realtor.
November 24, 2003... Byline: Brad Carlson The Idaho State Chapter of the March of Dimes will honor Arthur F. "Skip" Oppenheimer at its fourth biannual Boise Valley Commercial Real Estate Award Breakfast. The event is slated from 7 to 9 a.m. Dec. 9 at the...

Commentary: Backed-up data come to rescue in real-life crisis.
November 24, 2003... Byline: Rick Edvalson A couple of weeks ago, it was time to see if we practiced what we preached. We had just moved into new offices. As an unofficial house warming, somebody broke in late at night, poured gasoline on the carpet, set...

Associated Taxpayers of Idaho speakers talk tough about costs.
November 24, 2003... Byline: Brad Carlson Government agencies and nonprofit groups can benefit from some cost-cutting measures that corporations have undertaken during recently tough times, but it takes commitment and a tolerance for pain. That's what...

Builder selected for Garden City city hall.
November 24, 2003... Byline: Brad Carlson Hansen-Rice Inc., Boise, has been selected to design and build a new City Hall and library for Garden City. The council chose Hansen-Rice from among three design-build proposals. Others were from McAlvain...

Two real estate firms take Rivershore South space.
November 24, 2003... Byline: Brad Carlson Two real estate companies have leased a combined 9,900 square feet of space in the Rivershore South office building, in the North Channel Center development in Eagle. Vision First LLC, a unit of Vancouver,...

Lodge Logs' new office bldg. delayed until spring.
November 24, 2003... Byline: Steve Martin Construction of a new corporate office for Lodge Logs, a Boise-based company that manufactures log-home kits, has been pushed back to spring. Owner Dan Balbach said last week that economic concerns influenced his...