Shares of Itron Inc. have shot up to a 52-week high in the last week following a strong earnings report by the Spokane Valley-based automated meter-reading equipment maker and an analysts upgrade of the companys stock.Itrons stock jumped

Thomas Hammer Coffee Roasters, of Spokane, has bought the former Michlitch Co. building near downtown and plans to move its roasting operation, Mad Batter Bakery, and corporate offices there, says Thomas Hammer, its president and CEO.Were 4

Garco Construction Inc., of Spokane, has been selected as the general contractor-construction manager on the $54 million planned expansion and renovation of Rogers High School, in northeast Spokane.In that role, Garco will provide services, and

A man who didnt like driving a propane truck in Spokane snow has found a new career and a way to stay out of the cold by inventing an aesthetically pleasing cover for the large white propane tanks found outside homes and businesses.It was a a

Coldwater Creek Inc. is working to boost its operating margin by buying more of its womens apparel from overseas garment makers directly and is taking steps to keep tabs on conditions at its suppliers factories. Separately, it plans to launch a

It used to be a big deal. Spokanes downtown skywalk system, once thought to be the second most extensive in the country, teemed with retailers, and shoppers walked it like a mall.Today, more than 40 percent of the spaces in the 15-block are a

If development activity is any indicator, Interstate 90 is becoming the new Sprague Avenue in the Spokane Valley.The I-90 corridor from about Pines Road east to Liberty Lake has seen a host of construction projects in the past year, and several

Group Health Cooperative says it will begin offering a preferred-provider health plan to employers in Spokane County this summer.The plan, called a PPO, or preferred-provider organization, will be a new option here from Group Health, which has

A Spokane-based company that turns what otherwise might be bad debt or charity care at hospitals into much-needed revenue moved here last year from Seattle partly because of its close relationship with Spokanes two largest hospitals.The Inc.,

Demand for temporary help in several segments of the health-care industry started to rebound recently following a slump, and remains high in other parts of the industry, such as home care and rehabilitation services, say temp-help agencies say the