Idaho Business Review, Boise articles from November 2004

Idaho Business Review, Boise archives from November 2004

Idaho's view of '04 economy brightens once again.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Steven Anderson Idaho's economy is expected to show decent job creation this year - up to 2.4 percent, according to the state's latest quarterly forecast - with the major boost coming from construction. That's considerably more...

Micron bids for future automotive-sensor market.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Lora Volkert Cars of the not-too-distant future may warn you when you get too drowsy to drive or automatically disable air bags that could harm a child in the passenger seat. Several potential vehicle safety devices are based...

Java targets Hyde Park site for second Boise shop.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Lora Volkert Java, the most recent addition to the Valley's espresso market, plans a second Boise shop in Hyde Park, on 13th Street near Eastman Street, by the first week of January. Demolition of the former Screamin' Toad...

154,000-ft. Jayco plant slated for Twin Falls.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Lora Volkert Jayco Inc., a Middlebury, Ind.-based recreational vehicle manufacturer, announced last week it will open a 154,000-square-foot plant in Twin Falls. The plant on Washington Street is to employ 80 people and begin...

Tech conference this week aims to aid startup funding.
November 1, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report About 500 people are expected to attend a conference in Boise this week designed to help technology startups and entrepreneurs tap sources of funding in the federal government and elsewhere. The Small Business...

Associated Taxpayers conference set Dec. 1.
November 1, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report The Associated Taxpayers of Idaho plans its 58th annual Taxpayer Conference from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Dec. 1 at Boise Centre on the Grove. The conference, with the theme "Funding/Budget Problem Or Is It The...

Cinema complex due at Ustick, Eagle roads in Boise.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Brad Carlson A 16-screen movie complex of 54,000 square feet is planned in the southeast quadrant of Ustick and Eagle roads, Meridian, as the anchor tenant in a larger development. Jim Kissler, CEO of Boise-based Norco Inc., is...

Wells Fargo consolidates two Boise branches.
November 1, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report Wells Fargo has completed a 1,200-square-foot expansion of its branch office in Westgate Plaza, in west Boise on the north side of Fairview Avenue west of Cole Road. The bank closed a branch nearby on Fairview...

Building Materials Holding Corp. logs record sales, income in 3Q.
November 1, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report Building Materials Holding Corp. more than doubled its third-quarter net income to a record $18.1 million, or $1.29 a share, on sales that rose 49 percent to a record $591.5 million, the company reported last week....

Commentary: Spymail may have uses, despite its shady origins.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Rick Edvalson Mike Belshe hates spymail. And you probably do, too - unless you need to send some. As far as I know, spymail technology originated several years ago with spammers who began embedding an invisible bit of html code...

Sara Lee to bring Albertsons-specific sales team to Boise.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Brad Carlson Sara Lee Foods plans to base its Albertsons-specific sales team near Albertsons Inc. headquarters on ParkCenter Boulevard in Boise. One of five business units of publicly traded Sara Lee Corp., it aims to occupy...

Bankruptcies decline in Idaho.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Brad Carlson Bankruptcy filings of all kinds fell by 2 percent through the third quarter in Idaho, ending increases seen in recent years. However, Chapter 7 filings are down only 1 percent, and demand is growing for an...

Jan Packwood: IdaCorp CEO sees his role as leader of team.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Brad Carlson It has been a busy couple of years for IdaCorp Inc. CEO Jan Packwood - who in addition to running a major utility in "the post-Enron world" has been out front in supporting employees called to active-duty military...

2nd cinema complex announced in Meridian.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Lora Volkert A Washington-based movie theater operator plans to open an 18-screen cinema in Meridian in May north of Overland Road and east of Locust Grove Road. Hallett Cinemas closed a deal on 14 acres Nov. 3, just a week...

Two immigrants open Little Russia International Foods in Boise.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Lora Volkert Lina Silver doesn't miss the restrictions and political instability of the former Soviet republic of Ukraine, but she did miss the food. When she and her sister, Tania Kashcheyeva (short for Tatiana), opened...

