When one thinks of Idaho, the image of potatoes comes
to mind. But agriculture and the subsequent food processing companies are not the
only industries on the move in Idaho.
Fueling the state's economy today are businesses active in industries across the
board, as well as a strong emphasis in high-technology.
High-tech industries has been especially hot in Idaho. Boise was cited recently
by Industry Week magazine as a world-class location and high-tech magnet.
In its report of high-tech growth areas, it said of Boise: "New companies
are attracted to the area by a low-cost business environment, a strong working partnership
between the private and public sectors (highlighted by an annual retreat of about
120 leaders from the two sectors) and an appealing lifestyle."
The city is home to Hewlett-Packard, Micron Technology and Micron Electronics.
Southeastern Idaho
Southeastern Idaho is also seeing its share of high-tech activity.
Tele-Servicing Innovations (TSI), a high-tech telecommunication marketing and
information processing firm, relocated its headquarters from Colorado Springs, Colo.,
to Idaho Falls last year after considering nearly three dozen cities in a nationwide
search.
Company President Jeff Neiswanger said the community more than met his criteria,
which included availability of stable, well-educated workers, quality of life issues
and the assistance of a state development council.
"What we were looking for was a group of people that really wanted to learn
our business needs, and pull community resources together to make our move as painless
as possible," he said.
Employee training was an important issue, and the college took the lead in dealing
with the Idaho Division of Vocational Training to see what could be done to accommodate
the company's needs.
Randy Shroll, manager of Business Development for Idaho's Department of Commerce,
comments that companies that come to Idaho are attracted to many of the same qualities
that landed TSI: Idaho's low operating costs (labor, utilities, worker's compensation,
insurance, etc.), geographic location (the Northwest) and quality of life (low crime
rate, recreational opportunities and short commutes).
"The largest competition for new projects comes mostly from the surrounding
states of Oregon, Utah and Washington, with the state of Utah being the most competitive
when it comes to overall cost of doing business," he said.
The Lynden Corp., a software manufacturer, also came to Idaho Falls about the
same time as TSI.
It has since expanded into a new facility and hopes to draw 50 some new employees
from high- tech havens such as Boise and Salt Lake City.
Meanwhile, American Microsystems Inc. (AMI) is building a $250 million fabrication
facility in Pocatello just south of Idaho Falls. AMI specializes in application-specific
integrated circuits and manufactures function-specific semiconductors for a multitude
of high-tech companies, including Hewlett Packard, Intel and Motorola.
Announcements by other manufacturers in the area include Clear Shield National
Inc., a Wheeling, Ill.,-based producer of disposable plastic cutlery and straws.
The company is setting up its fifth manufacturing facility in Twin Falls, to be operational
in 1998.
Clear Shield also is opening a distribution facility there in 1997. After an 18-month
review, the company selected Twin Falls because of its quality work force, cooperative
business and community leaders, and competitive utility rates.
Last year, Weight Watchers announced that it is adding production lines to its
Pocatello plant in a consolidation that is bringing one of the world's largest frozen
entree producers to the area. The consolidation involved the closing of its Clearfield,
Utah, plant.
Eastern Idaho
The Eastern Idaho Economic Development Council (EIEDC) has had success in attracting
a host of businesses to south central Idaho.
Environmental Solutions and Technology, Inc. set up a temporary headquarters in
Idaho Falls, with plans to move its manufacturing operations there from Los Angeles.
By next year, the company expects to create 100 new jobs and up to 400 additional
jobs within five years.
The EIEDC considers the company, which manufacturers environmental protection
and remediation products, a "big win." It had considered sites in New Mexico,
California and Florida.
North Idaho
The area surrounding Coeur d'Alene continues to diversify beyond silver mining.
I.A. Aluminum Casting Co. is spending $100,000 to upgrade its facility in Hayden
Lake.
The 50-year-old company supplies cast aluminum parts to companies in 20 states.
Whereby fabricators once ordered unfinished castings, now they demand direct delivery
of machined, plated and ready-to-install aluminum parts.
Aerostar Aircraft Corp. is relocating its facilities from Spokane to Coeur d'Alene.
The company needed a larger facility than its Spokane International Airport location
to build new Aerostar airplanes, popular as a low-cost alternative for executive
planes.
As a result, the company is setting up shop at an empty hanger at Coeur d'Alene's
Airport. The relocation will involve adding 10,000 square feet to the hanger.
Lancaster, Penn.,-based Fabral, a national steel roofing and framing company,
is opening a 30,000 square foot facility in Rathdrum outside of Coeur d'Alene.
"This is a logical expansion to the Northwest," said plant manager Steve
Robinson. "It helps us fill out our geographic areas." Previously, the
company's closest plant was in Utah.
Fabral expects to enlarge its North Idaho facility due to the number of orders
coming from this area. "It is not too much of a reach to say we'll double in
size in a year," he said.
Meanwhile, Koch Agriculture Services and Fisher Mills opened a flour mill in Blackfoot
to process wheat. The new facility processes wheat into 200,000 pounds of flour a
day. Plans also call for a doubling of the mill in the near future.
Idaho is expected to continue attracting and growing businesses in the years ahead.
A U.S. Census Bureau report predicts that between now and the year 2025, Idaho will
be at least the nation's sixth fastest growing state per capita. In Southeastern
Idaho, the population is expected to increase by one-third during the next 20 years.
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