This article first appeared in the Moscow-Pullman Daily News on October 26, 2019.
Northwest River Supplies will operate from its newly built facility on South Blaine Street starting Nov. 5, according to an NRS news release distributed Friday.
The roughly 155,000-square-foot building includes a warehouse, customer service center and corporate offices. It will also be home to a 3,500-square-foot NRS flagship retail store, which will open Nov. 18, the release states.
NRS will be closed for business Friday through Nov. 4 as it moves into the building, a portion of which housed the former Tidyman’s supermarket.
The manufacturer of paddlesports equipment and apparel makes the move after occupying its South Main Street location since 1982. NRS has twice expanded its South Main Street building, and in 2006, acquired the South Blaine Street property.
The company has also owned or leased several additional spaces in Moscow. The new facility provides increased space for inventory and personnel while allowing NRS to locate all business functions under one roof.
“A big part of our success at NRS comes from a culture of inclusion and shared responsibility,” NRS Chief Financial Officer Tony Mangini said. “Having everyone working together in one building will encourage communication and collaboration throughout the business while supporting continued growth.”
NRS was founded in 1972 by Bill Parks, a former business professor at the University of Idaho. In 2014, NRS became 100 percent employee-owned and employs approximately 110 people in Moscow.
“Being based on the Palouse has been key to our success over the years,” Mangini said. “With two major universities in the area, we have access to top-tier talent. And the high quality of life makes people want to stay here and build careers.”
Last year, the new NRS headquarters received the first economic development property tax exemption in Latah County.
“We are grateful for the support we’ve been given from Latah County, the city of Moscow and our community on the Palouse,” Mangini said. “We look forward to creating a positive economic impact in our region for many years to come.”
When your company earns its keep by providing location data to site selectors, economic developers and others, it stands to reason that other people are going to pay close attention anytime your firm engages in a site search of its own.
That was exactly the case when Moscow, Idaho–based Emsi announced July 26 that it was expanding its footprint in Northern Idaho with a new headquarters. The campus will house more than 500 Emsi employees and give the firm room to grow.
“One of the first goals for Emsi was to employ 50 people earning over $50,000 because good jobs in our town drive prosperity for everyone,” said Andrew Crapuchettes, CEO of Emsi. “Through striving to bless our customers, employees and shareholders, Emsi has enjoyed market success and is now privileged to be a part of Strada Education Network. With Strada’s backing and the crucial support of many people in Idaho, we are grateful and excited to build this signature building in Moscow.”
Emsi was launched in Moscow — 80 miles (130 km.) south of Spokane and 300 miles (480 km.) north of Boise — in 2000, as Economic Modeling Specialists International. When the firm moved to its current downtown facility in early 2014, it had 92 employees. Today, Emsi employs more than 200 people, with about 160 working in Moscow.
Emsi anticipates a move-in date of late 2020. The expansion will allow the firm to add more software developers, engineers, data scientists, economists, sales executives and other personnel. By remaining in Moscow, Emsi retains access to a talent pipeline coming out of the University of Idaho, Washington State University and New Saint Andrews College. More than 550 students with the skills required for Emsi’s key occupations graduate each year from these schools.
Emsi CFO Timothy van den Broek says that talent and quality of life convinced the firm that the best place for the new headquarters was Moscow. “We’ve been very happy with Moscow as a place to operate for 20 years,” he says. “It is our town. Our employees mostly live here, and their families live here. Within 10 miles, we have three colleges that all produce a good number of high-caliber graduates.”
But it’s not just about skills, says van den Broek.
“We hire people of great character,” he adds. “Moscow is largely an immigrant community of transplants from across the nation and around the world. I am a family man. I have a wife and five kids. I could not imagine a better situation.”
Tax reimbursement incentives, mostly employment-related incentives, were helpful in getting this deal done, he says, noting what he calls a “fantastic relationship” with the state, county and city. Quality of life is the icing on the cake, says the CFO, who is originally from England. “We have a vibrant restaurant scene in Moscow. The jazz festival brings a good amount of people to the region,” he notes. “My commute is a 10-minute walk. If I drive, it’s one minute.”
The new space could accommodate a workforce of 1,000 people or more, he says. “If we do our job well and help our customers grow, we’ll continue growing ourselves. We are in this for the long haul.”
Clearwater Economic Development Association is coordinating a workshop on September 26 from 1 pm to 6 pm on Additive Manufacturing (or more commonly, 3D printing). The event is hosted by the Northwest Intermountain Manufacturers Association, and sponsored by NIMA, CEDA and USDA Rural Development. This will be a unique event, bringing in experts and businesses in the Additive Manufacturing field from across the Pacific Northwest.
