Paul Read

Expect a slow but steady upturn

Industry-sector observers here are forecasting only modest improvements in 2010

December 23, 2009

So now the slow road to recovery begins. In most industry sectors, 2009 has been a year people would like to put behind them, and, after a couple of years of mostly negative indicators, observers now are offering hope that 2010 will provide at a

GSI launches strategic planning process

Group formed less than three years ago finds itself in different environment today

December 10, 2009

Paul Read and Paul Read

Greater Spokane Incorporated has launched a strategic planning process to help guide the nearly three-year-old organization through challenging economic times and what has become a shifting economic-development landscape."To paraphrase what (new

Shriners crisis sparks new vigor

Donations shot up after threat of closure; hospital will bill insurers in 2010

December 10, 2009

Paul Read and Paul Read

To say that 2009 has been a challenging year for the Shriners Hospitals for Children-Spokane would be quite an understatement, given that the 85-year-old hospital was on a possible closure list for months before being given a reprieve in July by a

Much-smaller Telect sees reason for optimism in telecom

Liberty Lake company says sales are edging up, to stay conservative on hiring

November 25, 2009

Paul Read and Paul Read

No longer the shining star of high-tech manufacturing here, Liberty Lake-based Telect Inc. has settled into a new role as a scrappy fighter in the rough-and-tumble telecommunications equipment industry, and that appears to suit CEO Wayne Williams a

Intermountain posts loss, cites better credit figures

Sandpoint concern put less aside for loan losses in quarter than in second

November 12, 2009

Paul Read and Paul Read

Intermountain Community Bancorp, the Sandpoint-based parent of Panhandle State Bank and other banking subsidiaries, has reported a net loss for the third quarter, but says loan losses and provisions for them are improving and deposits are growing.

Spokane's income growth beats regional peers, nation

Though still lagging, percentage increase topped Seattle's, U.S.'s

September 17, 2009

Paul Read and Paul Read

Personal income in the Spokane metropolitan area, though still lagging national benchmarks, grew at a faster rate last year than in the Seattle, Boise, and Portland markets, and also grew faster than the U.S. average, recently released data show. a

Minera Andes set to move headquarters to Toronto

September 3, 2009

Paul Read and Paul Read

Minera Andes Inc., a Canadian mining exploration company that has maintained its headquarters in Spokane since its inception about 15 years ago, says it plans to move its executive offices to Toronto by the end of September.The office here, at a

Economy puts brakes on exec pay

Overall compensation falls 3.6 percent; base pay drops sharply

July 2, 2009

Paul Read and Paul Read

Executive pay at publicly traded companies here fell last year for the first time since 2000, as the beleaguered economy caused corporate performance—now a bigger factor in how execs are paid—to swoon.Many public companies now base pay

Say hello to Clearwater

Newest publicly traded company here has expansive operations

April 23, 2009

Paul Read and Paul Read

On Dec. 16, Spokane quietly became home to a new billion-dollar company, as Spokane-based Potlatch Corp. completed a spin-off of its expansive pulp and paperboard operations.Although the new enterprise, Clearwater Paper Corp., employs just 25 at

A mining concern's fight for life

Gold Reserve executive gives rare glimpse inside hostile takeover attempt

April 9, 2009

Paul Read and Paul Read

The call came in at about 1:30 on a Friday afternoon, Dec. 12. It was an attorney for a Canadian mining concern and its financial adviser, and he was calling to deliver an ultimatum to Gold Reserve Inc. that would launch the Spokane-based company a