North Idaho College Aerospace Center for Excellence Receives Federal Aviation Administration Certification

]The North Idaho College Aerospace Center for Excellence is now a Federal Aviation Administration-certified school for aviation mechanics.

The college received a nearly $3 million federal grant in late 2012 that helped create the Aerospace Center in Hayden, which has offered advanced manufacturing programs since the fall of 2013. To date, 87 students have been taught hands-on skills fabricating and repairing composite parts, operating a CNC mill or learned about non-destructive testing methods in that program.

To learn more, read the Coeur d'Alene Press article.

FedEx Ground Expanding Distribution Center in Spokane

FedEx Ground is expanding its distribution center in the Spokane Business & Industrial Park. The expansion includes an addition with 46,600 square feet of warehouse space and 1,000 square feet of office space. The project is valued at $3.5 million.

To learn more, read the Journal of Business article.

Transamerican Auto Parts to Open Warehouse in Post Falls

Transamerican Auto Parts, an industry leader in the manufacture, distribution and sale of off-road parts for Jeeps and light trucks, recently unveiled plans to open a new warehouse distribution center in Post Falls, creating 50 new jobs. The 75,000-square-foot warehouse will increase supply and inventory levels at retail stores in western Canada and the Pacific Northwest.

In addition, the company plans to open a 10,000-square-foot retail outlet called "4 Wheel Parts," the global leader in off-road truck, Jeep and aftermarket performance products.

To learn more, visit http://transamericanautoparts.com.

Avista Launches Energy Storage Project

Avista recently launched its Energy Storage Project to test a new large-scale battery storage system in a real-world setting at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories using batteries manufactured by UniEnergy Technologies.

The $7 million project is funded by a $3.2 million grant from Governor Inslee and the Washington State Department of Commerce’s Clean Energy Fund and $3.8 million in Avista matching funds. The Energy Storage Project is part of Avista’s investment into research that will improve power system reliability.

To learn more, go to http://avistacorp.mwnewsroom.com.

Palouse Knowledge Corridor Host Successful Be the Entrepreneur Bootcamp™

Approximately 100 people attended the Be the Entrepreneur Bootcamp™presented by the Palouse Knowledge Corridor.

Experts from Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories and EMSI joined more than 40 other speakers, teachers and mentors over the five-day camp, lending expertise in a variety of areas. They didn’t just share expertise: They also shared contacts, and in some cases helped land a client.

After five days of intense camp experience, complete with business pitching, fundraising, marketing and real-life networking experiences, attendees headed back to their daily lives armed with new ideas to launch their businesses. To learn more, visit http://pkcecamp.com.

Grant County, Wash. Sees Retail Growth

Retail growth in Grant County is starting to catch up to the industrial growth that has been occurring over the past few years. Panda Express, Party City, Marshalls, Carl’s Jr. Fairfield Suites, and Pita Pit have all announced new locations that will open in Moses Lake this year.

It is estimated that local residents spend over $125 million at stores and restaurants outside of the area because shopping options are not available locally. These new stores are poised to capture some of those dollars that have been leaving the community. Collectively these businesses will employ more than 150 people.

To learn more, visit www.grantedc.com.

Comcast Creates 750 Jobs in Spokane with New Customer Support Center

Comcast recently announced it will build a state-of-the-art customer support center in the Spokane area, creating 750 jobs. The center, which will open in summer 2016, is a part of the company’s multi-year commitment to create more than 5,500 new customer service jobs with the addition of three new customer support centers in Spokane, WA; Albuquerque, NM; and Tucson, AZ.

For more information, go to http://corporate.comcast.com.