July/August 2016 biz.idahostatejournal.com
THE MEC: An inside look at the future of Pocatello’s event center
n Job boom? Kiplinger ranks Idaho as the nation’s best job creator n Burger stories: How Red Robin brought more than just jobs to Chubbuck n At the intersection of immigration and agriculture: Idaho Farm Bureau calls for more temp worker visas
2 July/Aug ust 2 016
Id a ho St ate B us i ness J o urna l
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Data point to a strong job market in Idaho. Page 4
The MEC: A closer look at Pocatello’s new events center. Page 6
Chubbuck Red Robin Serving Up More Than Burgers and Fries. Page 8
Idaho has plan to minimize economic impact of disasters. Page 9
Idaho’s Hispanic Population Increases 2.9 Percent from 2014-2015. Page 10
Immigration and agriculture intersect in gem state. Page 11
5 reasons why you should develop good financial habits early In Your Career. Page 12
Slow Food at the Farm Table Café. Page 13
Southeast Idaho business leader: Kent Oram. Page 14
Opening dates and employment info for new businesses around town. Page 15
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J u ly/Au gu st 2 01 6 3
Idaho St ate B u s in e ss Journal
l ette r f r o m the e d i t o r
Way too many job metaphors
I
sn’t good news the mouth. Well, we refreshing to see in looked. There is also the newspaper? an old saying you I have spent my learn in journalism career cynically school — if your mothwallowing in stories er says she loves you, of abuse, destruccheck it out. tion and poverty. Ah, Yes, we are that SARAH the journalist’s life! So cynical. GLENN when the news flashed So the cynic in me across my screen that said that these aweKiplinger ranked Idaho as some jobs numbers can’t the fastest job producbe telling the whole story. ing state in 2016, my ears How was I supposed to perked up. There is a lot publish a big article about of good economic news Idaho’s booming economy floating around Idaho these when the woman in front days. Unemployment is of me at the grocery store down, construction is up, was still counting out penand companies are even nies and putting back a reporting needing help bag of apples? finding workers. It was kind Good news is like a diaof like this journalist was mond; there aren’t just two handed an ice cream cone sides, there are many. in the middle of my kale Putting the diamond that diet. is Idaho’s great jobs news But was it too good to be under the microscope was true? enlightening and encourTo rehash on overused aging. We looked at which turn of phrase, they say jobs were growing, what never look a gift horse in some are paying, how
many people still need food stamps and more. Like every complex story, there is good news and bad news. But while I was expecting to find a cockroach in the middle of the ice cream cone, Idaho’s improving jobs data was surprisingly satisfying. You can dig in for yourself on Page 4. While you are at it, go ahead and sign up for our new weekly newsletter by visiting biz.idahostatejournal.com and entering your email on the right sidebar. It’s that easy. Every Tuesday morning you will get the quick, punchy and (in my humble opinion) quite entertaining rundown of the week’s best Idaho business news. We hope you enjoy all the sweet surprises coming your way from the Idaho State Business Journal! Sarah Glenn is the editor of the Idaho State Business Journal
The Idaho State Business Journal is published by the Idaho State Journal. Our mailing address is: 305 S. Arthur Pocatello, ID 83204 Main number: 208.232.4161 | Subscriber Services: 208.232.6150 Copyright © 2016 Pioneer News Group, All rights reserved. Idaho State Journal Publisher: Andy Pennington | APennington@journalnet.com Idaho State Business Journal Editor: Sarah Glenn | SGlenn@journalnet. com Contributors: n Cydney McFarland | CMcFarland@journalnet.com n Shelbie Harris | newsroom@journalnet.com n Janna Graham/Pocatello Co-op | outreach@pocatellocoop.com n Jennifer Landon/Journey Financial Services | www.journeyretirement.com n Randy Shumay/Cicero Group & Zions Bank | www.cicerogroup.com n Calvin Goings, The U.S. Small Business Administration, Region X | www.sba.gov/offices/regional/x Idaho State Business Journal Designer: Danae Lenz | dlenz@journalnet.com
4 J uly/Au g ust 2 016
Id a ho St ate B us i ness J o urna l
By Sarah Glenn For the Journal POCATELLO — In a classroom tucked just inside the main doors at the Idaho Department of Labor, Katie Taylor waits patiently for people looking for jobs. The senior workforce consultant aims a projector at the wall as a handful of people trickle in and take a seat at one of the room’s computer desks. Today, the Department of Labor’s job search workshop attracted four people — two job seekers in their 40s and 50s and two young university students. “We are here just to make sure that resume is up to par and up to date and meets all the criteria that employers are looking for,” Taylor said as she dimmed the lights, started the class and announced that week’s theme: resume writing.
