Richard Ripley

Jet boat makers team up to seek export sales in Europe

Lewiston-Clarkston group works with trade experts to make splash in Germany

July 1, 2010

U.S. trade officials are working with eight jet boat builders and a boat trailer maker, all in the Lewiston-Clarkston area, to capture sales of the boats in Europe.Janet Bauermeister, director of the U.S. Department of Commerce's Spokane Export

Itron lands initial phase of meter system in Spain

Iberdrola S.A., a giant in energy industry, plans smart utility metering

July 1, 2010

Richard Ripley

Itron Inc., of Liberty Lake, has been chosen by Iberdrola S.A., Spain's largest energy company and one of the world's biggest such concerns, to develop the first phase of the energy giant's smart utility-metering program in Spain.Iberdrola, in a

How Potlatch looks different as a REIT

Presentation points out 'hard asset' value of timber, gains from sale of lands

July 1, 2010

Richard Ripley

A timber company fits well in many investors' portfolios, Potlatch Corp. told investors at the REITWeek Conference, in Chicago, last month, and its presentation provided insights into how the Spokane company's conversion into a real estate trust is

Avista makes headway with home audits

44 county homeowners arrange for professional investigations thus far

June 17, 2010

Richard Ripley

Some 44 homeowners in Spokane County have arranged for professional home energy audits so far under a two-year pilot program announced at the end of April that's being administered by Avista Utilities.Customers sign up for the audits through Web

Power City plugs into Las Vegas

Spokane company might have 30 to 40 people there on staff by end of 2011

June 17, 2010

Richard Ripley

Las Vegas dazzles visitors with its millions and millions of lights—and Spokane's Power City Electric Inc. wants to be involved in servicing them, making them more efficient, and maybe even adding some more of them.The Spokane company has a

Inland Imaging, peers join forces to share ideas, goals

Radiologists groups form collaborative company, see changing landscape

June 17, 2010

Richard Ripley

Spokane-based Inland Imaging LLC, the Inland Northwest's largest radiology practice, and 14 other major U.S. radiology groups have formed a consortium to search for ways to reduce costs, to take advantage of opportunities, to improve patient care,

First Choice enjoys boost in administration business

Seattle-based company now employs 50 here, could expand further

June 17, 2010

Richard Ripley

First Choice Health Network Inc., buoyed by a strong performance in its third-party health-plan administration business, has added 15 staff members at its offices here in recent weeks, giving it a staff of about 50, and says it's likely to expand a

U.S. attorney to successor: 'Don't pass this up'

After eight years on the job, McDevitt believes there's big need for crime prevention

June 3, 2010

Richard Ripley

When James A. McDevitt, the U.S. attorney for Eastern Washington, heard that Spokane lawyer Mike Ormsby had been nominated to be his successor, he called Ormsby and said, "'Don't pass this up.'"It's simple, says McDevitt, who's been a lawyer for

INB's owner is offering share rights to current stockholders

Northwest Bancorporation seeks to raise $4 million for capital, opportunities

June 3, 2010

Richard Ripley

Northwest Bancorporation Inc., of Spokane, is offering its shareholders rights to buy additional shares of the company's common stock in an offering that it hopes will raise $4 million.The bank-holding company, which owns Inland Northwest Bank,

Farm Credit boosts net to $41.1 million in quarter

Wheat, fruit growers, timber producers look to have good year in 2010

May 20, 2010

Richard Ripley

Northwest Farm Credit Services has reported $41.1 million in net income in the first quarter, boosting its quarterly earnings by 140 percent from $17.1 million in the year-earlier period.Meanwhile, the Spokane-based ag-lending cooperative set in