Welcome to the Business Plus Newsletter!

June 2024

2024 Second Quarter Meeting

The Toolbox for Business Growth:

Business Retention & Expansion (BR&E)

Our Second Quarter meeting featured a panel of experts on Business Retention & Expansion. Speakers included Jake Reynolds with the Idaho Department of Commerce, Chet Jeppesen with the Idaho Department of Labor, and Mike Williams, the City Administrator for Jerome. The meeting was moderated by Dan Olmstead, retired Community and Public Relations for Idaho Power. Panelists explained how they assist companies with growth and expansion at the state, regional and local levels, often through the use of partnerships.

Reynolds shared that 80% of net new job growth comes from existing businesses. Jeppesen spoke about the Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act, a federally funded program that provides funding to support training and employment services. Williams spoke about the importance of URA, the challenges for infrastructure to keep pace with business growth, and shared Scoular's history as an example of successful BR&E. See Mike Williams' slides illustrating Scoular's expansion.

The resources these organizations provide can be tapped by local businesses who are looking to expand. In fact, these organizations work together to assist our local companies with addressing big issues around business acquisition and retention. Olmstead cited two examples of SIEDO creating Ready Teams to help retain long-standing Magic Valley companies. In both examples the Ready Team helped the companies work through their challenges and both were able to stay in the Magic Valley and expand. These benefits are there for companies already doing business in Idaho.

Knowing about these resources is one more great reason to be part of Business Plus!

Thank you to our Second Quarter meeting sponsors KMVT, Pizza Factory and Stratus Marketing!

Economic Development Professionals for BR&E

Jake Reynolds

Business Development & Operations Administrator

Idaho Department of Commerce

Jan Rogers

Executive Director

Southern Idaho Economic Development Organization (SIEDO)

Megan Beyer

Regional Manager

Idaho Department of Labor

Chet Jeppesen

Regional Supervisor

Idaho Department of Labor

Travis Rothweiler

City Manager

Twin Falls

Shawn Barigar

Economic Development Director and URA Executive Director, Twin Falls

Mike Williams

City Administrator

Jerome

Brett Boyer

City Administrator

Burley

Senator Kelly Anthon

City Administrator

Rupert

Tony Morley

City Administrator

Heyburn

The Idaho Department of Commerce

The 2023 Annual Report has more information on BR&E, the Rural ED Pro Program, Broadband, International Trade, Business Attraction, Community Development and Tourism.

The Idaho Department of Labor

Check Presentations

Thank You First Federal!

L-R: Jason Meyerhoeffer, Shane Jenkins, Rebecca Wildman

Thank You Les Schwab Tire Center!

L-R: Trent Walls (Burley), Chris Kiever (Blue Lakes), Rebecca Wildman, Chad Miller (Hailey), Mike Young (Jerome)

U.S. Census Bureau Visits Twin Falls

U.S. Census Bureau Director Robert Santos and select staff came to Twin Falls to meet with economic development leaders and share information about resources, data and training. The Census Bureau's mission is to serve as the leading source of quality data from conducting demographic, economic, and geographic studies. Carleen Herring with the Economic Development Administration, Mayor Ruth Pierce with the City of Twin Falls, Jan Rogers SIEDO Director, and Rebecca Wildman, Business Plus Director, met with this team, which incidentally included two staffers with Idaho roots.

The U.S. Census website has a great deal of information; we invite you to take a look.

Other News about the U.S. Census Director's Visit to Idaho

KMVT: Census Bureau Director Santos kick off national data conference in Boise

Boise State Public Radio: Census Director: Showing the value of data is key to rebuilding trust after 2020 count

Boise State University: Idaho Policy Institute meets with United States Census Bureau Director

CSI Breaks Ground on Jerome Center

The College of Southern Idaho broke ground on its new LeRoy Craig Jerome Center with speakers: CSI Dean Chris Bragg, CSI President Dr. Dean Fisher, U.S. Congressman Mike Simpson, USDA Rural Development State Director Dick Rush, CSI Trustee Chair Anna Scholes, Craig Family Representative Bryan Craig, Jerome Mayor Dave Davis, and Jerome City Administrator Mike Williams. The Jerome center is slated to open in 2026.

KMVT: Groundbreaking News from USDA Rural Development Idaho State Director and College of Southern Idaho Set to Break Ground for New LeRoy Craig Jerome Center

TIMES-NEWS: Video Link and Magic Valley news briefs

Sponsor a REDS Operation Facelift Project!

Operation Facelift is an annual project created by REDS to revitalize rural areas throughout Southern Idaho, build community pride, encourage downtown activity, and stimulate new business development. From a new park bench to a beautiful mural, Operation Facelift encourages our rural communities to complete projects, big or small, for a more vibrant community.

Operation Facelift has 11 projects this year and three still need sponsors:

• HAGERMAN: a painted mural on the side of the Hagerman Fire Station

• FAIRFIELD: Fence replacement on a Main Street area

• WENDELL: Solar lights to Wendell's Hub City signage for night time visibility

Contact Cheryl Viola at 208-732-5727 or cviola@csi.edu to see how your company can get involved in these projects!

Economic Reports

Other News we are Following

KTVB: As water curtailment orders stop, farmers focus on finishing season and negotiations for a long term plan

Idaho Dispatch: Lt. Governor Bedke's Statement on the Water User Agreement Reached for the 2024 Growing Season

Capital Press: Census tracks Idaho's shrinking ag landscape and Jan Roeser's Slide Presentation

Thank you New and Renewing Investors!

COMMUNITY

Collins Connection - Kent & Cindy Collins 

  Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices*

Family Health Services

Gem State Welders Supply*

Ireland Bank

Moss Greenhouses

New Leaf Properties*

Oregon Trail RV Park*

Sparklight*

Stevens Pierce & Associates CPAs*

Strategic Financial Group

Stratus Marketing

Umpqua

Window Welder

LEGACY LEADERS

Leonard Anderson

Rep. Maxine Bell (retired)

Doug Brown

Cindy Collins

Rep. Lance Clow

Jeff Harris

Sen. Linda Hartgen, and in memory of

   Stephen Hartgen

Jeff Harris

Carleen Herring

Alan Horner

Dan Lloyd

Rex Lytle

Dave McAlindin

Mike McBride

Gregg Middlekauff

Gary Nelson

Dan Olmstead

Mayor Ruth Pierce

Cally Grindstaff Roach

Jan Rogers

Rich Stivers

Jody Tremblay

Doug Vollmer

Lee Wagner

Deb Wilson

John Wright

IN-KIND SUPPORT

Atlas Technical Services

BBSI

Best Western Burley Inn

Coldwell Banker Commercial

- Christy Latta

Con Paulos Chevrolet

Idaho Central Credit Union

Idaho National Laboratory (INL)

KeyBank

Minidoka Memorial Hospital

Nu-Vu Glass

Packaging Specialties of Idaho

PerforMix Nutrition Systems

Pizza Factory

PMT

Sparklight

Starr Corporation

Stratus Marketing

TOK Commercial

Watkins Distributing

WATCO

Willamette Dental Group

WillTran, Inc.

*Indicates 10+ years of support since 2003

+includes additional promotional investment