Katie Ross

Inbound flow of residents held flat last year in Spokane County

Number of drivers' license surrenders climbed slightly

March 13, 2014

Out-of-state drivers' license surrenders, one of the indicators of new residents moving into the area, remained flat in Spokane County for the second year in a row in 2013. Online data compiled by the Washington State Department of Licensing showed th

Spokane International Airport plans to resume taxiway configuration

First phase halfway done; second to begin in 2015

March 13, 2014

Katie Ross

The Spokane International Airport plans to resume work in April on the $3.9 million first phase of a large taxiway reconfiguration project. Meantime, airport spokesman Todd Woodard says the second phase of the project will go to bid in June, with that w

West Corp. expects to add 50 workers here this year

Company looks to bolster its call center in the Valley

March 13, 2014

Katie Ross

Omaha, Neb.-based call center West Corp, which hired about 200 employees in Spokane last year, is moving forward with a smaller wave of additional hiring, says Mareesa Henderson, divisional director of human resources for the company. Over the next seve

Second Harvest expands facilities to fill big food need

Second Harvest expects Tri-Cities project to boost its capabilities

March 13, 2014

Katie Ross

Second Harvest Food Bank of the Inland Northwest is moving forward with several large projects this year, including a $2.5 million, 26,000-square-foot second-phase expansion of its Pasco, Wash., warehouse facility, says President and CEO Jason Luke Clark.

Bennett House touts respite for senior caregivers

Adult day-care center opens in Coeur d'Alene

February 27, 2014

Katie Ross

Coeur d'Alene businessmen Rick Bennett and George Cunningham have opened an adult day care facility, called Bennett House, to provide caretakers some respite from tending to elderly loved ones. Bennett and Cunningham formed a partnership to open Ben

Ptera Wireless wins city of Liberty Lake contract

Ptera to upgrade, manage phone, Internet services

February 27, 2014

Katie Ross

The city of Liberty Lake has contracted with Ptera Wireless Inc., the Liberty-Lake based provider of wireless broadband internet and phone services, to upgrade its phone and Internet services, says Steve Wilson, vice president of Ptera. The project bega

Red Lion Hotels introduces interpretation devices for guests

Mobile service translates 180 different languages

February 27, 2014

Katie Ross

Red Lion Hotels Corp., of Spokane, is piloting a mobile interpretation device at its Anaheim, Calif., property to help bridge the communication gap between hotel staff and international travelers. 'They've been using it for a couple of weeks,â€ say

AmericanWest Bank grows loans, eyes more acquisitions

Bank extended $1 billion in credit in last two years

February 27, 2014

Katie Ross

Spokane-based financial institution AmericanWest Bank has experienced an organic loan growth rate of about 10 percent a year for the last two years, which is double the industry standard, claims CEO Scott Kisting. The bank also has extended a total of

Startup aims at reducing waste of medical products

Website is marketplace for users to buy, sell, trade

February 27, 2014

Katie Ross

Spokane startup e-business H-Source LLC, which is promoting its website at www.h-source.com as a marketplace for hospitals and medical providers to buy, sell, and trade medicines and equipment, is pursuing funding to help it to expand the website and attr

Engineering trio launches laboratory automation venture here

Design-manufacturing company tiny, but has global aspirations

February 27, 2014

Katie Ross

Three Spokane engineers have joined to launch a company named Empire Laboratory Automation Systems LLC that will design and manufacture products for the laboratory, biosciences, pharmaceutical, educational, and agricultural industries. For now, the compa