Manufacturing

Ex-Im bank supporters weigh reauthorization

Manufacturers here contend its closure would hurt them

August 14, 2014

The fight over whether to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank, the government's export credit agency that helps foreign companies buy U.S. goods, is frustrating to some Spokane-area manufacturers and business owners. They support the reauthorization of t

Seamless wallet maker launches first product line

Leather goods produced without thread, metal, glue

August 14, 2014

Katie Ross

A new company here, called PACT LLC, is creating and selling leather wallets and cases, but with a twist: The products are made with absolutely nothing but leather. 'It's built on the idea of how do we create a case or satchel that doesn't use typi

Third annual manufacturing expo slated next month

Range of product makers expected to be on hand

August 14, 2014

Virginia Thomas

Manufacturers from a broad range of industry sectors are expected to gather here for the third annual Advanced Manufacturing, Materials & Aerospace Expo, which will be held Sept. 29-30. The expo aims to highlight opportunities for Inland Northwest manufac

A sewing resurgence

Industry activity indicates sales, employment growth

August 14, 2014

Mike McLean

After years of contraction in the sewing manufacturing industry, some remaining sewing manufacturers here are seeing a resurgence in sales and employment growth, and others are looking at setting up operations in the Inland Northwest, some industry source

Hewescraft fishing boat maker preps for facility expansion

Hewes Marine boosting its space by almost half

August 14, 2014

Katie Ross

Hewes Marine Co., the Colville, Wash.-based manufacturer of Hewescraft aluminum fishing boats, is in the architectural planning stages of a $2 million facility expansion, says Tim Baris, the company's operations and finance director. Garco Constructi

Gas, water divisions buoy Itron

Quarterly revenue is up despite slow electric unit

August 14, 2014

Judith Spitzer

Itron Inc., the Liberty Lake-based maker of utility meter reading technology, with year-over-year revenue growth driven by double-digit gains in both its gas and water lines of business, is poised to take advantage of new global markets, says Philip Mezey

Irv Zakheim: Dishing on an animated career in manufacturing

-

July 31, 2014

Linn Parish

Dish up a kids' snack onto a plastic plate featuring the Frozen princesses or that goofy snowman they hang around with, and chances are good you're using a project created by West Plains-based Zak Designs Inc. Thirty-eight years old, the company has

Clearwater Paper's net income rises

.

July 23, 2014

Staff Report

Clearwater Paper Corp., of Spokane, announced this afternoon second-quarter net income of $12.5 million, or 61 cents a diluted share, up from $11.7 million, or 52 cents a share, in the year-earlier quarter. The company reported $498.8 million in sales

Key Tronic agrees to acquire circuit-board maker

Company also warns of lower-than-anticipated quarterly revenue

July 17, 2014

Staff Report

Key Tronic Corp., the Spokane Valley-based provider of electronic manufacturing services, announced this afternoon that it has agreed to acquire CDR Manufacturing Inc., a Louisville, Ky.-based company doing business as Ayrshire Electronics that provides p

intelliPaper ramps up, to roll out new product

Paper USB device maker works toward profitability

June 19, 2014

Linn Parish

As intelliPaper LLC ramps up production to fill its backlog and meet increasing demand, the Edwall, Wash.-based maker of recyclable, paper-based USB flash drives has a new product in the works that it expects will help it accelerate its growth. Meanti