Coeur d’Alene, Idaho – SQM Group

Coeur d’Alene, Idaho – SQM Group, a call center industry research firm, has expanded its operation with the opening of a new state-­‐of-­‐the-­‐art research call center in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, with the capacity for up to 200 workstations. SQM is a leading North American call center industry Voice of the Customer research firm expert for measuring and improving organizations’ first call resolution (FCR) and customer satisfaction. SQM clients are Fortune 500 companies such as Blue Cross and Blue Shield, U.S. Bank, Office Max, Capital One and Marriott. To learn more, visit www.sqmgroup.com.

Four IGEM Innovation Grants to the University of Idaho

Moscow, Idaho – The Idaho Global Entrepreneurial Mission (IGEM) Council awarded four IGEM Innovation Grants to the University of Idaho  IGEM Grant funds leverage private-­‐industry guidance and the talent and expertise of Idaho’s research universities to commercialize innovative and viable technologies that will strengthen Idaho’s economy. The following projects at the University of Idaho were chosen by the IGEM Council to receive funding:

 • Microbial Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP) -­‐ “Bio-­‐Concrete,” $114,864 – Commercial viability of MICP “bio-­‐concrete” to strengthen soils around existing structures
 • Commercializing Aquatic Animal Health Products, $124,021 – Addressing critical regulatory requirements for commercialization of two aquatic animal health products
 • Pesticide Application Technology, $46,164 – Innovative new spraying system designed to increase the efficiency of pesticide applications (in collaboration with GenZ Technology)
 • High Speed Digital Package Measurement and Modeling for Next Generation Memory Modules, $150,000 – Infrastructure improvements at the University of Idaho for the purpose of measuring, modeling and developing techniques that enable rapid development the next generation of high speed memory products and packages
 • Determine Viability of Automated Quantitative Detection of E. coli O157:H7 at a Beef Processing Facility, $78,076 – Method that will combine quantitative PCR to rapidly screen for O157 coupled with confirmatory bacterial colony growth and identification on differential medium using imaging and unique recognition software.

More details about these projects and IGEM Grants are available at http://commerce.idaho.gov.

Idaho Ranked No. 7 Out of 10 Most Entrepreneurial States

According to an article in CNN Money Idaho has been ranked No. 7 out of 10 Most Entrepreneurial States here is what the article said: 

 

2012 startup rate: 410 per 100,000 adults

Don't be fooled by the calm mountains and rivers of Idaho's picturesque Boise Valley. Nestled in their midst is a burgeoning hub for technology and science startups.

Big names like Micron Technology and Microsoft already operate in the state, and are inspiring a new breed of tech companies hoping to follow their lead.

Idaho's national laboratory is spurring innovation in technology, nuclear science and engineering, said Clark Krause, executive director of the Boise Valley Economic Partnership. Meanwhile, colleges in the state offer specialized business courses for budding entrepreneurs, he said.

New firms can take advantage of unique initiatives like the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce's "B Launched" competition, which awards promising young entrepreneurs funding to build their ideas into startups. Growing businesses can get tax credits for adding new jobs and expanding facilities.

While high personal income and business taxes can be a turnoff, overall living costs are low and Idaho is a strong hydropower state so entrepreneurs can save on electricity bills. 

To see the other 9 states go here: 10 Most Entrepreneurial States

Lewiston Idaho: Frozen MOTO

The Lewiston snow-bike company continues to make strides in Idaho’s rec-tech industry

Frozen MOTO, a start-up company from Lewiston, is quickly gaining international attention and recognition for its groundbreaking snow bikes.  Earlier this year, the company entertained a group of Russian buyers, demonstrated the snow bikes and showed how well the snow bikes performed on various terrains. 

The Frozen MOTO Industries first generation snow bike was created in 2010 by Randy Gentry.  Over the next year Dan Shanahan became involved with Frozen MOTO and together, Gentry and Shanahan produced the next generation system, model year 2012, that incorporated elements of the first system with additional refinement – resulting in the SMX and SMR systems.  Shanahan took over the business from Gentry in the summer of 2012 and moved the company to Lewiston while continuing to work on improving both the technology and process for producing the newest system on the market for 2013. 

“I think that snow biking has a potential to be one of those things that explodes on the international scene prior to exploding in the U.S.,” Shanahan said. 

That’s why showcasing the snow bikes in ideal conditions to the Russian buyers was so important; Shanahan wanted to demonstrate that the equipment and technology had wide-reaching recreational advantages. The Frozen MOTO team guided their visitors up through the state from Boise to Lewiston and took the opportunity to test the snow bikes in different locations.  Now the buyers have returned to Russia and are in the process of negotiating orders and distribution contracts with the Frozen MOTO team, as well as working on dealer development in Russia. Being located in Lewiston has significant advantages, as the city has Idaho’s only seaport, giving the company unique benefits when it comes to shipping and production needs.  Frozen MOTO also has developed excellent relationships with top companies within sister industries  in the area – such as snowmobiling and motocross – since the Frozen MOTO snow bikes are essentially a hybrid of the two.  These relationships provide insight that allows the team to address components from different perspectives while creating and refining the best product possible. 