While four job seekers might not seem like a lot, they made up a pretty OK turnout in the eyes of workshop planners — especially considering Idaho’s sinking unemployment rate. “Lately we haven’t had the biggest turnout,” said Mike Meyers, the employment services supervisor with the Pocatello branch of the Idaho Department of Labor and the man who coordinates these classes. “We tend to have more when we focus the workshop on resume writing. But when unemployment is low, we are generally staffed lower.” For six months now, Idaho’s job growth has been the best in the nation. The April unemployment rate declined to 3.7 percent — a big standout from the nation’s 5.5 percent unemployment. Across Idaho, 700 people on the unemployment line recently found work, dropping the official number of
unemployed Idahoans to 29,830. This is the 10th consecutive month that total unemployment declined. “There’s lot of job opportunity in Pocatello,” Meyers said. The unemployment rate in Bannock County is at 3.3 percent. And the good news keeps coming. The state’s extraordinary job growth recently attracted the attention of Kiplinger, who ranked Idaho as the state with the absolute fastest percentage job growth in 2016 — even
outpacing the percentage growth in larger, more populous states such as California and Texas. Idaho is on track to introduce 23,580 new jobs into the state’s economy in 2016, Kiplinger’s researchers said. Based on revised Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates, Idaho continues to be No. 1 in the nation in percentage increase of jobs and has held that position for six straight months. Everything is turning up roses for Idaho, right? Possibly …
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Idaho St ate B u s in ess Journal Where are the jobs? According to the Kiplinger analysis, the Gem State is home to booming tech and aerospace industries, as well as military bases that boost spending in surrounding areas. And as Idaho attracts more residents from other states, companies both old and new are expanding here. Wireless data company Cradlepoint is growing quickly in Boise, and agribusiness firm J.R. Simplot will hire 600 for a new processing plant in nearby Kuna. There are plenty more opportunities. Micron Technology, a semiconductor manufacturer, will add 200 jobs in Boise when its plant expansion is completed in early 2017. Yogurt maker Chobani is expanding its plant in Twin Falls. And American Food Equipment is building a new manufacturing facility in Caldwell. American Food Equipment, based in the San Francisco Bay Area, couldn’t find room to expand where it was, according to Kiplinger, illustrating how restricted land availability and high cost of living in parts of California are causing companies to look to nearby states for expansion. While the starting dates for these jobs are still on the horizon, current dips in unemployment can be credited to a few different industries. When the folks at the Idaho Department of Labor took a look at all the new jobs, they found that construction, professional and business services and the leisure and hospitality sectors all experienced over-the-year growth of greater than 5 percent. Information and natural resources were the only industry sectors to show a decline compared to April 2015. There were also a few industries with plenty of jobs that employers are having a hard time filling. In April, there were 26,700 online postings for Idaho jobs according to The Conference Board. Of those listings, 4,800 were classified by department analysts as “hard-tofill” — jobs continuously posted for 90 days or more. Based on vacancy rates — a high number of openings compared with the total employment for that occupation — health care jobs accounted for almost 14 percent of all total hard-to-fill jobs and included psychiatrists and occupational and physical therapists. Looking at job listings by volume, truck drivers and registered nurses hold the first and second spots for the largest number of hard-to-fill jobs. Chris Chandler, a 50-something Pocatellan, was at the Department of Labor’s job search workshop looking for something that would keep him around his hometown. “A lot of companies are advertising jobs in Pocatello, but then the job actually ends up taking you out of state,” Chandler said. “I also see a lot of jobs available, but you have to have special training to get them. There’s a lot of truck driving jobs, a lot of welding jobs, but you have to get the license to get the job. I see nursing come up a lot, but again, those are medical fields
