Paul Read

Hunkered down, with hope on the horizon

Industry-sector observers here expect flat year in 2009, with chance of second-half recovery

December 18, 2008

As one might expect given the national recession, nearly every sector of the Inland Northwest economy is expecting a challenging year in 2009. Some perspective, however, is in order. The contraction seen in most industries here hasn't been anywhere

Minera Andes posts net loss of $3.5 million in quarter

December 4, 2008

Paul Read

Minera Andes Inc., a small Spokane-based mining company, has reported a third-quarter net loss of $3.5 million, or 2 cents a share, compared with a loss of $979,000, or 1 cent a share, in the year-earlier quarter.For the nine months ended Sept.

ISM shifts focus to infrastructure

Health-research group's new plan won't be nearly as expensive

November 20, 2008

Paul Read

The Institute for Systems Medicine, a Spokane effort that had hoped to raise $100 million or more to attract world-class scientists here, has refocused itself on building the infrastructure it believes Spokane needs to be a player in basic That a

Potlatch eyes new way to fund spin-off

Company now will have Clearwater tap credit line, take some of its debt

November 6, 2008

Paul Read

Potlatch Corp., the big Spokane-based wood-products concern, says the national credit crisis has forced it to change how it will finance the planned spin-off of its pulp-based operations into a new publicly traded company called Clearwater Paper it

A new era at old R.A. Hanson

Now The Factory Co., venerable operation under new owner

October 23, 2008

Paul Read and Paul Read

When Richard Hanson sold off the name and materials-handling business of RAHCO International Inc. to a Danish conglomerate in 2007, he was content in the twilight of his career running what was left of the heavy-equipment maker—now called The

ValleyÂ’s zoning plan draws fire

Part of planned Sprague-Appleway revitalization would include Â‘downzoningÂ’

February 26, 1997

Paul Read

While the question of whether to convert Spokane Valleys busy Sprague-Appleway couplet to two-way streets has become a headline debate, a less well-known part of the citys broad rejuvenation proposal for that corridor is drawing sharp criticism

Executive pay here climbed again in 2007

Increases more modest now, though, and not all see raises

February 26, 1997

Paul Read

The economy might be declining, but executive pay continues to grow at a healthy paceat least at some Inland Northwest public companies.Top executives here on average received a 12.2 percent bump in total direct compensationto an average of

World Wide Packets will remain here

Maryland company looks for better quarters for its Spokane Valley operation

February 26, 1997

Paul Read

World Wide Packets Inc., the Spokane Valley-based company founded by computer networking guru Bernard Daines and sold recently to a Baltimore-area concern for nearly $300 million, says it expects to grow its operations here and is looking for last

OTCÂ’s light finally dims to darkness

Once promising high-tech concern had cheated death before, but failed in the end

February 26, 1997

Paul Read

Rather unceremoniously, the final chapter in the story of what once was a promising high-tech manufacturer here played out in the cold, stark entryway of the Spokane County Courthouse in late December. There, an attorney invited opening bids in the

GSI: One year after the merger

Task of combining EDC, chamber said difficult, but leaders happy with result

February 26, 1997

Paul Read

One year after a group of civic leaders launched Greater Spokane Incorporatedamid a mix of high expectations and some skepticismorganizers now say the job of combining the regions top two business groups has been difficult and mistakes were