Manufacturing

Proposed silicon smelter near Newport brings out FANSS, CANSS

$325 million project draws support, lawsuit from groups

September 13, 2018

A Canadian company's proposal to construct a silicon smelting facility on a 188-acre site about 1.5 miles south of the town of Newport, Wash., has caused a rift in the community of about 1,200 residents. PacWest Silicon, a subsidiary of Edmonton

A healthy buzz at BumbleBar

Spokane Valley manufacturer goes lean, to add machine that doubles production

August 16, 2018

LeAnn Bjerken

Spokane Valley-based gluten-free snack bar maker BumbleBar Inc. is abuzz with new growth this year, as it moves into a leaner model of manufacturing and works to expand both its own product line and co-packing relationships. 'Our focus right now is

Amazon to staff up by fall of 2019

Workers to come from unemployed, employed, throughout region

August 2, 2018

Samantha Peone

Before the 2019 holiday rush, Amazon.com Inc. hopes to have nearly all 1,500 positions filled at the massive fulfillment center under construction on the West Plains, says company spokesperson Lauren Lynch. Amazon will begin hiring a few weeks before the

Drivers Wanted

Trucker shortage puts brakes on interstate freight traffic

August 2, 2018

Virginia Thomas

Trucking industry experts say a scarcity of commercial truck drivers has begun to create sweeping consequences ranging from higher prices for goods to a slower economy due to widespread inability to deliver goods on time. Sheri Call, executive vice

Recruiting from the West Side

City wants professionals, managers to locate here

August 2, 2018

Mike McLean

The city of Spokane is preparing to launch its own job recruiting initiative aimed at attracting West Side companies to bring highly paid professional and management-level jobs here. The campaign, the first of its kind for the city, likely will start

Jack Buell Trucking buys mill, relocates it to Idaho

Texas wood chip machinery will double current capacity

July 19, 2018

Dan Hammes

A new whole-log chip mill is expected to be in operation near St. Maries, Idaho, late this year. The mill is owned by Jack Buell Trucking, of St. Maries, and will operate at the company's Swan Lake Fiber site in Milltown, a Benewah County, Idaho, commun

Britz Designs: Tools for lakeside living

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July 19, 2018

LeAnn Bjerken

Liberty Lake-based Britz Designs LLC designs products geared toward making lakeside living easier for homeowners, campers, and outdoor enthusiasts. This season marks the company's second summer of operations, and its owners say sales are climbing along

Tomahawk Steelworx LLC: Picking up new uses

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June 21, 2018

Nina Culver

Where most people see small tools and old car parts, Lloyd Morris sees a lamp, a shelf bracket, or a bench. Morris has built his new business, Tomahawk Steelworx, around repurposing old metal into furniture and other items. 'I just like building uniqu

Building material prices surge

Costs jump by double digits for lumber, aluminum, other construction supplies

June 21, 2018

Samantha Peone

With construction material costs rising nationally, Inland Northwest construction companies are feeling the impacts. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics producer price index for construction materials increased 2.2 percent from April to May, marking the

Permits secured for Gold Reserve project

Site work to clear way for big Venezuelan mine

May 24, 2018

Virginia Thomas

Gold Reserve Inc., a mining company incorporated in Canada with executive offices in downtown Spokane, has received the permit to begin construction activities at a gold, copper, and silver mining project in southeast Venezuela in conjunction with the Ven