Idaho piping contractor develops new hanging device called the Truss-T-Hanger.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Steve Martin Editor's note: Idaho Innovator is a monthly IBR series, featuring Idaho inventors and their products. Sam Hartwick never allows a supposedly insoluble problem to stop him from completing a project. That...

Cottonwood developer plans another mixed project.
November 8, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report The commercial component of the Cottonwood Creek project in southern Eagle is nearing completion, and its developer plans another mixed-use project in western Ada County soon. Dave Waldron, an Eagle-based...

Growth continues at SilverStone business park in Meridian.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Lora Volkert Six buildings totaling 80,000 square feet are under construction at SilverStone in eastern Meridian, pushing the business park halfway to its goal of 1.6 million square feet. Elsewhere in the development, Idaho...

400-unit storage complex planned for Meridian.
November 8, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report A 400-unit storage complex is planned on the east side of South Meridian Road, just south of Amity Road near Meridian. Victor Clark, who aims to open the All-American Storage complex in the early spring, said...

2nd Mai Thai Restaurant planned in Eagle.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Lora Volkert A second Treasure Valley Mai Thai Restaurant, offering Thai cuisine and a sushi bar, is slated for the Shops at Eagle River at the corner of Eagle Road and Idaho 44. Carlos Tijerina, owner of Mai Thai on Idaho...

Eagle River complex to get retail, medical tenants.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Brad Carlson A complex of nine retail buildings comprising 130,000 square feet is planned, starting next year for the Eagle River mixed-use development at the southeast quadrant of State Street and Eagle Road. Anchor tenants...

Kuna site to get retail center, Chevron station.
November 8, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report A 9,600-square-foot retail center - which would include a Movie Gallery video store, a Papa Murphy's Take 'n' Bake Pizza outlet and a Fantastic Sam's hair salon - is planned in Kuna. Doug Miller of Gem...

Contenders emerge for Boise Tower site development.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Steven Anderson Three developers, two of them in a joint venture, would like to take over development of the Boise Tower site at Eighth and Main streets if and when the city can reclaim the property. Phoenix-based Grossman Co....

Wisconsin-based manufacturer Plexus reports $32M loss.
November 8, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report Neenah, Wis.-based contract manufacturer Plexus reported a fourth-quarter net loss of $36.8 million, or 85 cents per share, on revenue of $273.3 million, compared to a $3.9 million loss, or nine cents per share, in...

IdaCorp revenues rise but earnings fall in 3rd quarter.
November 8, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report IdaCorp Inc. reported third-quarter net income of $26.1 million, or 68 cents per share, down by 44 percent from $46.8 million, or $1.22 a share, a year earlier - when the company logged asset sales and tax...

Idaho-based Extended Systems breaks even in quarter.
November 8, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report Extended Systems reported net income of $47,000 for its fiscal 2005 first quarter, breaking even on a per-share basis - compared to net losses of $1.4 million in the year-earlier quarter and $188,000 in the...

Commentary: Rocketing health care costs fuel changes in industry.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Sandra Bennett Bruce The good news in health care is that Americans - and especially Idahoans - are healthier and living longer. Advances in technology, clinical practices and prescription therapies have dramatically improved our...

Commentary: Office market vacancies climb, retail rebounds.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Doug Kowallis It has been an interesting year. Some segments of the real estate market are smoking hot and others are not. Let's take a look. Office Business owners choosing to purchase their own office rather than lease...

Commentary: High-tech sector marks encouraging year in '04.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Jay Hawkins The high-tech industry accounted for more than a third of the US economy's productive surge in the 1990s - far more than any other sector. Much of the growth was caused by high demand for portable products. The...

Commentary: Job gains contribute to Boise Metro Business Index rise.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Joun Church The Boise Metro Business Index is a monthly index reflecting economic activity within the Boise Metropolitan Statistical Area (the MSA includes Ada and Canyon counties). The index measures three variables: residential...

Commentary: Residential real estate market remains robust.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Kathi McLeod Editor's note: Kathi McLeod, an Idaho native with 22 years in the real estate industry, lives on 10 acres in Star with her husband, Kevin and son, Kris. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Ada County...

