News

October 2005 Idaho Commerce & Labor Connections

In This Issue :

* Marathon Cheese Plant Brings 250 Jobs to Mountain Home

* Idaho’s Unemployment Rate Hits Another Record Low

* Idaho Personal Income Growth Tops National Average

* Commerce & Labor Announces New Reorganization

* Gossner Foods Opens New Swiss Cheese Plant in Heyburn

* New Business Center to Open in Rexburg

* Idaho Wraps up Strong Summer Tourism Season

* Challis Receives $42,000 Gem Grant

* Twin Falls School Raises Money for Mexico School

* Irwin and Swan Valley Named Idaho Gem Communities

* New Economic Advisory Council Members Named

* Idaho Makes a Splash in the Silicon Valley

Idaho Impressions:

"We are extremely pleased and excited to locate our new facility in Mountain Home. The city and state were very aggressive in terms of the incentives they were able to offer."
— John L. Skoug, Chairman and CEO Marathon Cheese Corp.

The Month’s Top Stories

Marathon Cheese Plant will Bring 250 Jobs to Mountain Home
One of the largest natural cheese packagers in the United States announced plans on Oct. 17 to build a $27 million plant in Elmore County. The announcement was made at a special groundbreaking ceremony at the proposed site near the Mountain Home Municipal Airport. "This is a huge opportunity for Mountain Home and Elmore County, where diversity is critical to the stability of an economy so closely tied to Mountain Home Air Force Base," Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne said. Idaho Commerce & Labor Director Roger B. Madsen and Economic Development Administrator Cliff Long traveled to Wisconsin to negotiate the final deal to bring Marathon Cheese to Idaho.

Idaho’s Unemployment Rate Hits Another Record Low
Idaho’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate set a record low in September at 3.5 percent. The total number of people working reached a record high for a second straight month at 708,900. The number of persons unemployed dropped to 26,000, the lowest since January 1990. September’s rate is down from 3.8 percent in August and below September 2004’s rate of 4.6 percent. The state unemployment rate is also below the national rate of 5.1 percent, which increased from 4.9 percent in August.

Idaho Personal Income Growth Rises, Tops National Average
Personal income in Idaho surpassed the national rate of 1.5 percent this spring, driven by significant increases in construction and manufacturing. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Idaho’s personal income rose 1.6 percent during the April-June period, the second straight quarter the state’s personal income growth has exceeded the national average.

Commerce & Labor Announces new Reorganization
Commerce & Labor Director Roger B. Madsen unveiled a new organizational structure for the department. The reorganization was announced following the departure of Assistant Deputy Director Dwight Johnson and Economic Development Administrator Cliff Long. Johnson was recently named the interim executive director for the Idaho State Board of Education. Long is leaving the department to become the city of Nampa’s economic development director. Long was instrumental in securing a commitment from Marathon Cheese to open a new plant in Mountain Home.

Gossner Foods Opens New Swiss Cheese Plant in Heyburn
Logan, Utah-based Gossner Foods opened a new $25 million Swiss cheese manufacturing plant in the Mini-Cassia Industrial Park that straddles the cities of Burley and Heyburn on Oct. 8. Idaho Commerce & Labor Director Roger B. Madsen spoke at the opening for the plant, which is located on the site of the former J.R. Simplot Co. potato processing plant that closed in November 2003. Simplot donated the site to the cities of Burley and Heyburn to be developed as an industrial park. The plant is expected to employ 50 people with an average wage over $12 an hour.

New Business Center to Open in Rexburg
A new 35,000 square-foot business center and health education facility will bring more than 50 new jobs to Rexburg. The East Central Idaho Planning and Development Association broke ground for the new center in October. The groundbreaking was attended by local and state officials including Idaho Commerce & Labor Director Roger B. Madsen. The facility will house new and expanding businesses and will have space for education classes in the health services field.

Idaho Wraps up a Strong Summer Tourism Season
Despite record high gas prices, Idaho’s summer tourism season posted strong gains with overall lodging revenues increasing by 10.4 percent From the summer of 2004. Total revenues for the summer of 2005 were just under $124 million, up from $112.2 million in 2004.

