Spokane Lands Two New Companies

A camping gear distributor and an exporter of peas and lentils will open offices in Spokane, employing 30 people, officials said Wednesday.

GSI Outdoors, a San Diego wholesale distributor of camping, cookware and RV accessories, will move to Spokane in October, the Spokane Area Economic Development Council announced at its semiannual meeting.

The company will employ 25 people in a 40,000-square-foot building it purchased in the Valley. GSI cited tax benefits and lower costs of living as reasons for relocating.

Meanwhile, England-based Maviga N.A. Inc. has opened a downtown office to export pulse crops - peas, popcorn, lentils and garbanzo beans. The company employs five people who export to the Mediterranean, Central America and South America.

The EDC thus far this year has recruited seven companies, with 574 new jobs, including the corporate headquarters of Issaquah, Wash.-based Egghead Software.

, DataTimes