Regional Business News

“Idaho Gov. Butch Otter’s ‘love letter’ to neighboring states has generated a lot of debate and hand-wringing recently over which of our two states is better for business.”

Warburg Pincus Private Equity X. L.P. http://www.warburgpincus.com/ would own 20.5 percent of Sterling if the company successfully completes its $720 million plan to raise enough capital to satisfy regulator requirements.

States do compete with one another for business and for people. When we queried CEOs last January on their views of the best and worst states for business several patterns emerge.

The unexpectedly strong demand has manufacturers thinking big again.

We need small innovative companies more than ever to create jobs, a new green energy independent economy and solutions to major technological problems.

As states face yawning budget gaps, there is a growing movement to lay claim to the billions of dollars lost through the loophole each year.

Business Thrives In The Midwest

This year’s survey, measuring growth from January 2009 to January 2010, found only 13 metros with any growth.

We are a US Department of Commerce program designed to assisting US companies that are impacted by foreign imports. We offer up to $75,000 in matching federal grants for Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington companies that qualify for our program.

We now are reaching out to hundreds of Oregon businesses, and will do the same with those in Washington if the legislature there follows Oregon’s lead. We aren’t offering many bells and whistles, but what we can offer is a business-friendly State government, a highly qualified and motivated work force, and communities where people understand that while government cannot be the solution to their problems it can and must be a champion for their own solutions.