Early spring boosts economy

COEUR d'ALENE - The unseasonably warm weather is a welcome change, especially from the last two years, and is giving seasonal businesses a boost.

It also means a few extra jobs, and they are coming earlier than normal.

"We are definitely seeing more seasonal work coming around," said Alivia Body, regional economist for the Idaho Department of Labor.

Of 104 total open job orders in the Coeur d'Alene office, 34 are seasonal work including construction, landscaping, and forest and conservation workers, she said.

The early onset of spring is jump-starting businesses that provide landscaping services and products.

"It is ramping up a lot sooner this year," said Bob Smotherman, owner of Coeur d'Alene Landscape. It has been about five years since the weather allowed such an early start, he said.

"The bottom line for the business is it gives us another 30 days of work," he said. "In a seasonal business, that's tremendous."

Todd Lutz, partner in Alpine Barkblowing and Hydroseeding, said the company is doing four to six jobs a day.

"A week ago it was extremely busy with big commercial jobs," he said.

That is keeping four to five workers busy, and if the weather holds by mid-April there will be 10 to 12 on the payroll.

"It's been a great start," Lutz said.

If the sunshine isn't enough to perk up the prospects for a good season, the calls coming in are.

"I have high aspirations," Smotherman said. "I have a good feeling."

Most work now is ground work, since there is still a good chance for weather cold enough to damage or kill more delicate plants. Few nurseries are even up and running yet, he said.

One that is open and selling a few products is Aspen Nursery just off Seltice Way.

"It is still pretty slow," said Roxanne McKee, secretary at the business. Many of the items on sale there are too delicate to plant even in this weather, and should not go into the ground before mid-May, she said. Anything that is in the greenhouse could be damaged by a cold snap typical to early spring.

"We don't want stuff to die," McKee said.

But trees and shrubs, hardy enough to survive a late freeze, are going out the door, and when the sun comes out, so do customers.

"We have had some good days," McKee said. "It is a real blessing to have an early spring."

Companies that sell lawn and garden equipment are also reaping the benefit of the weather, after also having a good winter. The last two record snow seasons meant a boom in sales of snowblowers early, though most saw little action.

An increased interest in healthier eating is also helping, said John Adams, partner in Coeur d'Alene Tractor. A third of the Troy Bilt rototillers ordered for the season have already been sold.

"More people are going to raise a garden and feed themselves," he said. "Organic gardening is a big push."

Customers are also buying larger, more powerful models. They are also getting their existing equipment ready for action.

Three weeks ago the employees in the service shop had so little to do they were painting the place to keep busy, and working reduced hours in the first two months of the year.

"Now we are two weeks behind again," Adams said. "It happened literally overnight."

To help catch up, they brought in one of the employees from the large equipment shop.

On Monday the store's first inventory of Husqvarna products arrived, with everything from chain saws to riding mowers, and Adams expects that new line to also mean increased business.

"People are just ready to enjoy not having to deal with March and April," he said.

Gardening, vegetable, general nursery and landscaping information is available free from the U.S. Department of Agriculture at http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/publications.html