Breaking news: Business to create 100+ good jobs in Post Falls

 POST FALLS - Two months.

  More than 100 good-paying jobs with benefits.

  Resurrection of a once-flourishing business campus in Post Falls.

  That’s how long it took - a whirlwind in the economic development world - for a small army of Idahoans to entice Orgill, Inc., the world’s largest independent distributor of hardware, lumber and many other retail products, to agree to acquire the former Kimball Office facility and set the stage for a major employer moving to North Idaho.

  “There were many positive things that led us to select Post Falls as the home for our newest distribution center, including the excellent workforce in the area, the assistance and cooperation of local officials, and the quality of the facility itself,” said Ron Beal, Orgill’s chairman, president and CEO. “We look forward to being a good corporate citizen of Post Falls, Kootenai County and the state of Idaho.”

  Orgill officials say the purchase should be completed Sept. 1, then they’ll begin retrofitting the facility immediately. Orgill officials expect the center to be fully operational by next March 31.

  According to Gynii Gilliam, president of Jobs Plus, Inc. - the region’s economic development agency - Orgill represents a major step forward on the local jobs front.

  When the facility is complete, she said, it will boast about 90 floor jobs paying $16 an hour, plus benefits; more than 25 driving jobs, paying $57,000 a year, plus benefits; and additional management jobs, paying in the $75,000 a year range, with benefits.

   The package that includes Idaho's Tax Reimbursement Incentive was put together with astonishing speed and cooperation, she said.

  “This has taken up my life for two months, but I’m thrilled with it,” she said of a project that typically would take three times that long.

  Gilliam said Orgill officials needed to expand so they could better serve their customers in the Northwest market, including Canada. She said that in addition to Jobs Plus staff, the City of Post Falls, Kootenai County, the Idaho Departments of Commerce and Labor and the Governor’s Office were all heavily involved in the recruitment of Orgill.

  Illustrating the level of collaboration, Gilliam said Coeur d’Alene Mayor Steve Widmyer and Hayden Mayor Steve Griffitts pledged support during a dinner with Orgill officials, even though the distribution center is going to Post Falls.  That support could involve other cities helping provide staff for faster permitting, for example.

  “Everything Orgill asked for, our people turned around yesterday,” Gilliam said of the recruitment team’s speed. “City of Post Falls people? Rock stars. County commissioners? Rock stars. Everyone involved was rock stars.”

  Post Falls Mayor Ron Jacobson was one of them

  “Orgill is a great addition to our area,” he said. “The company will provide a significant number of jobs in our market, they place a high importance on employees and their families, and are active members of the communities in which they are located.”

  “We are thrilled to welcome Orgill as the latest in a growing number of companies choosing to expand their operations in Idaho,” said Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter. “Orgill was looking for a talented and motivated workforce as well as a community that fits their long range business development plans, and they will certainly find both in Post Falls. I am delighted to welcome them and the good-paying jobs they will bring to Idaho.”