Hecla Mining Company to Acquire Revett Mining Company

Hecla Mining Company announced plans to acquire Revett Mining Company in a transaction valued at $20 million. Following closing of the merger, Hecla intends to continue to advance permitting of the Rock Creek project. Located in Northwest Montana, Rock Creek is considered one of the largest undeveloped silver and copper deposits in North America.

For more information on the acquisition, go to www.hecla-mining.com.

Empire Unmanned Aviation to Provide Precision Agriculture Services Using Drones

Empire Airlines, ADAVSO and Blair Farms announced a partnership to develop Empire Unmanned Aviation, which will provide precision agriculture services using unmanned aircrafts, also known as drones.

ADAVSO was one of the first companies in the United States to receive a commercial exemption approved by the FAA to operate commercial Unmanned Aircraft Systems specifically designed for precision agriculture.

For more information, visit www.empireunmanned.com.

$15 Million Office Complex Planned for Spokane's University District

Brown Properties, Spokane developer and contractor, plans to build a $15 million office complex in Spokane’s University District. According to the Spokane Journal of Business, the project, tentatively named Spokane River Properties Development, would have four three-story office buildings and one single-story retail building.

Depending on the city’s plans and Washington State Department of Transportation approval, construction could begin in late summer and carry into 2016.

To learn more, read the Spokane Journal of Business article.

Alliance Data Retail Services Plans to Hire Additional 130 Employees in Coeur d'Alene

Alliance Data Retail Services, which manages more than 130 private label and co-brand credit card programs for many of today’s most recognizable brands, plans to hire 130 additional employees this spring to expand its Coeur d'Alene facility.

The Ohio-based company made the expansion announcement as part of a long-term growth plan to meet its expanding portfolio of branded credit card programs. Alliance Data's facility in Coeur d'Alene opened in June 2014.

To learn more, read the Coeur d’Alene Press article or visit www.alliancedataretail.com

2nd Annual Palouse Knowledge Corridor's Be the Entrepreneur Boot Camp

The 2nd Annual Palouse Knowledge Corridor's Be the Entrepreneur (BTE) boot camp will take place June 14-18. The boot camp is designed to help entrepreneurs clearly see opportunities and help prepare them for the perils ahead.

The BTE is a way to quickly determine the probability of startup success so you don't miss the window of opportunity, while minimizing the risk of failure by taking that hard look before jumping off the entrepreneurial cliff.

For more information, go to http://pkcecamp.com.

Tuition-Free Training Opportunities for Manufacturing Employees

A new $2.7 million federal grant is helping manufacturing businesses across Washington pay for worker training through Washington State University and King County's Highline and Shoreline Colleges at nearly no cost.

All training is online and aimed at boosting staff productivity. Classes are available in even the most rural places, where enhancing employee skills is critical, but difficult. Courses are offered at both the undergraduate and graduate level for; Project Management, Supervisory Leadership, Supply Chain Management, Six Sigma, Lean Agility, Global Trade & Logistics, and more.

To learn more, go to http://www.grantedc.com/about/news/2015/03/27/tuition-free-training-opportunities-for-manufacturing-employees.