Area businesses, educators and students are encouraged to attend and experience the latest on how AM is impacting business and the workforce. The event will be held at the Clearwater River Casino Events Center. Admission is $25 and free for students with identification.
To register, contact Dodd Snodgrass by September 20 at 746-0015 or [email protected].
The City of Chewelah has been designated a certified Creative District by the Washington State Arts Commission. The Creative District program, which began just last year, is a platform for communities to grow their creative economies. A Creative District is a geographically defined area where art, cultural, social, and economic activity takes place. It includes cultural facilities, artists, creative industries and other businesses that support these activities. It helps to encourage job growth and educational and cultural opportunities.
With a population of 2,600, located 45 miles north of Spokane, Chewelah has approximately 90 community arts and cultural events per year. These events range from a traditional skills retreat that teaches blacksmithing and woodcarving to the Chewelah Chataqua, an annual arts and music festival drawing approximately 25,000 visitors to the town in mid-July.
“We are looking forward to utilizing the designation as a catalyst for Chewelah to become a “beacon” for artisans, entrepreneurs, tourism, and continued economic growth.”
—Mike Bentz of the Chewelah Chamber of Commerce.
The Chewelah Chamber of Commerce the lead organization, but the Collaborative Partners included business leaders, artisans, and cultural leaders. “The local Collaborative Partners are both humble and proud of this achievement,” Bentz said.
“We are looking forward to utilizing the designation as a catalyst for Chewelah to become a “beacon” for artisans, entrepreneurs, tourism, and continued economic growth,” said Bentz. “Since we heard the good news, the excitement level has become contagious.”
Creative Districts program manager Annette Roth said she’s pleased to see both cities receive certification.
“Although these communities are very different from each other, they both demonstrate how they can use a program like ours to create a vision for the future that is reflective of their community values and use their creative assets to grow their local economy”
— Annette Roth, Creative Districts Program Manager at ArtsWA
ArtsWA’s Creative District program supports designated communities with grant funding opportunities, technical assistance, training, wayfinding signage and more. The designation for each community lasts for five years.
The Creative District program began in 2018. It is a platform for communities to grow their creative economies. A Creative District is a geographically defined area where art, cultural, social, and economic activity takes place. It includes cultural facilities, artists, creative industries and other businesses that support these activities. It helps to encourage job growth and educational and cultural opportunities.
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COEUR D’ALENE — In many ways, getting broadband internet to rural Idaho feels familiar, said Mike Kennedy, president of Intermax Networks.
“A lot of people are contemplating how similar this is to rural electrification in the 1930s,” Kennedy mused.
As with rural electrification, the government is playing a large part in improving broadband internet in rural areas. Last fall, Intermax received $940,000 to improve service in Idaho’s panhandle from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which offered Idaho a share of the $1.49 billion it provided nationwide through its Phase II grants, funded by the Universal Service Fund. Intermax committed to providing 25 megabit per second (Mbps) download speed to 42 census block groups in north Idaho over the next five years.
In more metropolitan parts of the region, such as Coeur d’Alene itself, there might even be two fiber providers.
“But you get out to Rathdrum or Athol, there are none, and no expectations of it, due to density,” Kennedy said. “We have to figure out how to get those folks plugged in.”
In addition to those cities, Intermax also provides internet service to Hayden, Spirit Lake and Pinehurst, as well as operating Sandpoint’s city-owned fiber optic cable.
Much of Intermax’ service is provided through fixed wireless, which means the company puts a transmitter someplace central and tall – typically, in rural Idaho, the town’s water tower – and puts a receiver, which looks like a satellite dish, on customers’ homes. If the house has a sight line to the water tower, it can typically pick up the signal.
While it might not be as fast as a direct connection, it’s a lot cheaper than laying cable, Kennedy said.
“As long as they have line of sight, or near line of sight, you don’t have to tear up roads and rights-of-way,” he said.
And the speed – up to 100 Mbps – should be plenty, he said.
“Everyone gets excited about gigabit internet,” but people generally need only 8 to 12 Mbps, he said. “25 or 100 Mbps is going to be incredibly groundbreaking for rural areas.”
In one example, Intermax is going to be improving internet access around Schweitzer Mountain Resort, Kennedy said. There are 900 residences in the region that are “deeply underserved,” he said. His company will lay fiber to the top of the mountain, for nine miles, from Sandpoint, following the road and using utility easements. That fiber – aside from supporting conferences and other activities in Schweitzer – will feed the microwave transmitter that’s already on top of the mountain and improve service to those 900 residences, he said.