that you have to be licensed for.” There are many reasons why Idaho has plenty of jobs but few to fill them. The department of labor projects that by 2022, Idaho’s workforce will be short 90,000 workers — meaning the state’s qualified labor force needs to grow at a faster pace than currently projected. “It is not uncommon for employers to come to us and say they are getting no candidates,” Meyers said. “We are almost working as recruiters, connecting people a little more.” Meyers said he has told some employers that they might need to make the job description and possibly even wages a little more desirable if they want to find the right employee. “On our end, we are always trying to educate the employer,” Meyers said “But at the end of the day, it is up to them if they are finding it worthwhile to be competitive with their wages or not. … Employers, though, are starting to look at these wages and think, ‘Well, if I’m not getting anybody applying, maybe I need to look at that.’ I do think there is an openness to being more competitive.” More jobs, less money? On Pocatello’s choppy northern border with Chubbuck, construction cranes hoist “Noodles & Co.”, “Chipotle” and the signature orange “Hobby Lobby” signs into place. Declarations of “Now Hiring” attract commuters and job seekers. “Right now there’s plenty of entry-level job openings,” Meyers said. These businesses alone are adding more than 110 jobs in less than a quarter-mile radius. On the opposite side of town, Western States Caterpillar says it is hiring about 12 more people to accommodate a big expansion. Moving further across Southeastern Idaho, Great Western Malting promises to add 10 more jobs when its $75 million expansion is done in 2017. And Valley Agronomics is continuing work on the largest fertilizer distribution center in Idaho — a Pocatello facility that will bring 70 jobs along with its $12 million investment. Anecdotally, it’s no wonder unemployment is decreasing. Around Bannock County, average wages in 2015 were about $33,797. That’s the money people take home from their day job, and it doesn’t count other ways local folks might earn a little more cash — for example from owning a home or unincorporated business, from the ownership of financial assets, or from government and business in the form of transfer receipts. To get the full picture of how much money folks in our area are making, we take a look at the personal income data. In the first quarter of 2016, personal incomes in Idaho grew by about 0.7 percent. People in 38 other states grew their wealth faster than the folks in Idaho. The national average growth in personal
income was 1 percent. The most recent personal income information collected for Idaho’s local counties dates back to 2014. Back then, people in Bannock County averaged $32,063 per year in personal income — a relatively low amount compared with the rest of the state. In that 2014 report from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bannock county took 30th place out of all Idaho’s 43 ranked counties. The best on the list was Blaine County with an average personal income of $83,573 per year. The worst? Clark County came in dead last with people there averaging $23,832 per year. Idaho might have plenty of jobs, but can its people pay their bills? “I don’t live extravagantly, but even when I’m working all the time it can be hard to pay my bills,” said Kooper Smith, a Idaho State University student in his 20s who came to the Pocatello job search workshop. “There’s almost never enough to put into savings.” Across the room, Chandler, the job seeker in his 50s, felt the crush of taxes and health insurance digging into his personal income. “After Obamacare, insurance just kept going up and up,” Chandler recalled. “At one point, (the payment) doubled per month. It has made it really difficult for people to make ends meet.” Although many are entry level, the new jobs flowing into Pocatello and Chubbuck promise a decent wage. Hobby Lobby promises to start full-time workers at $15.35 per hour and pay $10.23 per hour for part-time associates. At that rate, the average full-time worker’s annual take-home salary would hover below $30,000 per year. Idaho’s median household income is $47,334, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Do a lot of people still need a hand up? One way to measure Idaho’s prosperity is by looking at applications for state aid. The percentage of people who need help buying groceries every month in Idaho has declined over the past year. In Bannock County, 14.22 percent of the population gets help from Food Stamps — that’s 11,908 people. However, when you take a look at the big statewide picture, Bannock County isn’t doing so bad. Shoshone County up in Northern Idaho has 16.33 percent of its population using SNAP benefits. Ada County, the most populous in the state, has the most people on SNAP benefits. However, when you look at the percent of the population that uses Food Stamps, Ada is far below Bannock County — 8.31 percent of Ada’s population is on SNAP benefits compared with Bannock’s 14.22 percent. If SNAP benefits are being used as a measure of poverty or prosperity, it would appear that Idaho’s economic situation is improving. In May 2015, 12.33 percent of the state was on SNAP benefits. Today, that percentage is 11.36 percent, even though the state’s population has grown by a net of 20,124 people.
