Demolition begins at new Walgreen's site

Demolition work has started at the corner of West Broadway and Skyline Drive, where a new Walgreen's Drug Store is planned. This will be the fourth store of its type in the Idaho Falls-Ammon area, and will replace the operation the company set up in the old Westgate Drug building. Wells Fargo Bank, which has been near the corner of Broadway and Skyline, will move to north of the new Walgreen's store. 

Think Beyond the Thursday Potluck for Employee Recognition

As a proud mother of two, I think Mother’s Day rocks? Why wouldn’t I? Gifts, dinners and a few get-out-of-doing-chores-free passes. Still, it got me thinking. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a day (or a few days) focused solely on employee appreciation and recognition at work?

Bear with me on this, business owners and management team members. I want to help you see the value of employee appreciation efforts that are well thought out and executed, going way above and beyond the Thursday Lunch potlucks.

Throughout my HR career I have stood by the principle that your greatest assets within your company are your employees. From maintaining your facilities to maintaining your general ledgers, your employees are the nuts and bolts that hold your business together. Without employees you have no driving force to keep your business or organization running. The majority of those individuals gainfully employed spend more time at the workplace than they do with their families at home.

I don’t think all employees should be recognized just for showing up to work every day on time. I am against the whole “everyone gets a trophy for participating” mindset that is common in many parts of our culture today. From children’s athletic leagues to corporate Christmas parties, routine recognition is expected just for meeting minimum requirements and putting in time for a team or project. But if our employees expect routine, social praise, and workplace “trophies or tokens,” how can we recognize truly outstanding efforts or achievement?

Employee recognition efforts are directly tied to employee retention. Employee retention is directly tied to turnover. Turnover is directly tied to company performance and efficiency. So you see, employee recognition has a pretty critical role in every business. Trust me when I tell you if your employees do not feel valued they will not stay.

Too often I have seen companies misunderstand the concept of employee recognition to mean additional compensation. We all like a few extra dollars in our wallets and pocketbooks, but let’s be realistic. When management places a dollar value on employee efforts, do the employees in turn view the additional compensation the same? In all reality the answer is probably no. The employee will always value their efforts, time, sacrifices, etc., at a higher level than the dollar amount you have decided to throw into their paycheck or annual bonus.

Unless you are ready to start paying out a few thousand dollars or more, let’s try to expand our view of what employees may really want. So get rid of the “everyone gets a trophy” mindset and check out next week’s feature, as we explore how to make over your employee recognition efforts and start making an impact on the nuts and bolts of your business.

Monica Bitrick is a human resources consultant who lives and works in Idaho Falls.

Camping World eyes development on Idaho Falls' west side

Camping World, a company that started in Bowling Green, Ky., in 1966, is proposing to develop 12 acres on Idaho Falls' west side that is presently designated for high-density residential development.

The city of Idaho Falls Planning and Zoning Commission is recommending a change in the comprehensive plan to allow commercial development south of Pancheri Drive on the west side of Interstate 15.

A representative from Zoke LLC, an Boise area company, appeared before the commission at its hearing Tuesday, seeking a change to the comprehensive plan, rezoning, annexation and platting. The matter goes before the Idaho Falls City Council in June. Several residents of the area appeared before the commission as well to voice their support, saying the west side needs more business development, City Planner Brad Cramer said.

Camping World began with a small store in Beech Bend Park, an amusement park outside Bowling Green that billed its campground as the world's largest. Campers at the park were requesting a store where they could buy supplies, so David Garvin, son of the park's owner, took out a loan and opened the store. Garvin amassed a large customer list as the years went by. In 1997, he sold the company to the current owners, Good Sam Enterprises of Ventura, Calif.

The company now has more than 100 retail and service locations throughout the United States, and also sells goods through mail order and online.

Noodles & Company files site plan for Idaho Falls restaurant

Noodles & Company has filed a site plan with the city of Idaho Falls to build a 2,812-square-foot restaurant on a pad in the Grand Teton Mall parking lot facing Hitt Road, east of the main mall structure.

The Broomfield, Colo.-based chain has hundreds of restaurants spread out over 30 states. In Idaho, it has built two in Boise and one in Meridian.

The company was founded in 1995 by Aaron Kennedy, a Pepsi marketing executive who got the idea after eating at Mamie's Asian Noodle Shop in Greenwich Village. Kennedy felt there were not enough restaurants that served noodle dishes, a staple for many international foods.

Using personal savings and investments from friends and family, he started Noodles & Co. in Denver's Cherry Creek neighborhood. After a rocky start,  the management team overhauled the concept and food critics in several cites  began identifying it as the best fast-food restaurant. It grew from $300,000 in revenues in 1996 to $300 million when it went public in 2013.

For a look at the menu, click here.

Kress Building in downtown Idaho Falls recognized by Preservation Idaho

Built in 1929 after the Idaho Falls Fire Department moved to Shoup Avenue, the Kress Building, home now to Channel Blend, has been a downtown landmark for 85 years.

One of the crown jewels of downtown Idaho Falls has been recognized this year by Preservation Idaho, which has announced its 37th Annual Orchids and Onions Awards.

The Kress Building on Park Avenue, home now to Channel Blend, is one of three being recognized in the Excellence in Historic Preservation category.

"The renovation of this downtown landmark provides an example to other owners of historic commercial properties that historic preservation efforts can achieve astonishing results with modest investment and attention to detail," said the press release announcing the award.

Every year, Preservation Idaho hosts this awards ceremony, designed to celebrate individuals and organizations that have made positive contribution to historic preservation in Idaho.

Built in 1929 on the site of the original Idaho Falls Fire Station, the Park Avenue property between A and B streets got a makeover in 2007-08.

The upper floor of the has 10,000 square feet. New heating, ventilation and air conditioning were installed, the tin ceiling was repainted and the floors were refinished.

Employing nearly 200 people downtown, Channel Blend is a company that provides call center services and lead qualification for insurance companies and other business clients.

CEO Jeff Neiswanger said at the time he was certain that restoring the building would have a ripple effect, and he was right.

At the risk of editorializing, it's pretty obvious the '20s and '30s were a time when businessmen had a lot more pride in their names than they do today. The S.H. Kress chain of discount department stores disappeared for good in 1981, but if you look up at the pediment of the building his name endures.

In the National Trust Guide to Art Deco in America, writer David Gebhard singled out Kress stores as examples of architectural excellence: "All of these are sophisticated designs, and some ... are outstanding examples of the popular Moderne."

The 37th Annual Orchids & Onions Awards Ceremony will take place May 31 at 11 a.m. at the Mountain Cove Gym, Veterans Administration Medical Center in Boise. To read more online, visit www.preservationidaho.org/orchids-onions.