Kennedy was appointed to Gov. Brad Little’s Idaho Broadband Task Force, which was created in May through executive order. Little came to North Idaho last fall, as lieutenant governor, on an economic development trip, and met with Kennedy to talk about the FCC award.
“I found him to be an extremely quick study, well read and understood things that are completely boring and unsexy, like putting extra conduit in the highway,” Kennedy said.
That extra conduit can be used later to string cable without having to dig up the highway again, a policy underway in a number of areas nationwide called “dig once.” At that time, Kennedy volunteered for whatever Little planned to do to improve Idaho’s internet service, which numerous studies have found ranks near the bottom nationwide.
The broadband task force will help determine the role that the state can play in improving broadband internet in Idaho, such as by offering incentives or tax credits, Kennedy said. And while rural residents used to be fine without broadband internet, that’s no longer true, he said.
“I can’t think of anyone I’ve talked to who didn’t want it on some level,” Kennedy said. “Rural folks can live off the grid, because they have access to their job elsewhere, or can sell products from rural North Idaho. It’s people in rural areas with the greatest needs.”
Lisa Brown, Washington Department of Commerce director, and Tom Kealey, Idaho Department of Commerce director, spoke Friday about the economies in their respective states during an Inland Northwest Partners conference at Banyan’s on the Ridge in Pullman.
Commerce Directors Lisa Brown (Wash., left) and Tom Kealey (Idaho, right) in Pullman for the Summer INP Meeting on June 7.
“I see broadband as really a significant challenge to get right,” Brown said.
Part of the challenge, she said, is Federal Communications Commission maps showing the number of broadband providers available and overall coverage provided in the region is not adequate.
“We’ve got to understand what we have and what we don’t have in order to appropriately direct investment into that middle mile and last mile,” she said. “That’s always the most challenging piece of deploying communications or telecommunications technology.”
Idaho Department of Commerce Director, Tom Kealey, examines alpaca products from Grazing Hills Alpaca Ranch, Country Store and B&B in Viola, ID.
Washington is trying to help rural areas with this problem by establishing a statewide broadband office that would coordinate grants to governments and tribes for broadband infrastructure.
Washington 9th District Rep. Mary Dye, R-Pomeroy, told the Daily News in April that she and her colleagues in the House supported the legislation because it will increase competition in the internet service provider marketplace and bring better service to rural Washington.
In Idaho, Gov. Brad Little signed an executive order in May establishing the Idaho Broadband Task Force, Kealey said.
The 40-member task force this fall will bring to the governor recommendations on ways the state can improve connectivity and speeds across Idaho.
The task force will try to map existing services and gaps in broadband infrastructure, which Kealey said will paint a picture for what resources are needed in rural and urban areas.
“We want to map what we have, be able to measure what we have in terms of access as well as speeds and features and services and options,” he said.
Brown pitched another idea that may bring people and commerce to eastern Washington. In light of Microsoft and other corporations last year offering funding to build a high-speed railway from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Portland, Brown said she would like to see a similar railway that connects western Washington with eastern Washington.
“How fantastic that would be to connect our communities, to connect our students and families, and also as an opportunity for people to be able to leave the megalopolis and see what the options are in other parts of the state,” Brown said.
Brown and Kealey highlighted some positives in Washington and Idaho economies.
“If we were a country, we’d be up there with Sweden or Belgium right now,” he said.
Kealey said Idaho is near the top of the rankings in several economic categories including first in travel dollars, third in the number of people moving to the state and fourth in job growth.
OTHELLO, Washington – In early May, McCain Foods USA Inc., a division of McCain Foods Limited, the world’s largest producer of frozen french fries, announced a $300 million investment in its Othello, Wash., potato processing facility, significantly expanding its North American production capacity. This 170,000-square-foot expansion will add another state-of-the-art battered and conventional french fry processing line to its production capabilities in the U.S. and bring an anticipated 180 new jobs to the community. Of note, this investment also brings environmental efficiencies, reducing the facility’s carbon footprint while doubling its production, underlining McCain’s commitment to sustainability.
“This investment signals confidence in Washington, its potato growing community and its skilled workforce availability,” said Jeff DeLapp, President, North America. “It quickly follows other McCain capacity investments, helping to meet the continued increasing demand for McCain products and builds toward a strong, sustainable future in manufacturing and agriculture.”
