Two related Spokane companies that service and sell automotive-shop equipment in 43 states are building a new, expanded headquarters here and planning a push that will extend their reach into the remaining seven states by the end of the year, says

The Spokane Transit Authority has taken steps to condemn about 14 acres of land near the Spokane County Fair & Expo Center to use as right of way for a proposed light-rail line and as a site for a passenger station.STA filed a petition in late a

Spokane-based Washington Trust Bank plans to enter the Seattle market soon with a limited-service branch, says Lea Werner, the banks spokeswoman.Washington Trust plans to offer through the new branch customized business and personal financial

Spokane Railway Credit Union plans to change its name to Numerica Credit Union to reflect the nature of its expanding membership base more accurately, says Robyn Baird, senior marketing specialist for the credit union.The new name will go into a

URM Cash & Carry, a division of URM Stores Inc., the Spokane-based grocery cooperative, plans to open a second store in the Spokane area this spring, at 16808 E. Sprague, says Rick Jensen, director of URMs Cash & Carry.URM Cash & Carry has of

A Spokane-based company called Pacific Rim Ethanol LLC hopes to start building a $122 million ethanol plant at Moses Lake, Wash., this year, says Douglas MacKenzie, the companys president and chief executive officer.The plant essentially will

Coldwater Creek Inc., the Sandpoint, Idaho-based retailer that started with catalogs and last year exploded onto the Internet and doubled to four its number of full-line retail stores, expects to open four to six more stores in its next fiscal in a

Hospitality Associates Inc., a Spokane-based hotel development and management company, is continuing its quietly aggressive growth strategy, which includes about $105 million worth of construction currently under way or planned for this year. 10 14

The Spokane Regional Transportation Council has recommended to a state transportation-funding board that the city of Spokane receive two grants for design of pedestrian amenities along Post and Howard streets.In one of the requests, the city the

First Savings Bank of Washington, a subsidiary of Walla Walla, Wash.-based First Washington Bancorp Inc., is seeking permission to open a branch in the Spokane Valley.First Savings has applied to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to open the A