Antiquarian book store to be offered in downtown Boise again.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Lora Volkert After five years without one, downtown Boise is about to get an antiquarian book store. Trip Taylor Bookseller is moving by January from Boise's Hyde Park to leased space across from Bon-Macy's on 10th Street...

Idado and Boise-area economies are looking up, Boise Chamber forum told.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Steven Anderson Idaho and especially the Boise area can count on several advantages as the national economy ramps up, and will continue to grow faster than the U.S. as a whole, a bank economist told a Boise audience last week. ...

Longtime Boise developer Winston Moore stays busy with more & more projects.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Brad Carlson Longtime Boise developer Winston Moore is busily developing the 85-acre El Dorado Business Campus in Meridian - where a 200-room hotel and more office buildings are planned - but he also has some retail projects in the...

Canadian brokerage rates Boise-based Albertsons behind Kroger.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Brad Carlson CIBC World Markets has initiated coverage of the three biggest traditional grocery chains, calling Albertsons Inc. a "sector underperformer" while rating Kroger Co. and Safeway Inc. "sector performers." CIBC said...

Boise's Ninth Street shops unite for group holiday promotions.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Brad Carlson Christmas - planning for it, at least - came early for school superintendent-turned-businessman Stephenson Youngerman. He started organizing The Shops on 9th Street in early August for collective holiday...

More tenants, construction set at Kuna plaza in Boise metro area.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Brad Carlson A tavern featuring Country Western music, and Kuna's first jewelry store, are slated to open soon in the Sandstone Plaza development on the west end of Main Street. Larry Hansen, commercial realtor and developer of...

Third bldg. planned for Federal Way Commerce Center in Boise.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Lora Volkert Construction is expected to begin next spring on a 35,000-square-foot office and warehouse building in the Federal Way Commerce Center. The single-story flex building is to be the third of eight to 10 buildings...

Commentary: You didn't goof - Your email has been spoofed!
November 15, 2004... Byline: Rick Edvalson I've been spoofed again, and there is not much I can do about it. Have you ever had someone complain that you sent them email that you never did? You were probably spoofed, too. Unfortunately, it happens a lot....

Professional complex slated west of Mountain View High School in Meridian.
November 15, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report Seven professional office buildings, from 2,100 to 4,500 square feet, are slated on the west side of Millennium Way south of Overland Road in Meridian. By spring, Sagecrest LLC plans to complete a building of...

Home-related tenants for new flex warehouse sought by Meridian-based developer.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Lora Volkert Developer Ron Van Auker is negotiating with three potential home improvement-related tenants for a 72,000-square-foot warehouse east of R.C. Willey at Eagle and Franklin roads. The prospective tenants would occupy...

Wells Fargo backs Idaho-Nevada nonprofit development group.
November 15, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report Wells Fargo has announced an $800,000 equity equivalent investment in the nonprofit Idaho-Nevada Community Development Financial Institution Inc. to support small business, affordable housing and facility lending...

'Green' designs gain momentum in Idaho.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Ken Miller It's taken a while, but Idaho is gradually catching the "green construction" wave, with architects and builders incorporating more environmentally friendly designs into their buildings, industry leaders say. "What...

College football star, astronaut highlight Idaho Associated General Contractors' convention.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Ken Miller The Idaho Associated General Contractors' 2004 Annual Convention will again offer training seminars for transportation and building contractors, but this year also will feature college football Wunderkind Dan Hawkins,...

New Boise lab helps building designers go 'green'.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Ken Miller With a few strokes of a keyboard, Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg sends a miniature mock-up of an elementary school spinning on a remote-controlled table, simulating the amount of sunlight the building will receive during...

Commercial segment boosts Boise construction statistics.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Brad Carlson Gains in commercial project volume boosted Boise construction statistics for October. Meanwhile, Eagle notched gains in single-family home construction and commercial tenant improvements and Meridian reported...

