In a manner of speaking, Spokanes Deborah Wittwer sidestepped her way into business. For many years, Wittwer coached a competitive jump-rope team here called Side Steps, which grew through the late 1980s and 1990s, competing in a national on

For Empire Health Services CEO Tom White, the best thing about 2003 is that its not 2002.Last year, the nonprofit parent of Deaconess Medical Center and Valley Hospital & Medical Center suffered a net loss of about $18 million, eliminated its

Spokane-area highway construction companies face a rough road ahead due to an expected precipitous drop in Washington state Department of Transportation-funded roadwork.Also, some planned projects within the new city of Spokane Valley could be

Homeowners insurance used to be a no-brainer: You bought a house, you called an agent, you got insurance. Now, after suffering what one insurer in the state calls an unprecedented convergence of negative trends, the homeowners insurance is

In some respects, 2002 has been an extension of 2001, rife with bad economic news and uncertainty about the future. Still, the layoffs slowed, and there were substantive signs that Spokanes economy could improve in the coming year. New set up

There are threads of optimism in nearly every economic sector here as the year comes to a close. Whether Inland Northwest businesses can weave them into significant economic gains in 2003, only time will tell. At the least, the consensus opinion is

A 4-year-old Spokane company that cut its teeth assembling computer servers and workstations for schools and colleges, expects now to ride a wave of growth making digital video recorders for a big international electronics manufacturer.The PC a

Payne Financial Group Inc., a Missoula, Mont.-based insurance and financial services agency, quietly has opened a Spokane office and hired some veteran agents from other agencies offices here. Payne opened its Spokane office about three ago,

Window Products Inc., the big Spokane vinyl-window manufacturer, is moving its headquarters to Liberty Lake because the company is growing so quickly its overflowing its current central office. Window Products plans to move in February into

Pawn 1 Inc., the Spokane-based pawn-shop chain that launched an aggressive expansion strategy seven years ago and grew to nine stores, now is scaling back its growth plans after experiencing cash-flow problems of its own and ending a lengthy with a