Eight years ago, when the Journal last caught up with Denielle Waltermire-Stuhlmiller, owner of Simply Northwest gift shop, sloths, unicorns, mermaids, and llamas reigned in popularity. While current tastes have shifted to cherries, chickens, book-lover merchandise, and bees, the Spokane Valley-based retailer maintains a proactive approach to stay ahead of the curve.

Spokane-based meal preparation company Real Meals, a scratch made meal delivery and pickup service, has doubled its workforce and expanded partnerships with gyms and senior living facilities as demand for convenient, prepared meals continues to grow.

After years of organizing events, supporting Native artists, and operating a nonprofit focused on Indigenous communities, Spokane Tribe member Jeff Ferguson has opened a new brick-and-mortar business designed to give Native artists a permanent place to showcase and sell their work.

Integrated Lipid Biofuels LLC, a biotech and sustainability company based in Spokane Valley, has developed and launched its first consumer product and is preparing a Kickstarter campaign to support its initial market rollout.

A new dry-aged beef program at the Chinook Steak, Seafood & Pasta restaurant in the Couer d'Alene Casino Resort Hotel is driving both flavor innovation and increased sales, according to executive chef Alex Santos-Cucalon.

A new gathering place in downtown Spokane aims to offer more than just an average cup of coffee. Instead, Good Medicine Apothecary & Culture Lounge is meant for cultural exchange, conversation, and a curated listening experience.

From a service clerk in Montana to the leader of a regional grocery chain in Spokane, Jeff Philipps says his legacy was built by consistently restocking a few simple ideas: "Businesses succeed when they invest in people, and communities grow stronger when leaders choose to give back." 

Garland Resale Boutique has moved just a few doors down from where it first opened its doors in the summer of 2019.

Post Falls-based firearm holster manufacturer Alien Gear Holsters, a trade name and brand of Tedder Industries LLC, has been purchased by Safariland LLC, of Delaware, for $10.3 million following a court-approved bankruptcy auction, according to filings with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas.

Patrick Donovan, president of Spokane-based Dry Fly Distilling Inc., says the company received no advance notice that the spirit maker’s canned Bloody Mary would be featured on HBO’s new television series DTF St. Louis, much less that the canned cocktail would play such a prominent role in the show’s storyline.