Thirteen years ago, Vestis Manufacturing Inc. was a five-person operation producing and installing fabric awnings for homes and businesses within 100 miles of Spokane. Today, Vestis focuses on manufacturing aluminum canopies, louvered sunshades, and bolt-on balconies for commercial clients, shipping its products throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Contractor and energy-efficiency systems manufacturer McKinstry Co. has launched a new podcast, “Building What Matters,” featuring conversations with leaders who decide how schools, hospitals, and major infrastructure projects are built in communities across the Pacific Northwest.

Beverage distribution is a logistics business. Orders come in, inventory is tracked, routes are planned, deliveries are coordinated, and customers and employees need to stay in communication throughout the process. Much of that work now depends on an internet connection.

A new visualization and creative experience space designed as a resource for builders, architects, homebuyers, and other creators now is open in downtown Coeur d’Alene.

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Inc. is investing $150 million in a Post Falls manufacturing facility to meet the company's high demand for power grid protection products.

Some Inland Northwest companies are facing security concerns and public perception issues as they integrate artificial intelligence tools into their operations. A new program at Gonzaga University, however, could help businesses address some of those challenges.

Spokane-based Novara Energy Alliance is preparing to host its inaugural Novara Energy Summit 2026, where innovators, researchers, and leaders will convene to identify the most pressing energy challenges facing the Inland Northwest. 

Primarily driven by outside capital and nationwide corporate interest, a wave of business acquisitions and early-stage investments has swept through the Inland Northwest this summer. From Missouri and South Dakota to Georgia and Utah, out-of-town buyers and national firms are acquiring and investing in established Spokane-area companies across a variety of industries.

Kristopher Pockell is a software engineering manager at Liberty Lake-based OpenEye by day and the co-founder of Spokane Valley-based Elixir Sauce Co. by night.