Movers and Shakers April 23, 2010
Forbes likes Coeur d'Alene
Forbes.com says Coeur d'Alene is one of the top cities in the United States in which to do business.
The Lake City was ranked fourth in Forbes' "The Best Places for Business and Careers" list of smaller metropolitan areas in the cost of doing business category, and 31st overall among the 200 cities compared.
Coeur d'Alene was ranked behind Des Moines, Iowa; Provo, Utah, and Fort Collins, Colo., in the Forbes article published April 14 in which writer Kurt Badenhausen described the cities as "areas with reasonable business costs, strong economic outlooks and a solid quality of life."
Coeur d'Alene's ranking in projected job growth was 51st, and in educational attainment, 75th.
"We were in great shape," said Steve Griffitts, president of Jobs Plus, the Coeur d'Alene Area Economic Development Corp. charged with recruiting business to Kootenai County. "This reinforces the message we already share. It validates that we are a great place to do business."
Griffitts said Idaho's fiscal responsibility, with its balanced budget, contrast with states against which Idaho competes.
"All local elements are in place for us to compete for business," he said.
Ad agencies honored
Coeur d'Alene advertising companies were among those recognized at the Northwest ADDY Awards Ceremony held in Seattle.
Blue541 won a Silver Addy Award at the district level (Western U.S.) for its sales brochure for The Ridge at Silver Mountain. That work is now entered in the national Addy award competition.
Hanna & Associates Inc., a regional marketing communications firm, received awards in two categories.
Hanna's creative team received a Silver ADDY Award for a logo designed on behalf of the U.S. Forest Service. The logo is part of a centennial commemoration to the firefighters who battled the 1910 forest fires that ravished most of North Idaho. Hanna's interactive department received a Silver ADDY Award for a Web site designed for Hamilton Studios, a full-service production and post-production film and digital company based in Spokane.
The regional competition is sponsored by the American Advertising Federation. Winners were selected from hundreds of entries from Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho and Alaska.
Regional winning entries are now eligible to compete in the national AAF competition to be held in May in Washington, D.C.
The American Advertising Federation is the oldest national advertising trade organization representing 40,000 professionals in the advertising industry. The AAF has a national network of 200 ad clubs located in ad communities across the country.
Making their mark
n Paine Hamblen LLP recently hired Julie A. Owens as an associate in the Coeur d'Alene office.
Owens' practice emphasis is in civil litigation. She earned her J.D. from St. Louis University School of Law and her Bachelor of Science in nursing from Truman State University. Owens is admitted to practice in the states of Idaho, Washington, Missouri and Illinois.
If you have a new, relocated or expanded business, or announcement of events, promotions or awards, The Press wants to let our readers know. The service is free and items run Tuesday through Saturday. To get the word on the street on your movers and shakers, call city editor Bill Buley at 664-8176 Ext. 2016 or e-mail bbuley@cdapress.com.