GAIN announces $4.2 million in vouchers for project involving INL, other national labs

The Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) announced Monday that 14 businesses will be provided nuclear energy vouchers worth pproximately $4.2 million to accelerate the innovation and application of advanced nuclear technologies. This follows an earlier announcement by the U.S. Department of Energy awarding nearly $67 million in nuclear energy research, facility access, crosscutting technology development, and infrastructure awards in 28 states.

The GAIN nuclear energy vouchers provide advanced nuclear technology innovators with access to the extensive nuclear research capabilities and expertise available across the U.S. DOE national laboratories complex.

Idaho National Laboratory (INL) leads the GAIN initiative. “DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy established GAIN to provide the nuclear innovator community with assistance to address a range of technology needs,” said Director Rita Baranwal. “Through these vouchers, GAIN encourages accelerated nuclear technology innovation and promotes progress in the private sector.”

GAIN nuclear energy voucher recipients do not receive direct financial awards. The GAIN nuclear energy vouchers provide access to national laboratory capabilities at no cost to the voucher recipients.

The two businesses selected to receive 2017 GAIN nuclear energy vouchers for work with INL included:

• MicroNuclear LLC, of Franklin, Tenn., for development of the Microscale Nuclear Battery Reactor System
• GSE Systems Inc., of Sykesville, Md., for human factors engineering allowing them to move to digital control systems.

GAIN awarded the first round of nuclear energy vouchers in 2016. DOE established GAIN to provide the nuclear community with the technical, regulatory and financial support necessary to move innovative nuclear energy technologies toward commercialization, while ensuring the continued safe, reliable and economic operation of the existing nuclear fleet.

For more information, follow this link: GAIN Announces Second Round of Nuclear Energy Voucher Recipients.

Big Dog sets Friday for grand opening of new Ammon showroomn

The new Big Dog store in Ammon sits where Billman's used to be.

Big Dog TV & Internet is holding a grand re-opening of its new location in Ammon, 2565 East 17th Street, Friday from 4 to 7 p.m.

The new building, next door to where Big Dog used to be, has been months in the making. All in all, there have been some big changes to the corner, with Discount Tire well under way and the new Deseret Industries store taking shape.

“Our team is so pleased to get this new location in Idaho Falls opened,” said Big Dog owner Brad Barrott. “We are now poised to better serve this part of Idaho, and with our new showroom we can better demonstrate our fabulous TV and Internet options for our customers.”

The grand opening will offer free food from Pitmaster’s BarBQue Company, and signups for many free prizes, including golf passes to Idaho Falls courses, passes to Gravity Factory, a $50 Cabela’s gift card, .22-caliber rifle from Sportman’s Warehouse and the grand prize of a Traeger Grill/Smoker.

Big Dog TV & Internet is a DISH Premier local retailer with nine locations in Idaho, Colorado, Iowa and Puerto Rico. It offers internet services from CenturyLink and HughesNet Satellite.

Fall River Co-op sets annual meeting for Saturday

Beth Looney

Fall River Electric Cooperative’s annual meeting for owner-members, set for Saturday in Ashton, will feature a presentation from PNGC Power’s CEO Beth Looney.

PNGC Power, based in Portland Ore., provides sophisticated power management services to 14 electric cooperatives in the Northwest and represents nearly 200,000 utility customers, including those of Fall River Electric. Their services include ensuring lower, more stable long-term power costs, energy conservation efforts and helping to meet the challenges that their
member cooperatives face.

Looney will share with owner-members of Fall River what the future of power production and wholesale power rates will be in our region. Her presentation will be part of Fall River Electric’s business meeting, which will also include the results from the election of board members in three of the co-op’s nine service territory districts. Since Fall River Electric is owned by its customers, the board represents the interests of all owner-members and manages the business affairs of the cooperative.

The annual meeting will be held from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at North Fremont High School, 3581 East 1300 North in Ashton, just east of downtown. Other business meeting topics will include an audit report, presentation of high school scholarship winners, and a review of the cooperative’s accomplishments during 2016 and plans for future projects and initiatives.

