Sterling Savings Bank Chairman and CEO Bill Zuppe has ducks all over his office.They dont quack, but they do make a statement. The yellow, plush-toy birds symbolize to the Spokane banker what he sees as an unfair competitive advantage off

Acceptance Capital Mortgage Corp., a young Spokane Valley-based mortgage company that arranges mostly residential loans, is growing by leaps and bounds through a nationwide rapid expansion strategy.The 2-year-old company, which already has 70 a

Walking down the snack-food aisle at a convenience store one of these days, you might be surprised to find bags of crispy lentil snacks nestled among the usual greasy, guilty pleasures. Even more astonishing would be to see someone pass over up

Products low in carbohydrates, everything from ice cream to booze, are taking up more supermarket shelf space, and at least two Spokane-area food producers have rolled out goods aimed at the low-carb diet craze.Such products are relatively new

Agricultural commodities in Eastern Washington generally will fetch slightly higher prices this year than last, and farmers have had good weather, improved yields, and relatively solid market demand, say those in the industry.Wheat remains the

Family Home Care Corp., a Spokane home health-care provider, says its transition to a for-profit company from a unit of a nonprofit hospital operator has gone well, and the venture now is adding new services and expects to hire additional company a

Columbia Paint & Coatings Inc., the Spokane-based manufacturer and retailer of paints and coatings, has opened its third store in the Boise market, giving it 36 stores overall.The store is located at 1396 E. Iron Eagle Drive in the Boise into a

Mercy Properties Washington I LLC, a subsidiary of Mercy Housing Inc., a large, nonprofit Denver-based housing concern, plans to buy and renovate a 40-unit, low-income apartment complex in Cheney.To help pay for the nearly $2.3 million project,

The stock of Spokane-based Ambassadors Group Inc. has been upgraded to a buy by D.A. Davidson & Co., the Great Falls, Mont.-based regional stock brokerage, based on Ambassadors strong recent earnings report.Last week, the Spokane travel a

Smart & Final Inc., a Los Angeles-based cash-and-carry chain, is opening a second United Grocers Cash & Carry warehouse store in the Spokane area.The planned 21,000-square-foot store will be located at 211 S. McKinnon, in Spokane Valley, and is