Gritman Medical Center Breaks Ground on New Clinic in Potlach

Gritman Medical Center broke ground on a new 2,400 square-foot clinic in Potlach. The new building will have three exam rooms and one procedure room and will be easier to access than the current location. The upgraded facility will better accommodate both scheduled and walk-in appointments and offer better privacy. The building should be open for business in November. For more information, go to www.gritman.org.

Port of Clarkston Holds Ribbon Cutting for Turning Pointe Business Park

The Port of Clarkston, Wash. held an official ribbon cutting for its 130-acre business and industrial park, Turning Pointe Business Park. 130-acres of land has been paved and utilities have been put in place on a stretch of Evans Road outside the city of Clarkston. For more information, visit www.lewis-clarkvalley.org.

Ammunition Industry Continues to Expand in North Central Idaho

The ammunition industry continues to expand in north central Idaho. Vector Bullets, a start-up in Lewiston, is producing 223-caliber bullets that are popular for target shooting because they are a less expensive round. The company employs two people and is hiring four more. Owner Dan Dorman expects to employ 12 by the end of the year. In addition, Seekins Precision, manufacturer of high quality modern design sporting rifles, celebrated the grand opening of its new factory near the Lewiston airport in May. The business began 10 years ago in a garage, and then moved to the Port of Lewiston’s business incubator four years later. The company and its 25 employees has now outgrown the incubator. Its new 25,000-square-foot building represents a $4 million investment into the community. For more information, visit http://labor.idaho.gov or www.lewis-clarkvalley.org.

Clearwater Economic Development Association Receives USDA Rural Community Development Funding

The Clearwater Economic Development Association (CEDA) will receive $152,492 through the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Community Development Initiative program to launch a “train the trainer” program that will teach community representatives how to complete development projects from start to finish. As part of the three-year program, titled, “Putting All the Pieces Together for Success,” CEDA will assist each participating community in completing one priority community project. In the first year of the program, CEDA will provide training for four communities. In the second and third year, CEDA will work with six and four communities, respectively. A total of 14 rural communities in the region have signed up to participate in the program. For more about the USDA program and funding recipients, visit www.rurdev.usda.gov/STELPRD4024067.html or www.clearwater-eda.org.

Kaiser Aluminum and Boeing Form Multi-Year 'Closed-Loop' Aerospace Aluminum Recycling Program

Kaiser Aluminum Corporation and Boeing announced they have formed a closed-loop scrap recycling program that is expected to involve approximately 22 million pounds of aluminum during the 2014-2015 production period. This program, the largest aluminum recycle program to date, captures aluminum alloy recyclables generated at multiple Boeing facilities during production of commercial aircraft. The scrap alloys will be re-melted and utilized in production of aerospace sheet and plate at Kaiser Aluminum's Trentwood facility in Spokane, Washington. To learn more, go to www.kaiseraluminum.com.

SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers Plans to Triple Capacity of Carbon Fiber Plant in Moses Lake

SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers plans to triple the capacity of its carbon fiber plant in Moses Lake, Wash. The expansion is funded by an investment of $200 million, in addition to the previously invested $100 million. The site expansion, scheduled to be completed by early 2015, will make the plant in Moses Lake the world’s largest carbon fiber plant.

With the anticipated creation of 120 new jobs, the headcount at the joint venture in Moses Lake is going to rise from 80 to about 200 people. With the automated production processes, the expansion of the site in Moses Lake will make it possible for the BMW Group to apply carbon fiber material also in other model series in the future, at competitive costs and in large quantities. For more information, visit www.sglgroup.com or www.grantedc.com.