For the first time in years, some businesses here are beginning to direct their gaze northward for more than a passing glance, stirred by a recent rise in the value of the Canadian dollar and a healthy business climate in Canadas western loonie,

Global Credit Union, of Spokane, has opened its first branch in the Tri-Cities and plans to open its second branch there in October.Global opened a branch office in Pasco on June 18, inside a new Yokes Washington Foods Inc. supermarket, says

A newly emerging form of overdraft protectiontouted by some banks and credit unions as a big benefit to customers and members, but criticized by some consumer groups as exploitativeis gaining a strong foothold here.Two of Spokanes largest

For Spokane Valley-based Farmers & Merchants Bank of Rockford, home is where the heart is, and in its case, home means Spokane County. The 97-year-old bank, which was started in Rockford, doesnt have plans to grow beyond Spokane County, but has &

Dont like the weather in Eastern Washington? Wait five minutes.Dont like the price of gypsum wallboard? The same advice might apply.The price of that material, which is used to build walls and ceilings in residential and commercial by a

When businesses look to cut their energy bills, Quantum Lighting LLC helps them see the light.For years, the 29-year-old Spokane-based lighting consultant has worked with schools to replace or retrofit fluorescent lighting systems with designed

The attitude adjustment the health-care industry has undergone is just fine with Spokane pharmacist Sarah Greener.Greener, who operates Inland Pharmaceutical Services here with her husband, Gary, says that as more medical professionals and with

Changes in the retirement-plan administration sector have helped Randall & Hurley Inc., of Spokane, boost its revenues greatlyby 40 percent last yearand increase its customer base by 150 companies.The 9-year-old Spokane company, owned and &

These days, the Spokane nonprofit known as Intec seldom uses the full name its acronym represents. Inland Northwest Technology Education Center just doesnt seem to describe the organization as well anymore, says its new CEO, Lewis three years ago

Scarsella Bros. Inc., of Seattle, has been awarded a $23.9 million contract by the Washington state Department of Transportation to widen a 5.5-mile stretch of Interstate 90 between the Argonne Road and Sullivan Road interchanges.The work, is a