In fields where competition for talent is keen, some companies here say they often go beyond monetary compensation to create a community workplace culture they hope will help them attract and retain employees. The steps they take to that to

Lighthouse for the Blind Inc., a Seattle nonprofit contract manufacturer, says it will pay workers at a new facility its opening here competitive wages based on annual compensation surveys, including one done here.The nonprofit, which and for

Decorative artist Shirley Offill always has been in touch with the business side of her art, even as a child in her hometown of Missoula, Mont., where she recalls selling pictures on the school playground for a dime.Now, Offill applies her to a

Apollo West LLC, of Tukwila, Wash., has bought Spokane-based Apollo Plastics Inc., thereby largely resolving a lawsuit and bankruptcy filing involving the latter company, says Kevin ORourke, Apollo Plastics bankruptcy attorney. ORourke to

The city of Spokanes taxable retail sales growth slowed dramatically in the third quarter of 2007, with sales rising just 2.7 percent over the year-earlier period, the latest available figures show. That compares with growth of 11.7 percent 5

Gonzaga University has received environmental approval from the city of Spokane for a planned two-building, 632-bed residence complex. Dale Goodwin, a Gonzaga spokesman, says the university wont build the structure anytime soon, but is for a

WinCo Foods Inc., a Boise-based discount grocery chain, has bought the former HomeBase Inc. property in Spokane Valley, says a listing agent involved in the transaction.The sale includes the 100,000-square-foot building that housed a HomeBase 8

Health-plan costs for businesses here will rise mostly from the upper single-digits to upper-teens percentage range, which is mostly up from the hikes seen last year, say representatives of health plans offered here. They say theyll continue to a

Servatron Inc., a Spokane Valley-based contract manufacturer, says its gross revenues shot up roughly 40 percent in 2007 and it expects to grow robustly this year, albeit at a slower pace.The companys gross revenues climbed to more than $32 a

Avista Corp., one of the nations greener electric utilities, is poised to do battle on carbon cap-and-trade systems on the state, regional, and national levels with much larger utilities that get much of their power from coal-burning stage for is