Banner Corp., the publicly-traded, Walla Walla-based holding company for Banner Bank and Islanders Bank, announced this afternoon that it has agreed to merge into its operations privately-held, Spokane-based AmericanWest Bank in a $702 million transaction

Debbie Shipman has been named president of the Northwest Business Development Association, and longtime president Gil Acevedo plans to stay on with the nonprofit to help with the transition until May, when he plans to retire. Shipman says her goal for th

In an initial round of grants to Spokane-area nonprofits, the Umpqua Bank Charitable Foundation has awarded a total of $420,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank of the Inland Northwest and Excelerate Success, says Eve Callahan, an Umpqua spokeswoman.

Northwest Bancorporation Inc., the Spokane-based parent of Inland Northwest Bank, reported today third-quarter net income available to common shareholders of $976,000, or 23 cents a diluted share, up from income of $708,000, or 22 cents a share, in the ye

AmericanWest Bank announced this morning that it plans to acquire Bank of Sacramento. The acquisition will give AmericanWest a total of nine branches in the Sacramento area and nearly 100 throughout Washington, Idaho, Oregon, California, and Utah. Bank

Spokane medical benefit broker VEBA Service Group is planning to open a call center division here on Jan. 1, says Mark Wilkerson, area president for VEBA. The company, located in 8,400 square feet of space at 906 W. Second downtown, will be hiring six c

Spokane Teachers Credit Union is introducing a microchip 'smart” Visa credit cards for its members who travel frequently overseas, says spokesman Dan Hansen. The cards use what's known as the Europay, Mastercard, and Visa (EMV) standard. A microch

Alliant Insurance Services, a national insurance brokerage based in Newport Beach, Calif., has acquired Spokane-based insurance and employee-benefits brokerage Moloney O'Neill, the companies announced this morning. Terms of the transaction weren't