Dried-Flower Business Blossoming In Valley

Select Farms Inc., a producer and distributor of dried flowers to the craft industry, has moved to bigger quarters at the Spokane Industrial and Business Park.

The 10-year-old company has occupied a 32,000-square-foot facility at the industrial park for the past five years. Last week, the company moved to a 44,000-square-foot building in the southeast corner of the park.

Because the company’s sales have grown about 15 to 20 percent a year, it needed more room, said president Sharon Robb.

For a few months, the company, which grows its own flowers in the Saltese area of the Valley, considered moving to its own building.

“Our best choice was to stay at the park,” Robb said.

The company employs 50 to 100 employees depending on the season.

Grocery store bank branch growing

Inland Northwest Bank is moving its branch inside Yoke’s Pac ‘N Save at Progress and Sprague to bigger, more visible quarters within the grocery store.

Currently the 1,000-square-foot bank branch is on the southwest side of the store close to the entrance. The bank will move on Jan. 5 to the old Cost Cutters location in the middle of the front entrance. The new location is larger by about 100 square feet.

“We’re really moving it because it’s a better location,” said Jennifer Johnson, bank vice president and cashier. “It’s very visible from inside the store.”

The bank will add another teller station, bringing the total up to six. The automatic teller machine and night drop will also be moved next to the new location.

Computer business changes hands

Harold Rothgeb and Jack Ranck have taken over American ComputerMasters Inc., a company that builds custom computer systems, from former owner Robert Barrett, who retired last month.

Rothgeb has worked as an accountant for the firm during the 13 years it has been in business. Ranck, a friend of Rothgeb, invested in the business with him.

The business is located in Argonne Plaza, 1511 N. Mullan, and has one computer technician in addition to Rothgeb and Ranck.

Rothgeb said he plans to make few changes to the business.

Rothgeb said the computer business goes hand-in-hand with his second business, an accounting firm, in which he recommends computer systems to clients.

The company builds computer systems ranging in price from about $1,400 up, Rothgeb said.

, DataTimes