More jobs for more people In 2015, more than 896 families packed their possessions into the blue, white and yellow of a United Van Lines truck and moved to some place in Idaho. For the second year in a row, more people moved into the state than out — so many people, in fact, that United Van Lines ranked it fourth in the nation for “most popular moving-to locations.” The reason most people referenced for their relocation was a was a company transfer or to start a new job; more than 367 families moved for that reason. United Van Lines, the nation’s largest moving company by number of trucks, has tracked its customers comings and goings for the past 39 years. But are these people coming in from out of state and taking Idaho jobs? The answer is a complicated, no. No matter how many people move in, the growth of Idaho’s working population is slowing down. Census estimates show more than a 40 percent downward shift in the growth rate of Idahoans ages 20 to 39. From July 2014 to July 2015, that age category — identified as the state’s workforce of the future — added only 3,735 people compared with an increase of 6,422 between July 2013 and July 2014. In addition, the growth of the 40 to 64 age group nearly doubled from 2014, from an increase of 2,238 in 2014 to an increase of 4,112 in 2015, when people age 64 years old and younger made up approximately 85 percent of Idaho’s total population growth. Idaho’s population continues to age faster than the nation’s. Idaho seniors — people age 65 and older — increased by 24 percent from mid-2010 to mid-2015 compared with 18 percent for the nation. This group includes the oldest four years of the baby boom generation — born between 1946 and 1964 — and accounts for 14.3 percent of the state’s total population. In the end … As the Department of Labor job search workshop wrapped up, those four folks participating had the chance to ask questions and chat a little more about what kinds of jobs they needed and their roadmap for getting them. “I’m just looking for anything,” said Smith, the ISU student, as he looked over his printed resume. “I have worked fast food, for Americorp, odd jobs at ISU, all the stuff that people going to school usually do. But I need something that is going to pay the bills.” While Idaho may be a top job creator, most agree that the state still has a long way to go. “Unemployment might be down but underemployment is up and that’s a big problem,” Smith said as the class ended. “They have swapped places those two and it is hard for people to pay their bills and make ends meet. And isn’t that what getting a job is all about?”
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6 July/Au g ust 2 016
Southe a st I d a ho B us i ness J o urna l
The MEC:
A closer look at Pocatello’s new events center By Sarah Glenn For the Journal
POCATELLO — The 40,000 square-foot Mountain View Events Center is many things: a boon for local construction jobs, a future epicenter for regional athletics and is opening Oct. 1. There is also something it is definitely not: a convention center. “We are not going to compete with local hotels for that convention space,” said Raul Cano, Executive Director of the Pocatello/Chubbuck Auditorium District. In fact, the Mountain View Events Center’s goal is to “get heads in beds” at the local hotels — tourist’s heads to be specific. Those tourists pumped more than $80 million into Bannock County in 2011, and their vacations support more than 1,545 area jobs, according to an April 2012 report by ESMI and Drake Cooper. That same report says the tourism industry paid more than $29 million in wages to Bannock County hotel and hospitality workers in 2011. Colloquially referred to by builders as “The MEC,” the events center aims to attract tourists and their dollars into the Pocatello economy. “The purpose of the MEC is to generate economic impact and development for the community,” Cano said. The MEC is rising on Baldy Avenue, within half a mile of five hotels. Among them, these hotels
can offer 683 rooms and can host hundreds of people in their convention spaces. A study projected that the MEC could have a more than $20 million economic impact on the local economy every year. “It doesn’t take a Phi Beta Kappa in economic finance to know that is pretty good pay back,” said Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter when he toured the facility in July. “Plus, you never know what else is going to be created as a result of the event center.” The MEC’s amenities How, exactly, does the MEC plan to attract tourists without stealing business from local hotels? In a word, sports. “What our community was really lacking was gym space,” Cano said. In terms of gym space, the MEC delivers. As event attendees enter through the main doors and walk straight back, an expanse of 28,800 square feet of gym space opens up before them. Three full-sized basketball courts fill the center of the room, surrounded by seating for 1,600. The space will be just slightly larger than half a football field. Mounted nearby will be two 3-by-8-foot wireless scoreboards. “This is going to be cool,” Cano said of the sporting expanse. The auditorium district also owns flooring that can be laid over the court for other events and activities. “We are a multi purpose facility,” Cano said. “If someone is interested