Revamp begins of Cloverdale/Overland intersection near Boise.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Ken Miller Autumn may seem an unlikely time to launch a major road project, but the Ada County Highway District is taking advantage of an empty canal to rebuild the heavily traveled intersection of Cloverdale and Overland roads and...

At Boise mall, retailers see early hopes for holidays.
November 22, 2004... Byline: Lora Volkert Retailers at Boise Towne Square are expecting a jolly holiday shopping season based on early shopping and promotional efforts. "We've had good momentum for the first 10 months of the year," said Cathy Stevenson,...

Wells Fargo Securities rates Boise-based Micron at 'buy'.
November 22, 2004... Byline: Brad Carlson Micron stock is priced low enough to pique the interest of some analysts, but an end to the current semiconductor demand cycle may be on the horizon. Wells Fargo Securities recently rated Micron (NYSE:MU) a "buy"...

Demand picking up in downtown Boise, Block 44 building owner says.
November 22, 2004... Byline: Brad Carlson Demand for space in Block 44 in Boise has been brisk, but its majority owner continues to seek "the right mix" of businesses for the "synergy" he thinks is needed in the downtown-core grouping of properties. Larry...

Apts., townhouses, offices planned in Meridian.
November 22, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report Apartments, townhouses and professional office buildings are planned at the northeast corner of Ten Mile Road and Pine Street, Meridian in a subdivision to be called Sommersby. Confluence LLC, an Eagle-based...

'Parisian' eatery in downtown Boise to expand for bakery, banquet room.
November 22, 2004... Byline: Lora Volkert Le Cafe de Paris plans to open a 6,000-square-foot bakery and banquet room next month in the basement of the Adelmann Building, where it leases restaurant space in downtown Boise. The expansion would more than...

Yanke family of Boise buys 32-acre parcel near Fairview, Eagle Rd.
November 22, 2004... Byline: Brad Carlson The Yanke family of Boise recently acquired 32 acres south of Fairview Avenue and west of Eagle Road in Meridian, where it plans eventually to develop office buildings. Pleasant Valley Limited Partnership, an...

George Fox U., real estate school to move Boise offices to planned SilverStone bldg.
November 22, 2004... Byline: Brad Carlson Two educational entities that cater to working adults will occupy a building under construction southeast of the Eagle Road interchange with Interstate 84, Meridian. George Fox University and Pioneer Real Estate...

Nampa book shop to add small in-store deli.
November 22, 2004... Byline: Lora Volkert The new owners of Twice Sold Tales, a used book store on First Street near 12th Avenue in Nampa, plan to start a small in-store deli within a year. Janet and Patrick Benson, who purchased the store's inventory...

Ada apartment vacancy rate subsides again.
November 22, 2004... Byline: Brad Carlson The apartment vacancy rate in Ada County contracted to 7.9 percent in late October, down from 9.1 percent in the previous quarter and 10.5 percent a year ago, according to the latest quarterly survey. The quarterly...

More retail slated at Central Valley Corporate Park In Meridian.
November 22, 2004... Byline: Brad Carlson Construction of the second retail building in Central Park Plaza - part of in Central Valley Corporate Park In Meridian - is expected to start next spring. A one-story, 14,400-square-foot building is planned...

Albertsons to move divisions from Ariz. to Boise -- 170 jobs.
November 22, 2004... Byline: Lora Volkert Boise-based grocery chain Albertsons announced last week it plans to move its health and beauty care and general merchandise corporate divisions to Boise from Scottsdale, Ariz., by early 2005. The relocation will...

Phase 2 of southeast Boise mixed-use development slated soon.
November 22, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report Construction of the second, four-building phase of The Marketplace at Bown Crossing is slated to start this winter on the 35-acre mixed-use development in southeast Boise. The Marketplace at Bown Crossing -...

Office buildings planned for Nampa's 2nd St. S.
November 22, 2004... Byline: Lora Volkert Construction of two 8,400-square-foot office buildings on Second Street South in Nampa is slated to begin next spring. Construction of the $1 million project, planned east of Nampa Boulevard next to LandAmerica...

