Idaho Falls posts $83.5 million in building permits for 2012, surpassing even 2007

Click to enlarge the chart

Construction in Idaho Falls came roaring back in 2012, thanks in large part to new schools being built and a new research building for the Idaho National Laboratory.

The city Building Department recorded $83.5 million in permits, a number bigger than even the pre-crash year of 2007, when $51.4 million in new permits were issued. Of the 2012 total, $58.2 million -- nearly 70 percent -- was commercial construction.

Preliminary data for November from the Idaho Department of Labor showed the jobless rate in the Idaho Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area at 5.7 percent, 1.1 percentage points below the state number, 6.8 percent.

Here's what happened in 2012. In March, voters in Idaho Falls School District approved $53 million in bonds to replace four outdated elementary schools, plus remodeling at several of the district's other schools. It was the third time the district had appealed to patrons for money to replace aged facilities -- Dora Erickson, Ethel Boyes, Longfellow and Edgemont. The super-majority restriction -- under which at least two-thirds of the district's voters needed to vote yes for the bonds to pass -- had been a barrier twice, but this time the yes votes amounted to 78 percent.

"I think the patrons and parents had a much better sense of what the need was," said Margaret Wimborne, spokeswoman for the school district.

Bids were awarded for the Dora Erickson and Ethel Boyes projects in August. Bids for the other two projects are expected this year, with work continuing into 2014. The same two-story floor plan is being used for all four schools, to save on design and construction costs.

For the construction firm of Bateman-Hall, which is managing the work for the district, the projects couldn't have come at a better time. "We're thrilled the school district was able to pass their bond," project manager Jason Ginn said in May.

The INL began construction in March on a new $50 million Research and Education facility, a three-story building with dozens of offices and laboratories for conducting experiments and performing energy security research. Expected to open this year, it will also include space for conducting laboratory conferences, employee meetings and community outreach activities.

Other high points of the construction year in Idaho Falls included the completion of the Marriott Residence Inn on Broadway, and the start of a $3 million remodel of the Idaho Falls Surgical Center and Idaho Falls Recovery Center into Idaho Falls Oncology, a cancer treatment center.

As for for 2013, in addition to the two new schools in District 91, Teton Volkswagen anticipates opening its new dealership on Sunnyside Road in November. In Bonneville County, Georgia-based Cives Steel has the go-ahead from local officials for a fabrication plant near Ucon. And as soon as the weather permits, Melaleuca will be moving in earnest on its $50 million, 371,000-square-foot corporate headquarters near Interstate 15 Exit 113.

Mockli's Music Shop and School merges with Piano Gallery

Dillon Mockli

If you've driven down South Boulevard since Christmas you may have noticed that Mockli's Music Shop and School is now empty.

Owner Dillon Mockli has moved and merged with the Piano Gallery Music Superstore, at 2995 E. 17th Street.

He said Piano Gallery owner Doug Brown approached him a few years ago about a partnership. Music classes were part of Brown's plan in 2010 when he remodeled the old Rex Store, adding six studios and a recital hall. At that time, Mockli said he was still building his business, but in late 2012 the idea of a merger became more appealing.

The expanded class schedule at Piano Gallery has prompted the Piano Gallery to add two new classrooms, one for guitar and another in the back for drum lessons (the latter of which the store hasn't offered until now.) Lessons are being offered in guitar, piano, violin, drums and voice. Mockli said he is looking for a cello teacher.

For more information, call 524-4420.

Manufacturers directory ranks I.F. 3rd in state in industrial jobs, up 3 percent in 2012

Idaho Falls ranked third in the state for manufacturing between October 2011 and 2012, according to this year's Idaho Manufacturers Directory, published annually by Manufacturers' News, Inc. of Evanston, Ill. During that time, industrial employment in the area increased 3 percent, twice the rate of the entire state.

Boise remained the state's top city for manufacturing employment, with 21,939 jobs, up 1.4 percent over the year. Nampa ranked second with 5,890 jobs, up 2.4 percent. Industrial employment in Lewiston decreased 8.4 percent over the year with the fourth-ranked city accounting for 2,916 jobs, while Pocatello, home to 2,827, was up 4.8 percent.

MNI reported that Idaho gained 1,096 manufacturing jobs, the first gain the company has recorded for the state since 2006. Idaho is now home to 2,152 manufacturers employing 73,920 workers. Southwest Idaho accounted for the largest share of the state's manufacturing employment with 41,547 manufacturing jobs, up 1.9 percent. Southeast Idaho ranked second at 17,972, up 1.7 percent. Northern Idaho was home to 14,401 industrial jobs, with no significant change reported over the year.

Bright spots included the opening of Chobani's $450 million yogurt-manufacturing plant in Twin Falls; Cives Steel Company's plans to open a steel fabrication factory near Idaho Falls; and the opening of a Southwark metal ductwork plant in Caldwell. Losses for the state included layoffs at Lewiston's Clearwater Paper lumber mill after it was purchased by Idaho Forest Group.

