LeAnn Bjerken

Trovato Interiors LLC: Interior discoveries

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January 19, 2017

Spokane Valley design consultant Susan Usai has years of retail experience working with homeowners to improve the furnishings and look of their residences, so finally getting to operate her own furnishings store was like a dream come true, she says. She

New business group Better Spokane hires its first executive director

Ex-Home Builders staffer to lead organization

January 19, 2017

LeAnn Bjerken

Better Spokane, a young organization developed by a handful of Spokane-area businesspeople to focus on business issues and economic development, has hired Michael Cathcart as its first executive director. Cathcart previously worked as the Spokane Home B

Bankruptcy filings in Eastern Washington drop for sixth straight year

Attorneys say volume could start to increase

January 19, 2017

LeAnn Bjerken

Bankruptcy filings in Eastern Washington and North Idaho have declined for the sixth straight year. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court's Eastern District of Washington reported a total of 3,986 filings in 2016, down from 4,219 in 2015, a decrease of nearly 6 p

Timber industry optimistic for sustained growth

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December 15, 2016

LeAnn Bjerken

Once again, experts in the wood products industry are expecting moderate growth in U.S. housing starts for 2017. Most industry officials remain modestly optimistic as they track residential real estate and construction markets, the latter of which accou

Retail sales rising faster than income hereâ€”for now

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December 15, 2016

LeAnn Bjerken

As has been the case for a couple of years now, retailers here are again predicting sales growth for 2017. However, some of industry representatives and observers interviewed are skeptical as to how long this period of gains will continue. Grant Forsyth

Visitor, tourism growth might soften slightly in 2017

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December 15, 2016

LeAnn Bjerken

Despite regional tourism being strong here again this year, local experts in the industry say a lighter convention event schedule could mean visitor traffic will soften slightly in 2017. Visit Spokane President and CEO Cheryl Kilday says demand for overn

Index ranks Spokane as fourth best in growth

Separate study shows low per-capita debt here

December 15, 2016

LeAnn Bjerken

SmartAsset, a New York-based personal finance technology company, has rated Spokane No. 4 among top-performing economies in Washington state. The rankings are part of a broader, nationwide study by SmartAsset on the areas with the most incoming investme

DeVries adds to its shredding services with new bag system

Eco-friendly 'seal 'n shred' alternative brought on line

December 15, 2016

LeAnn Bjerken

Spokane-based DeVries Business Records Management Inc., which does business as DeVries Business Services, now is offering a new eco-friendly product with its shredding services, called the Seal 'n Shred bag. Located at 601 E. Pacific, DeVries is perhap

Spokane Airports' spending on capital projects to rise

City, county approve 2017 budget totaling $72 million

December 15, 2016

LeAnn Bjerken

The Spokane Airport Board will enter 2017 with a budget that's up about 25 percent over this year's budget, an increase that it says is due entirely to a planned boost in capital spending. The city of Spokane and Spokane County, which jointly own and

Drivers' license surrenders rise in Spokane County

Economist says improved markets aiding in-migration

December 15, 2016

LeAnn Bjerken

Recent data from the Washington state Department of Licensing show out-of-state drivers' license surrenders have increased here again this year, an indication that new residents are still moving to Spokane County and the state as a whole. Although the