Carlson Leisure Travel Services creating 45 work-at-home positions in Boise.
November 22, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report Carlson Leisure Travel Services, which has expanded its Boise call center several times since 1999, plans to hire 45 people to work-at-home positions starting this month. "We will be hiring individuals who will...

Idaho Independent Bank directors extend stock buyback plan.
November 22, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report Idaho Independent Bank directors recently voted to extend the bank's stock buyback plan. IIB plans to repurchase about $2.58 million worth of its stock, which trades on the OTC Bulletin Board under the symbol...

Boise violin maker finds handmade quality still sells.
November 29, 2004... Byline: Lora Volkert Making fine violins was quite a niche in Italy in the 17th century. But here in the Treasure Valley, now? Duree Shiverick says music sounds better on a handmade violin. She's made a living crafting and repairing...

Downtown Boise residential complex is planned at 15th and Idaho Streets.
November 29, 2004... Byline: Brad Carlson A complex housing condominiums, shops and an underground parking garage is planned by David Southers at 15th and Idaho streets in downtown Boise. Southers - who this year completed the Hyde Park Place condo...

$4 million Metro Express car wash to open in Boise by year's end.
November 29, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report Bill Martin hopes to open his $4 million Metro Express car wash at 13th and Front streets before the end of the year, and says it has the capacity to wash 200 cars an hour. If that sounds like a lot, consider...

North Idaho-based Coldwater Creek Inc. rushes to 68% gain in 3rd qtr.
November 29, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report Coldwater Creek Inc.'s net income soared 68 percent to $9.4 million, or 23 cents per diluted share, for its third quarter ended Oct. 30, the North Idaho-based retailer of women's clothing and accessories reported...

Boise-based ski tool maker aims to grow role in market shrunk by machinery.
November 29, 2004... Byline: Lora Volkert Boise-based Sun Valley Ski Tools, a manufacturer, wholesaler and retailer of hand tools for shaping skis and snowboards, is working to position itself as a dominant player in a shrinking industry. The ski tool...

Offices, apartments slated for Fairview Avenue at Cloverdale Road in Boise.
November 29, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report Site work is scheduled to start in March on four one-story office buildings and 22 four-plexes planned on the north side of Fairview Avenue east of Cloverdale Road. Cloverleaf Development, planned for 6.5 acres...

HDR plans to consolidate its Boise operations with a move to River Quarry Building.
November 29, 2004... Byline: Brad Carlson HDR, a consulting-engineering and architecture firm, plans to consolidate its Boise operations into nearly 17,300 square feet on the first floor of River Quarry Building C, on ParkCenter Boulevard south of Mallard...

TechHelp slates 'lean manufacturing' workshops.
November 29, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report TechHelp and the University of Idaho's Boise College of Engineering program plan a series of six workshops on "lean manufacturing" in December. "Principles of Lean Manufacturing," the first in the series, is...

Homes, offices planned at Idaho 69, Victory Road in southern Meridian.
November 29, 2004... Byline: Brad Carlson Fourteen office lots and 90 single-family home lots are planned in a 42-acre subdivision at the northwest corner of Victory Road and Idaho 69 in southern Meridian. Richard Evans, of Evans Construction Management,...

Commercial condos planned for ex-ice rink on Wildwood Street in Boise.
November 29, 2004... Byline: Lora Volkert A six-building commercial condominium development is planned for Wildwood Street north of Fairview Avenue and west of Five Mile Road. Trimont Investments LLC, Boise, plans to revamp a 27,000-square-foot building...

Commentary: Your software's flying the Jolly Roger? - Watch out!
November 29, 2004... Byline: Rick Edvalson A client called this week about some Microsoft software she had purchased. Her concern was that she had paid too little for it - an uncommon form of buyer's remorse. She had paid about $200 to an Internet vendor...

Boise-based Extended Systems faces de-listing from NASDAQ.
November 29, 2004... Byline: IBR Staff Report Extended Systems Inc. says it has received a stock de-listing notification from the NASDAQ National Market. According to a statement from Extended, NASDAQ said a recently filed quarterly report on Form 10-Q...