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BUSINESS BRIEFS [Moscow-Pullman Daily News, Moscow, Idaho](Moscow-Pullman Daily News (ID) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) May 21--THE PALOUSE PCEI hires Judith Brown as business manager The Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute announces the addition of Judith Brown to the PCEI staff as their new business manager. Brown is replacing Laurie Gardes, PCEI financial manager, who is retiring after nearly 14 years. Brown is an economist specializing in the area of fiscal policy analysis, and has spent her career working within the Idaho nonprofit community both as a staff economist and as a self-employed consulting economist. She directed the Idaho Center on Budget and Tax Policy, which was a project of the nonprofit United Vision for Idaho, based in Boise. Brown's background includes master's degrees in both economics and agricultural economics from Michigan State University. For the last 15 years, she worked as an economist and policy analyst in the area of tax and budget policy in Idaho. For more information, visit www.pcei.org or contact Thomas Lamar at [email protected] or call (208) 882-1444. ---- MOSCOW City of Moscow employee receives Idaho PRIMA certification Keli Jones, an administrative assistant for the City of Moscow Human Resources Department, has completed a two-year public risk management certification program through the Idaho Public Risk Management Association. Idaho is the only state in the country that has a customized risk management program that provides individuals with the tools and training needed to identify actual or potential liabilities that a public entity may incur. The objective of a risk manager is to identify potential liabilities and to keep risk exposure to a minimum for their entity. Keeping risks to a minimum and reducing possible public liability exposure helps reduce insurance claims and costs. Jones is among 48 individuals throughout Idaho to become certified as an Idaho public risk manager. Idaho PRIMA is the state chapter of the National PRIMA organization. Its members handle risk management, safety issues, insurance claims for local and state governments and more. Idaho PRIMA membership consists of more than 750 public entities. --- MOSCOW New agent joins office at RE/MAX Connections Real estate agent Nancy Tribble has joined the office at RE/MAX Connections in Moscow. Tribble has worked in the real estate industry in Moscow since 2009 and is bringing her 25-plus years of sales and management experience to her new office. You can reach Tribble at (208) 301-0105 or [email protected]. RE/MAX Connections is located at 325 W. Third St. in Moscow. For more information, call (208) 883-9700 or visit www.homesin moscow.com. --- MOSCOW 3M invests in GoNano Technologies Inc. 3M, through its New Ventures business, has invested in GoNano Technologies Inc., a developer and manufacturer of high surface area nanomaterials for pollution control, catalysis, composites and sensory technologies headquartered in Moscow. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. GoNano Technologies applies its silica-based Nanospring technology to solve problems for customers seeking high surface area next generation solutions such as catalytic converters, carbon capture and recycle, and continuous flow reactors. GoNano Technologies was founded in 2007 for the purpose of commercializing the Nanospring technology platform, which was developed over a decade-long collaboration between Washington State University and the University of Idaho. 3M is a science-based company that produces thousands of products for real-world customer needs. With $27 billion in sales, 3M employs about 80,000 people worldwide and has operations in more than 65 countries. For more information, visit www.3M.com or follow @3MNews on Twitter. For more information on GonNano Technologies, visit www.gonano-9.com or call (208) 892-2000. --- MOSCOW TerraGraphics receives humanitarian award Idaho environmental engineering firm TerraGraphics has received a humanitarian award from the United Nations for its promotion of environmental clean-up methodologies in developing countries. The Green Star Awards, a joint initiative between the U.N. Environment Programme and Green Cross International, recognize those who have made remarkable efforts to prevent, prepare for and respond to environmental emergencies around the world. They are given every two years in association with U.N. reviews of its environmental programs. Moscow-based TerraGraphics Environmental Engineering's project in Nigeria helped relieve an epidemic of lead poisoning, especially among children, in Zamfara state, a remote area of northwestern Nigeria. Part of a joint research effort with the Environmental Science Program at the University of Idaho to design cleanup methods for use in developing countries, the project is based on the company's 30-year experience assisting the state of Idaho in cleaning up the Bunker Hill smelter Superfund site at Kellogg, Idaho. TerraGraphics, in collaboration with other organizations, has undertaken five major projects of this nature in developing countries, including Senegal, the Dominican Republic, Far East Russia, and China. For more information, visit www.terragraphics.com. --- NORTHWEST Report: Material costs outrun finished building prices With new producer price index figures showing double-digit annual jumps in diesel, copper and steel, contractors were only able to partially pass on the costs of rising petroleum and metals prices in April. The findings are part of an analysis of producer price index figures released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said the resulting cost squeeze -- a result of sluggish demand for construction -- will push more construction employees and firms out of work unless public officials act promptly to encourage public and private investment. Ken Simonson, the association's chief economist, said the producer price index for all materials increased by 1.4 percent in April and 7.1 percent over the past 12 months. Meanwhile, the price of finished buildings rose 1.1 percent or less in April and only 1.7 percent or less over the past year, depending on