Frozen MOTO was chosen to be a State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) Grant recipient, a grant program distributed by Idaho Commerce.  The company is planning to use the grant funds to travel to Russia in November for three weeks to continue developing dealers and driving export sales.  Shanahan believes Frozen MOTO’s marketing efforts are better suited driving sales internationally, even though it may cost a little more to begin with.  Additionally, Shanahan has some new leads in Japan and will be hosting a Japanese group in mid-June. 

To learn more about Frozen MOTO or to order a custom snow bike, visit www.frozenmoto.com

Spokane, Wash. – Garco/ALSC/LMN

Spokane, Wash. – Garco/ALSC/LMN (Garco Construction, ALSC Architects and LMN Architects) has been selected by The Spokane Public Facilities District for the Spokane Convention Center Completion Project. The estimated $50 million convention center and shoreline improvement project will provide more than 700 new jobs for the region as well as bring in thousands of additional visitors and their dollars. More information is available at www.spokanepfd.org.

Lewiston, Idaho – The Port of Lewiston

Lewiston, Idaho – The Port of Lewiston, the most inland seaport on the West Coast, is doubling the size of its container loading dock. The $2.23 million expansion will add some 150 feet to the port’s 125-­‐foot dock. The project is expected to take 95 days and be finished by the end of the summer.

Additionally, the Port of Lewiston’s Harry Wall Industrial Park is getting a new tenant. FedEx Ground is constructing a package distribution center at the park. The company based its site choice on the land’s proximity to major highways, customers’ distribution centers and potential employees. The 37,000-­‐ square-­‐foot center will be ready in the summer of 2013. To learn more about the Port of Lewiston, visit www.portoflewiston.com.

Happy Small Business Week 2013! #SWB2013

National Small Business Week June 17-21 2013

Hang Out with SBA and Industry Experts

As part of National Small Business Week, SBA will host a series of Google+ Hangouts which will be streamed live at www.sba.gov/smallbusinessweek, http://www.youtube.com/sba, and http://plus.google.com/+sbagov. All Hangouts will start at 4pm ET. Topics and panelists include:

June 17 - Getting Started with Social Media
Panelists from Twitter, Constant Contact, W20 Group and Google will hang out. Bill Murphy Jr., author and columnist for Inc.com will moderate the Hangout.

June 18- Managing Your Business’ Online Reputation
Panelists from Yelp, LinkedIn, OpenSky, Dun and Bradstreet Credibility Corp., Google and Manta will hang out. Rieva Lesonsky, CEO of GrowBiz Media will moderate the Hangout.

June 19- How a Mentor Can Help Your Business
Panelists from the SBA's Office of Entrepreneurial Development, America's Small Business Development Centers, and Women’s Business Centers will hang out. Fran Tarkenton, NFL legend and entrepreneur will moderate the Hangout.

June 20- How to Get a Business Loan
Panelists from Wells Fargo, SCORE, SBA Office of Capital Access, and SBA loan recipient Ninkasi Brewing Company will hang out. Calvin Goings, SBA regional administrator will moderate the Hangout.

How can you get Involved?

You can still register for events in St. Louis, and Washington, DC. If you can't travel, you can still take part by joining live streaming webcasts of all events and Hangouts as they happen (keep an eye on the event website and follow SBA on Twitter and Facebook for more details as the event approaches). If you are tweeting, the official hashtag is #SBW2013.

Utah firm expands to Liberty Lake - The Spokesman-Review

Utah firm expands to Liberty Lake

New office to create 400 jobs, says Vivint Inc.

By Tom Sowa

toms@spokesman.com,(509)459-5492

 

Vivint Inc., a fast-growing provider of home automation products including energy management and surveillance, expects to create 400 jobs after opening an office in Liberty Lake this summer.

Based in Provo, Utah, privately owned Vivint said the company’s expansion is part of a broad plan of adding more customers acrossNorth America.

It’s leasing about 25,000 square feet in the former ISC-Getronics building at 22425 E. Appleway.

The company’s decision followed an initial contact from Greater Spokane Incorporated, which identified Vivint as a potential company suited to the workforce and business locations available here, said Eric Patrick, a company vice president based in Utah.

Read the rest of the article here:
Utah firm expands to Liberty Lake - The Spokesman-Review

Exceeding expectations - The Spokesman-Review

Exceeding expectations

By Tom Sowa

toms@spokesman.com,(509)459-5492

Spokane’s Riverpoint campus on the eastern edge of downtown is generating $350 million in annual economic impact, the head of a national consulting company told a group of Spokane officials Thursday.

Paul Umbach, president and CEO of Tripp Umbach, a health care and higher-education consulting firm, detailed how Riverpoint has grown faster than he predicted four years ago.

In 2009 businesses belonging to Greater Spokane Incorporated underwrote a $50,000 study by Umbach that projected the jobs and economic impact Riverpoint and its collection of classrooms, labs and bioscience businesses would have on the community.

Read the rest of the article here:
Exceeding expectations - The Spokesman-Review