This added capacity will require an approximate 11,000 additional acres, sourced from local potato growers in the region, and follows a similar high-capacity expansion in Burley, Idaho to service the U.S. and global markets. Construction will begin this month with anticipated completion in early 2021.
About McCain Foods USA
McCain Foods USA is a leading supplier of frozen potato and snack food products for the foodservice markets, retail grocery chains and private label brands. Everything from appetizers to sweet potato fries can be found in restaurants and supermarket freezers across the country. McCain Foods USA Inc., headquartered in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois, employs 4,000 people and operates production facilities in Idaho, Maine, Nebraska, Washington and Wisconsin.
For More Information, Contact:
Eric Benderoff | [email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 24, 2019 (LIBERTY LAKE, Wash.)—Inland Northwest Partners announces their summer meeting to be held at Banyan’s on the Ridge (Palouse Ridge Golf Course) in Pullman on June 7, 9:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m., with a continental breakfast beginning at 8:30 a.m. Lisa Brown, Director of Washington State Department of Commerce and Tom Kealey, Director of Idaho Department of Commerce, will share the keynote presentation titled, “State of the States: Trends Shaping the Economies of Washington and Idaho.” Cost for INP members is $40, nonmembers is $60. To register, visit inwp.org/events.
The presentations of Directors Brown and Kealey will culminate a day of presentations under the theme of “Value-Added Agriculture: Cultivating New Jobs for Your Community”.
“Throughout the Inland Northwest Region, it’s exciting to see even more economic activity and job creation related to our strong agricultural sector from crop production, craft brewing, and agritourism.,” says Paul Kimmell, Chairman of INP Board of Directors. “It’s always great to showcase some of this success and continue to build on these opportunities.”
Other presentations include Chanel Twealt, COO for the Idaho Department of Agriculture, who will discuss agriculture as a regional economic driver; Dr. Laura Lewis, from WSU Food Systems, who will discuss the craft brewing and distilling industry; and, Adams County Economic Development Director, Stephen McFadden, who will discuss renewable energy, food processing and the cannabis industry.
Inland Northwest Partners members meet quarterly to share common economic challenges and solutions within the eastern Washington and northern Idaho region. Topics include technology, financing community initiatives, forging regional partnerships, local business expansion and retention, and job recruitment. INP often partners with local chambers or state organizations for value-added training.
Banyans on the Ridge is located at the Palouse Ridge Golf Course, 1260 NE Palouse Ridge Dr. in Pullman. For more information about becoming a member of Inland Northwest Partners, visit inwp.org or email [email protected].
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Inland Northwest Partners (INP) is a non-profit organization focused on enhancing the long-term vitality of a two-state region through its core offering of educational meetings, programs and seminars. More than 300 business and community leaders from eastern Washington and northern Idaho are members. INP is also part of a regional marketing effort known as the Inland Northwest Economic Alliance (INEA), a consortium of fourteen economic development agencies. To learn more, visit inwp.org.
This article first appeared on April 9, 2019 in The Coeur d’Alene Press. By staff writer Brian Walker.
COEUR d’ALENE — Jon Ness invited two relatively new Kootenai Health employees to the podium on Monday to illustrate how health care has led the local economic development charge in recent years — and given young folks an opportunity to live here.
The Kootenai Health CEO was the keynote speaker on “Our Health Industry: The Heartbeat of New Jobs” during the Coeur d’Alene Area Economic Development Corporation’s annual meeting attended by a record 409 people at The Coeur d’Alene Resort.
Sharing their job stories up front with Ness were Caiti Bobbitt, a public affairs strategist, and Kyle Guice, a security officer.
“Personally, it’s allowed me to be there for my family in ways I never imagined,” Bobbitt said of her job. “It’s also allowed me to build relationships that will last a lifetime. Professionally, it’s given me a profound sense of community that I wouldn’t have gotten back in Phoenix.”
Guice said his position allowed him to return to Coeur d’Alene, where he was raised.
“I love the outdoors and fishing,” he said. “I’ve bounced around a bit with college basketball, so this has given me the perspective of how nice it is to be back in Coeur d’Alene.”
Bobbitt and Guice represent a trend in which the health care industry has become a major player for job creation in recent years compared to when Ness arrived in 2010. Back then, Kootenai County’s unemployment rate was 12 percent.
“There was very little construction, housing sales were low, the hospital wasn’t really growing, yet we had an unbelievable community we live in,” Ness said. “Our quality scores [at the hospital] were average. That is not a formula for growth.”
