SPi CRM Plans New Coeur d'Alene Facility

SPi CRM, a customer service outsourcing leader trusted by top brands worldwide, announced today that it is setting up a new facility in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, generating over 500 jobs to support the call center needs of major U.S. clients. SPi CRM is pouring in an initial investment of $3 million ahead of the expansion to Coeur d’Alene, its 12th global location overall.

Read the press release to learn more.

Katerra Plans to Open New Factory in Spokane Valley

Katerra, a technology company redefining the construction industry, announced plans to open a new 250,000-square-foot factory in Spokane Valley, Washington, where it will produce mass timber products, including cross-laminated timber and Glulam.

Katerra’s manufacturing presence in the region will provide hundreds of jobs, while also stimulating the growth of thousands of additional jobs through the larger supply chain and associated industries, including design, engineering and construction.

To learn more, read Katerra’s press release.

INW in the News: Startup Efforts in Whitman, Asotin Counties to Grow

The Spokane Journal of Business recently covered the Inland Northwest Partner's (INP) award of a two-year contract with the Washington Department of Commerce for the continuation and enhancement of the Startup Washington 365 Program for Whitman and Asotin Counties. The award fits very well into INP’s mission of bringing cutting-edge tools, training and best practices into the region’s communities.

To learn more, read the Journal of Business article.

Vista Outdoor Opens Addition to Manufacturing Plant

Vista Outdoor celebrated the opening of the latest high-tech addition to the CCI Ammunition/Speer Ammo Southport Avenue manufacturing plant. Vista Outdoor owns CCI and Speer.

The 37,000-square-foot addition required an investment of about $35 million. The price tag for the overall expansion is about $70 million. CCI/Speer, together with the other ammunition-related firms in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley, collectively generate about $800 million in annual economic activity and employ more than 3,300 people or about 19 percent of the valley’s total workforce.

To learn more, read the Vista Outdoors article or contact Valley Vision, the Lewis-Clark Valley’s economic development agency.

Inland Northwest Partners Awarded Contract to Manage Startup Washington 365 Program for Whitman and Asotin Counties, Seeks Program Manager

The Inland Northwest Partners (INP), a community, economic development and educational non-profit focused on enhancing the long-term vitality of eastern Washington and northern Idaho, was awarded a two-year contract with the Washington Department of Commerce for the continuation and enhancement of the Startup Washington 365 Program for Whitman and Asotin Counties. The INP is looking to hire a program manager to serve as the champion for the Startup Washington 365 Center for Entrepreneurial Success (CES) in Whitman and Asotin Counties.

 The program manager will focus on connecting entrepreneurs with resources to further their development, act as a champion for entrepreneurship, establish and build the CES within these counties and promote the Startup Washington 365 Program throughout the region. Working collaboratively with Greater Spokane Incorporated’s Startup Spokane program manager and other like-minded organizations throughout the region will be fundamental to the success of the position. A track record suggestive of energetic and innovative experience in effectively interacting with community and industry leaders and elected and appointed public officials is also required.

“The Inland Northwest Partners believes in leveraging the knowledge and skills within the Inland Northwest entrepreneurial ecosystem and collaborating with others to share that knowledge and those skills, creating lasting economic prosperity together. This same collaboration is the secret to enabling innovation and driving economic solutions in our eastern Washington communities,” said Paul Kimmell, chairman of the Inland Northwest Partner Board of Directors.

The application deadline for the program manager position is Friday, Oct. 6. For details on how to apply, go to http://inwp.org/startup-washington-365.

Port of Lewiston Continues Expansion of Fiber-optic Network

The Port of Lewiston continues to expand its fiber-optic network, upgrading telecommunications in more areas in Lewiston. The port plans to spend $375,000 on the network in the fiscal year that started July 1.

The new capacity will serve a medical professional park near the airport, downtown and along Bryden Avenue. The network, which cost the port $1.25 million over the past two years, already reaches many of the city’s largest employers, including Vista Outdoor, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories and Lewis-Clark State College.

To learn more, visit http://portoflewiston.com and read this post.

SmaK Plastics Opens Hayden Facility

SmaK Plastics, Inc., manufacturer of rotationally molded plastic bins and bin liners, pallets, tanks, and hoppers, has opened a facility in Hayden, Idaho. The business, SmaK Products, Inc is the second facility operated by SmaK Plastics, Inc., creating about 45 new jobs in the area and approximately $10.2 million in wages over the next seven years.

Read SmaK Plastics’ blog or visit http://smakplastics.com to learn more.