Fall River Electric’s annual meeting will also feature a free breakfast of pancakes, eggs, sausage, bacon, hash browns and a drink.

Cooperative owner-members may also visit nearly two dozen area businesses and public organizations at the Cooperative’s Health, Energy & Community Expo.

Thousands of dollars in free prizes will be given away, including a $1,000 energy credit that is enough to pay the power bill of an average home in Fall River’s service territory for a full year. There is no charge to register for the free prizes, but members must be present to win. There will also be bounce houses, games and other activities for children, too.

Northwest Cosmetics acquires California company

Northwest Cosmetic Laboratories of Idaho Falls has acquired Dream Team Beaute of Sun Valley, Calif., a cutting-edge color cosmetics innovator that has seen rapid growth since it was founded in 2013.

A major formulator and manufacturer of skin care and cosmetic products for private labels, Northwest Cosmetics dates back to 1995, when it was started by Doug Rooney and Gary Voigt in a small building on Holmes Avenue. Rooney, a cosmetic chemist, made his first batches of makeup on a hot plate in a small rented office. With a vision of creating quality skin care and cosmetic products for the most popular and prestigious brands in the world, they built their company on a “no surprises” philosophy.

The company expanded in 1998, to a 15,000-square-foot building on Technology Drive, which has been expanded over to 47,000 square feet. In 2013, the company added a 23,000-square-foot building for research and development, production and warehousing lab and a 30,000-square-foot, 30-foot tall, high-rise warehouse building. In 2016 it broke ground on a 79,000-square foot expansion, expanding its capacity to a combined 178,000 square feet in four neighboring buildings.

The company is now owned by Clearview Capital Fund and is run by Matt Bryant, who took over as CEO around 2010. CEO. Gary Kurtz, the company’s marketing director, told the Idaho Business Review in 2016 that NCL intends to stay in Idaho Falls. The location doesn’t deter client cosmetics and health care products companies, he said.

The Dream Team Beaute acquisition will elevate NCL’s existing color capabilities while adding new offerings in pressed and loose powders. Dream Team co-founders Kimberly Clark and Esme Mancia will continue to lead the Dream Team division and drive new business opportunities for the combined company.

The integration of the two companies will take place over the summer. Dream Team’s California location will allow NCL to provide additional development services for existing West Coast customers as well as prospective customers.

“We have been seeking an acquisition that would complement our brand and bring in a new element of innovation,” said Bryant, in a press release. “We found these great attributes in Dream Team and its talented founders, Kimberly Clark and Esme Mancia. The prospect of blending their experienced and forward-thinking people with our team will result in cutting-edge cosmetics and unique services that can only be found in our family of companies. Together, we will offer more prolific capabilities and talent, including pressed and loose powders."

“This combination with NCL will help Dream Team continue to grow its reach beyond color,” Clark said. “Our capabilities complement each other very well, and we can leverage NCL’s organization and infrastructure to bring more resources to serve our customers.”

Eastern Idaho Visitors Center moving to River Parkway

The new location of the Eastern Idaho Visitors Center, which is slated to open Monday.

The Eastern Idaho Visitors Center is moving from its current location on North Capital Avenue to 355 River Parkway. The visitor center will be closed on Friday and begin serving the public in the new location Monday.

Chamber CEO Chip Schwarze said the move was initiated to better promote tourism in eastern Idaho and to meet growing needs of local residents. The chamber will maintain its long-term partnership with the Bureau of Land Management and the US Forest Service in its new location, where it will continue to offer their maps, permits and gifts.

“What an amazing location for a visitor center, right across the street from our greenbelt and the falls,” Schwarze said. “I am sure this Visitor’s Center will be something the whole community will be proud of.”

In addition to providing tourist information for the entire region, the new visitor center will have a new gift and souvenir shop. The Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce will move in as soon as the remodel of their new office space is completed.