But Kootenai Health, thanks to community growth and internal culture shifts, is now roaring.
The independent, community-owned hospital grew from 1,800 jobs in 2011 to 3,300 today.
“In some ways, we can’t recruit fast enough,” said Ness, adding that the company has 230 job openings.
Idaho is among 16 states in which health care is the largest employer.
Ness said the culture shift at Kootenai Health started mandatory two-hour training sessions with all employees and the crafting of a vision statement — one that saw Kootenai Health being recognized nationally for excellence.
Ness said many employees several years ago were surprised that Kootenai Health’s ratings were at the bottom, compared to other hospitals in the region.
“That got their attention,” he said. “Maybe we weren’t as good as we thought we were.”
Ness said the culture shift, which includes annual employee engagement surveys, has led to Kootenai Health being honored nationally by several organizations.
Gynii Gilliam, the economic development corporation’s president, encouraged business leaders to explore ways to piggyback onto Kootenai Health’s momentum.”This is so doable; let’s get to it. Let’s help the health care sector make an even bigger impact. We can do this.”
Ness said he believes Kootenai Health, which became an affiliate of the prestigious Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic in 2014, can continue to be an economic development force for years to come. It has a great example to follow in the Mayo Clinic, which hopes to create 50,000 new jobs over the next 25 years with investments from the public and private sectors and the health care organizations.
Ness said he believes a similar scenario can occur here, especially since this is a recreation paradise, the region’s proximity to Canada, the population of the counties are comparable; and because of Rochester’s somewhat remote location and the fact that North Idaho’s winters aren’t as harsh as Minnesota’s.
“We have fantastic physical amenities, wonderful resources and this is the most hospitable community I have ever been to,” Ness said. “Health care is growing, but what if we had a vision to do something like that?”
Gynii Gilliam, the economic development corporation’s president, encouraged business leaders to explore ways to piggyback onto Kootenai Health’s momentum.
“This is so doable; let’s get to it,” she said. “Let’s help the health care sector make an even bigger impact. We can do this.”
Idaho Gov. Brad Little said Kootenai Health’s success of providing opportunities for young families is part of the transformation from the state’s traditional roots of mining, timber and agriculture.
The average age of Kootenai Health employees is 41.
Little said North Idaho’s proximity to Canada, recreation and clean air and water also opens economic development possibilities.
“We need to create an atmosphere where people want to stay in Idaho,” Little said. “Strong families are what we are in Idaho and what people look for when they come here.”
April 15, 2019
OLYMPIA, WA – The Washington Department of Commerce provided a $100,000 grant to the Adams County Development Council from Gov. Inslee’s Economic Development Strategic Reserve Fund to support the expansion of SVZ-USA Washington Inc., the only North American subsidiary of Netherlands-based specialty food processor SVZ International B.V.
The company plans to invest $4.8 million to increase capacity at its Othello facility opened in 2000, adding 17 new manufacturing jobs to its 90 existing employees.
“SVZ is an important part of the food processing cluster in Othello, and we are pleased to help Adams County Development Council partner with the company to make infrastructure improvements that will strengthen the entire community and prepare for future growth,” said Commerce Director Lisa Brown.
“We are excited to have SVZ-USA moving forward with a $4.8 million expansion project that will bring new jobs to the city of Othello and Adams County,” said Adams County Economic Development Director Stephen McFadden.
The grant will help offset the cost of sewer system improvements required by the city of Othello for the expansion. This will also extend the new sewer line well beyond SVZ’s building, facilitating future municipal connections and growth.
SVZ-USA specializes in processing fruit and vegetable juices, concentrates and purees for food and beverage manufacturers around the world. The company is recognized globally for sustainability and agronomy management best practices.
“The company is actively involved in our community in multiple ways,” McFadden added. “SVZ employees volunteer with several community organizations, and the company plays an active role in the Othello Career Showcase where we connect students in grades 8 through 12 with local employers to introduce them to the numerous career paths that exist within their hometown.”
“Building and growing a great business requires equally great relationships. We are very pleased with the relationship we have with The State of Washington, Adams County, and the City of Othello. The grant funding provided facilitates our expansion, and confirms the business friendly and supportive role of government to our international leadership,” said David E. Stewart, president, SVZ-USA Washington.
“In addition to direct employment increases, as our sourcing of raw materials is predominantly local, we look forward to expanding our local sourcing as we partner with farmers for our agro supply needs, increasing by about 30 million pounds with this expansion,’ he added. “Our business success requires long-term relationships with customers, farmers, employees, and the communities in which we operate.”
