Elder Law Group moves its office

 

Elder Law Group PLLC has moved its office to 711 W. Indiana, Ste. 102, says Lynn St. Louis, owner.

The firm, which previously had been located at 207 W. Nora, about a half mile east of the new office, moved to accommodate business growth, says St. Louis.

“We were running out of space,” she says. “The idea is, as we continue to grow, there will be more office space available to us so we can keep our growth continuing.”

The firm employs 11 people, all full time. About three years ago, the practice had two employees, St. Louis and a receptionist, she says. 

Last year, Law Firm 500 recognized Elder Law Group as the 44th fastest-growing firm in the nation, she says.

Along with the 1,200 square feet the law firm occupies in the main-floor suite on Indiana Avenue, it also leases about 1,700 square feet of space on the building’s second floor and hopes to expand to the entire 3,400-square-foot floor, St. Louis says.

Elder Law Group focuses exclusively on elder law, which includes asset protection, estate planning, and long-term care planning. The firm also has an office in Kennewick, Wash. 

—Samantha Peone

 

Overhead Door Co. sells, stays in family

 

Spokane Overhead Door Co. founders Frank and Melody Manzak have retired and have sold the business to their daughter, Christy Fitzhugh.

The company, which offers garage door repair and installation for both commercial and residential properties, was started by the Manzaks in 1992.

The 40-year-old Fitzhugh, who officially took ownership of the company July 1, says she’d always dreamed of taking over the business.

  “It’s fun and a bit exhilarating for me to be a woman in what’s considered a male-dominated industry,” she says. “I was taught everything I know from my parents, who I consider to be some of the best in this business.” 

The company operates out of a 10,000-square-foot headquarters at 3820 E. Dalke.

“I’m the sole owner, but I have a lot of help from my boyfriend, John Nuxoll, who’s been employed with our company for the past 20 years,” she says. 

Fitzhugh says the company currently has 12 employees. In addition to its Spokane facility, it operates warehouses in Deer Park, Cheney, Medical Lake, Liberty Lake, and Coeur d’Alene.

“We’re a seasonal business, tied to the nice spring and summer weather so we’re in our peak season right now,” she says. 

Fitzhugh says she has high expectations for the company’s future. 

“We’re very much a family-owned, local company so I’d like to make sure we stay involved in the community,” she says. “I’d also like to see us grow more, expanding in certain areas, and updating some of our technology.”

—LeAnn Bjerken

 

Cd’A tailoring shop opens Spokane outlet

 

InThreadz LLC, a Coeur d’Alene-based tailor shop, has opened a second outlet on Spokane’s South Hill and plans to open additional stores in Spokane Valley and Airway Heights in the near future, says business co-owner Sean Ruggiero.

The new South Hill shop is located at 3022 E. 57th.

The original inThreadz shop is located in the Ironwood Square shopping center, at 226 Ironwood Drive, in Coeur d’Alene. The shop occupies the former site of Alterations Express, the assets of which Ruggiero and his wife Charissa acquired a year ago when they founded inThreadz.

“My wife and I have a vision of modernizing tailoring,” Ruggiero says. 

He claims sales have grown 40 percent at the store since the Ruggieros took over the shop.

“InThreadz is growing quickly because of demand and because we want it to grow,” Ruggiero asserts.

He says the store is marketed exclusively through social media.

“We’ve increased sales by 40 percent since we first took over the store,” he says. “We’re using modern technology to bring the industry to younger people who don’t really think of the tailor other than when it comes to weddings.”

He says the Coeur d’Alene and South Hill shops each have four employees, and he anticipates the future Valley and West Plains stores also will each have four employees. Ruggiero hasn’t identified more specific sites for the future stores, he says.

The company’s tailoring services include traditional pant hemming and shirt fitting, he says. InThreadz also repairs indoor and outdoor furniture and tents.

“We have a (fabric-repair) deal with REI,” he says. “We do repairs on anything cloth and fabric related.”

—Mike McLean

 

Global Neighborhood expands thrift store

 

Global Neighborhood, a nonprofit here that provides job training to refugees at a thrift store at 902 W. Indiana, has expanded the retail space after relocating a donation-processing center that had been located in an adjoining area, says Brent Hendricks, its founder and executive director.

The processing center has moved to the 17,000-square-foot former Kees Filing Systems Inc. warehouse space at 323 S. Sherman, where Global Neighborhood is subletting about 12,000 square feet of that space for warehousing, inventory preparation, and office space use, Hendricks says. 

The six-year-old thrift store on Indiana Avenue, which does business as Global Neighborhood Thrift, now occupies about 6,500 square feet of space, he says. 

 “As part of expanding our capacity to provide that job training, we also had to expand the retail side of our business,” he says.

Global Neighborhood has been in operation for 10 years.  Hendricks says the organization has a total of 30 employees, including both regular staff members and refugees participating in job-training programs.

“Looking ahead, our hope is to continue increasing the number of donations we receive and pick up,” he says. “The more we can receive, process, and resell, the more jobs we can create for people in our community.”

—LeAnn Bjerken

 

New restaurant set to open in Cheney

 

Bene’s Enterprises LLC, which will do business as Bene’s, plans to open its first restaurant tomorrow, Sept. 1, at 24 W. First, in Cheney, says co-owner Derek Baziotis. 

The eatery will occupy 1,600 square feet of leased space, and the dining capacity is about 50 people, says Baziotis. 

The restaurant will offer breakfast and lunch options, he says.

“’Bene’s comes from eggs Benedict,” he says. 

The breakfast menu will feature 10 different types of eggs Benedict, bacon and eggs, sausage and eggs, steak and eggs, toast, waffles, house specialties, and more breakfast items, Baziotis says.

The lunch menu will include wraps, burgers, salads, and food that can be taken to go, he says.

Drinks include orange juice, coffee, teas, and sodas, says Baziotis.

“We’re focusing on the quality of the food, service, and pricing,” he says. “Once we get the attraction on its feet, we’ll grow from there.”

Including Baziotis and his wife, Alexx, who is co-owner of the company, Bene’s will have four employees, two full time and two part time. 

Bene’s hours of operation will be 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. seven days a week.

—Samantha Peone