building type. Simonson said the most extreme price increase was for diesel fuel, which jumped 5.7 percent in April and 41.6 percent year-over-year. Prices for copper and brass mill shapes climbed 2.6 percent in April and 14.3 percent year-over-year, while steel mill product prices increased 2.2 percent and 13 percent, respectively. Noting that prices for crude oil, iron and steel scrap, and copper futures -- items that usually indicate near-term price movements for diesel fuel, construction steel, and copper wire and pipe -- have slipped from their highs in recent weeks but remain very volatile, Simonson suggested the worst may be over for now. Meanwhile, construction employment has risen modestly for the past three months and construction spending edged up in March, according to government reports last week. View the latest producer price index tables at www.agc.org/galleries/news/PPI-Tables-201104.pdf. --- LEWISTON LCSC Workforce Training receives $200,000 grant to help rural manufacturers Lewis-Clark State College's Workforce Training recently received a $200,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to help develop a model for workforce training that responds to rural manufacturer needs for employees. The Clearwater Economic Development Association initiated the project as CEDA officials wrote and submitted the project proposal that included several partners. LCSC was involved in the writing of the full proposal that was submitted in February of this year. LCSC's portion of the grant will build on a SolidWorks project initiative spearheaded by the Northwest Intermountain Manufacturers Association. SolidWorks is a three-dimensional, solid modeling software program used for manufacturing design and that can be used as a tool within a high school curriculum to teach math, science and engineering concepts. The grant provides for continuation of the consortium to implement a multifaceted program designed to introduce high school students to opportunities in manufacturing. The consortium consists of CEDA, LCSC Workforce Training, University of Idaho, Tech Prep, Technical and Industrial Division, Northwest Intermountain Manufacturers Association, Valley Vision, and school districts in Moscow, Lewiston, Orofino, Nezperce, Kamiah and Cottonwood. Activities funded by the grant include curriculum development, software purchases and training, online modular training development, articulations for Tech Prep with LCSC, local manufacturer involvement with high school curriculum and job shadowing opportunities. --- SPOKANE Avista seeks recovery of costs in Washington for infrastructure upgrades Costs for replacing aging electric infrastructure to ensure reliability is the major driver in Avista's request filed Monday with the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission to increase electric and natural gas rates for customers. The UTC has up to 11 months to review the filings and issue a decision. The requests would produce $38.3 million, or 8.7 percent, in additional billed revenue for electric service and $6.2 million, or 4 percent, in additional billed revenue for natural gas service. Both requests are based on a proposed rate of return on rate base of 8.23 percent, with a common equity ratio of 48.04 percent and a 10.9 percent return on equity. If the requests are approved by the UTC, a residential customer using an average 977 kilowatt hours per month would see a $7.13 per month increase, or 9.3 percent, for a revised monthly bill of $84.14. A natural gas customer using an average of 67 therms per month would see a $3.26 increase, or 5.1 percent, for a revised monthly bill of $66.71. --- SPOKANE Avista Corp. Board of Directors add members The Board of Directors of Avista Corp. has named Donald C. Burke and Rick R. Holley as new directors who will join the board Aug. 1. Burke and Holley will stand for election to the board at the next annual meeting of shareholders on May 10, 2012. Burke, 50, serves as an independent trustee for the Goldman Sachs mutual fund complex, which consists of a broad range of investment portfolios for retail and institutional investors managed by Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P. and certain affiliates. He has held this position since August. Prior to assuming this role, Burke was a managing director for BlackRock, Inc., and served as the president and chief executive officer of the BlackRock U.S. mutual funds. He also served as a trustee for numerous BlackRock funds established in Luxembourg and the Cayman Islands. In addition, Burke held a number of positions with Merrill Lynch Investment Managers and Deloitte & Touche. Burke is a frequent speaker at professional conferences and has authored papers published in technical journals, newspapers and firm publications. Burke earned a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting and economics from the University of Delaware and a Master of Business Administration degree in taxation from Pace University. In addition, he is a certified public accountant. Holley, 59, has served as president and chief executive officer of Plum Creek Timber Co., Inc., since 1994. Prior to this position, Holley was vice president and chief financial officer of Plum Creek. Previously, Holley was assistant vice president for corporate audit at Burlington Northern, Inc. and served on the corporate audit staff for the General Electric Company. Holley currently serves as the chairman of the National Alliance of Forestland Owners, as director of Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Inc. and as a trustee of the American Forest Foundation. In addition, he is a member of the 12th District Federal Reserve Bank's Economic Advisory Council. Holley earned a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting and business administration from San Jose State University and attended the Advanced Executive Program at Northwestern University. ___ To see more of the Moscow-Pullman Daily News or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.dnews.com. Copyright (c) 2011, Moscow-Pullman Daily News, Moscow, Idaho Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com, e-mail [email protected], or call 866-280-5210 (outside the United States, call +1 312-222-4544) |