MNI reported industrial machinery and equipment remained Idaho's largest industrial sector with 15,331 jobs, down 1.7 percent over the year. Food products manufacturing ranked second and accounted for 14,883 jobs, down 3.3 percent. Third-ranked lumber/wood represented 8,808 of the state's jobs, up 2.4 percent over twelve months.

Most other industrial sectors gained jobs over the year including:

• Textiles/apparel, up 5.5 percent
• Primary metals, up 5 percent
• Fabricated metals, up 4.7 percent
• Paper products, up 4.3 percent
• Instruments/related products, up 3.2 percent
• Furniture/fixtures, up 3 percent
• Chemicals, up 2.9 percent
• Transportation equipment, up 1.7 percent
• Stone/clay/glass, up 1.1 percent.

Losses were seen in printing/publishing, down 5.4 percent; and electronics, down 1.3 percent.



Detailed profiles of Idaho's 2,152 manufacturers and 390 distributors can be found in the 2013 Idaho Manufacturers Directory, available in print for $89, or available online through MNI's subscription-based service at www.ezselect.com.

BizMojo Idaho Focus: Author Rob Morris

Rob Morris: Teacher/Author

Now that BizMojo Idaho is an Amazon.com affiliate, here's an interesting question: How many of our social media friends have things for sale on Amazon?

I have to be up front about this. If you buy something on Amazon using a link from BizMojoIdaho.com, I receive a commission. Ergo, it is in my interest to post as many links as I can.

With regard to people I know on Amazon, the first person I thought of was Rob Morris, a teacher in Idaho Falls School District 91 and the author of two books about U.S. bomber crews in World War II. I interviewed Rob for the Post Register when he published his first book, Untold Valor: Forgotten Stories of American Bomber Crews over Europe in World War II. His second, The Wild Blue Yonder and Beyond: The 95th Bomb Group in War and Peace, was published last July. He is busy at work on another.

Getting to know Rob since our first encounter has been a real pleasure. Not only do we share a passion for World War II history (and history in general), we also have compatible tastes in music (Beatles, Stones, Who) and a fond feeling for the windier parts of Wyoming.

So, if you have an Amazon gift card from Christmas that you haven't used, maybe you want to get one of Rob's books. If WWII history isn't your thing, I still invite you to check out these links and find out what people have to say about his work.

Untold Valor: http://amzn.to/WcVGYS
The Wild Blue Yonder and Beyond: http://amzn.to/UiYF2j

This is only the beginning, by the way. I am going through all my Facebook friends (hundreds of people) to search their names on Amazon and see if they have anything to feature on this blog. I have no idea what to expect, but I'm hoping to find some interesting stories about people in my own social media corner of the world.

Reflecting on '12, looking ahead to the new year

I hope everybody is ready for a fulfilling and profitable new year. As BizMojo Idaho has finished its first full calendar cycle, I thought it might be a good time to look at the numbers and reflect on where this all might be going. There have been a lot of highs and lows and lessons learned.

Here's a snapshot from our Google Analytics page, with some numbers and statistics that still mystify me.

Click on graphic to view larger size

All I can say in the end is that 15,393 people is more than the population of Blackfoot (Note: I have nothing against Blackfoot. There are lots of things I love about Blackfoot and I'd be glad to tell you what they are if you want me to post them.)

Marissa Bodnar

In terms of eyeballs, the biggest bump I got all year was in mid-August when I was interviewed as an "expert" by Marissa Bodnar of Local News 8. It was a revelation the way the line graph shot up after that segment aired on the 10 p.m. news. I hardly had time to thank Marissa before she moved to take a job in Portland, Maine, so I'd like to now.

One question I get asked a lot (usually by my mother) is "Are you making any money doing this?" I would like to call your attention to the advertisers on the page, especially Snake River Landing, who has been with us the whole year. I hope to monetize the site more. You might notice the Amazon.com link on the page. Just yesterday I began looking into affiliate marketing after reading a column in the New York Times by David Carr. The story is not about affiliate fees, but about Brian Lam, who found great success on the Web, burned out, left and then came back on his own terms. Worth a read: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/17/business/media/buffeted-by-the-web-but-now-riding-it.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Content is always going to be the heart of any blog, but I am convinced that in the age of social media the conversation that goes on between the storyteller and the listener is the most important aspect. I sort of knew this when I was writing my weekly column for the newspaper (BizMojo Idaho is basically its online reanimation). People sometimes told me, "When I read your column I feel like you're talking to me," which I considered the highest praise I could receive.

So stay tuned, folks. I predict something will happen this year with the old T.G.I.Friday's on Hitt Road, which now has been vacant for more than a year. Don't ask me to make any predictions about Costco, though.