Commerce & Labor Awards $42,000 Gem Grant to Challis
The city of Challis will receive a $42,000 Idaho Gem Grant to extend city sewer service to the municipal airport and adjacent industrial park. The Idaho Commerce & Labor grant will be matched by $27,000 in cash and in-kind services from the city and will benefit nine existing businesses adjacent to the industrial park as well as six undeveloped lots.

Twin Falls School Starts Fundraising Campaign for Mexico School
Students at I.B. Perrine Elementary School in Twin Falls have started a drive to raise money to establish a library at the Manuel M. Dieguez Elementary School in Guadalajara, Mexico. The fundraising campaign dubbed "Books Across Borders" has set a goal of $250,000 over the next three years for the library.

Irwin and Swan Valley Named Idaho Gem Communities
Irwin and Swan Valley are Idaho’s newest Gem communities. Located about 45 miles east of Idaho Falls, the two communities are nestled along the banks of the South Fork of the Snake River and less than an hour away from Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. To qualify as Gem communities, residents formed an 11-member Gem Community Team to produce an economic development plan for the area.

Commerce & Labor Happenings

Economic Advisory Council Members Named
C.J. Buck, chief executive officer of Buck Knives, and Ty Jenkins, CEO of DocuTech Corp., are the newest members of the Idaho Economic Advisory Council. "It’s a pleasure to welcome C.J. Buck and Ty Jenkins to the Idaho Economic Advisory Council," said Idaho Commerce & Labor Director Roger B. Madsen. "The wealth of business experience and entrepreneurial spirit they bring to the council will help further Idaho’s economic development efforts."

Idaho Makes a Splash in the Silicon Valley
A delegation from Idaho Commerce & Labor including Director Roger B. Madsen traveled to San Jose on Sept. 22 to sponsor the San Jose Business Journal’s Fast 50 event, which recognized the fastest growing private companies in the Silicon Valley. The Business Journal noted Idaho’s participation in its Oct. 3 issue. "The state of Idaho made a public splash….And judging by the level of activity at Idaho’s booth, the valley’s fastest growing companies are a fertile field for what the state is pitching. The joys of Idaho? Lower cost of doing business, higher quality of life as measured in affordable homes and no gridlock, stable power and, oh yes, did we mention lower costs?"

Help Build Idaho’s Economy
If you know of a company that wishes to relocate or expand, contact Idaho Commerce & Labor Director Roger B. Madsen at 208-334-6110. Learn more about the business incentives Idaho has to offer from Wendi Secrist, 208-334-2650 ext. 2134., [email protected] .

Calendar of Events

November 4: Idaho Film Industry Task Force Meeting
The Idaho Film Industry Task Force will meet in Post Falls to finalize draft legislation that will create new financial incentives meant to attract more film and television projects to the state. The task force will meet at Templin’s Resort in Post Falls from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information about the task force and Idaho’s film industry visit filmidaho.com.

November 8: How to Sell in Idaho’s Largest Export Markets
The Boise Export Assistance Center is hosting a half-day seminar from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce designed for Idaho businesses new to the Canadian and Mexican markets as well as current exporters to these markets seeking to streamline their shipping and documentation procedures, increase accuracy and provide value added to their customers. The cost to attend is $25. To register contact Amy Benson at 208-364-7791 or visit buy.usa.gov.

November 9: 2005 Governor’s Business Opportunity Conference
Idaho businesses looking for expanded sales and new customers are invited to attend the conference. Purchasing professionals from the Northwest’s largest corporation and government agencies will be attending. Registration is $30 per person if paid before Nov. 4 and $40 a person after that. To register call 208-334-2470 or visit http://www.cl.idaho.gov.

Call or e-mail Ken Dey, editor, with questions or comments: 208-332-3570 ext. 3650 or ken.dey @cl.idaho.gov

"We Create Jobs, Strengthen Communities and Market Idaho."

IDAHO COMMERCE & LABOR
P.O. Box 83720, Boise, Idaho 83720-0093
Tel: 208-334-2470; Fax: 208-334-2631
Web: cl.idaho.gov

DIRK KEMPTHORNE, GOVERNOR
ROGER B. MADSEN, DIRECTOR

Idaho Commerce & Labor is an equal opportunity employer.
This document is available upon request in alternative formats for individuals with disabilities.
georgia.smith @cl.idaho.gov • Roger B. Madsen

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