Itron Inc., of Spokane Valley, has landed two new contractsone that involves providing a Kingston, Ontario, municipal utility with automatic meter-reading equipment and one through which it will deploy energy-management software to a energy to of

Nick-N-Willys Franchise LLC, a Lone Tree, Colo.-based restaurant and carryout pizza chain, says it plans to open 10 franchise outlets in Eastern Washington and Coeur dAlene by 2008.The chain, which has one company-owned outlet and 64 has to

Hewes Marine Co., a Colville, Wash., aluminum-boat manufacturer that employs more than 100 workers, plans to begin construction next summer on a 15,000-square-foot addition to the larger of its two buildings to increase its production city of will

The city of Spokane last week secured the last chunk of the $7 million in federal money it was hoping to get for a planned three-phase extension of Riverside Avenue from Division Street east through the University District. Concerns about a of

Drive-in dining and roller skating carhops might become more common sights in the Spokane area soon.A Spokane franchisee of Sonic Drive-In, a 3,000-restaurant chain thats popular in the South and Midwest, plans to develop its first outlet and

Washington State University will accept proposals later this month from private developers interested in doing a mixed-use development at the old Jensen-Byrd building and neighboring property on the south side of the Riverpoint Higher Education man

Entrepreneur Steve Danzig didnt need much time to mull it over when the owners of a North Side custom-apparel shop asked him two years ago whether he might like to buy the business.I said absolutely not, he recalls.Danzigs attitude

Paul Fish, president of Spokane-based recreational-equipment retailer Mountain Gear Inc., has bought a 160,000-square-foot complex in Spokane Valley and plans to move the companys offices and warehouse operations there next year. Mountain in

Demand for commercial loans has been higher this year than for several years, but rising interest rates could dampen business growth in 2006, bankers here say.A strong local economy and improved credit quality have contributed to growth in this

Employment in Spokane County has been growing much more rapidly this year than the forecasters had predicted, leading them to believe the region is nearing full employment and small businesses to wonder how theyre going to fill openings.Job 3