in using the MEC for a large type of banquet that the hotels can’t do for lack of space, we would love to sit down and coordinate with them. We would get together with the hotels and coordinate a plan.” While the open event area is the MEC’s main attraction, other amenities line the front of the building. Three sets of double doors line the MEC’s only main entrance. Venture down a hallway to the left and you are met with a ticket booth, restrooms and office space. Venture down the hallway to the right of the entrance and you will find a small conference room, sharing a wall with a concessions area. A locker room and another team room, both outfitted with restrooms, make up the remainder of the MEC’s usable space. The MEC does not have any breakout rooms for conferences and
does not plan on adding any. “We also won’t have a kitchen,” Cano said of the MEC’s catering capacity. But there is a concessions area.
or banquet, the main focus will be youth and traveling sports competitions. One example of the economic impact a youth sports tournament can have lies in Reno, Nevada. The Reno-Sparks Convention Center is contracted to be the home of Amateur Athletic Union events through 2020. The Jam On It Reno
What will go on here? While the Pocatello/Chubbuck Auditorium District is open to the idea of the occasional trade show
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J u ly/Au gu st 2 01 6 7
Idaho St ate B u s in ess Journal Memorial Day AAU Tournament is the world’s largest basketball tournament. More than 1,100 teams compete on 85 courts in and around the Reno-Sparks Convention Center. The 2014 Reno Memorial Day AAU Tournament had an economic impact of more than $8 million. The economic impact for all Jam On It AAU events in Nevada is estimated at approximately $11 million. “We have people inside our communities who have these connections,” Cano said of spreading the word that the MEC will be welcoming sporting events. “There are people on volleyball teams that travel, basketball teams. Let’s tap those resources and bring those events here.” As the auditorium district was still mulling over the needs in the community, one common theme kept appearing — the area’s lacking gym space. “We are getting a lot of our youth leaving to play other places because of it,” Cano said. The focus on sports is also about more than filling a niche that the nearby hotels cannot. It has a strategic element when attracting large numbers of travelers. “Families gather around their kids and travel with their kids to support them,” Cano said. “Sports is really something a family can gather around.” These families will have access to about 200 MEC-designated parking spaces. If needed for larger events, the MEC can work out agreements to use 200 additional parking spaces at the nearby Grace Lutheran School and Church. While the Idaho Department of Transportation does not post any traffic counts for the road in front of the events center, the nearby Bench Road and Olympus intersection has a 1,921 car Average Daily Total. More people, more money The more people the MEC attracts, the bet-
Doug Lindley/Idaho State Journal and submitted illustration
At left: The Mountain View Event Center next to the new Grace Lutheran high school is going up quickly. Above: A concept rendering of what the event center will look like when it is finished. Below: Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter speaks at the event center earlier this month. ter the benefit to the Pocatello/Chubbuck Auditorium District as well. For every local hotel room people reserve, about five percent of the bill goes to the auditorium district. Cano said that amounts to about $850,000 annually, and he hopes that grows to more than $1 million with additional people coming to Pocatello to attend events at the new center. Grace Lutheran Church is building the center, will own the building and will lease it back to the auditorium district. The lease has a 20-year term. Grace Lutheran will also be responsible for paying property taxes on the MEC because it is a revenue-generating operation. According to Cano, Grace Lutheran has agreed to pay property taxes for the first five years, unless the hotel tax collected by the auditorium district exceeds $1 million per year. Once the $1 million mark is reached, the district would cover the church’s
property tax bill for the center. “One thing that is really important for people to know is that we have a lease agreement with Grace Lutheran, but that is where it stops,” Cano said. “We feel very fortunate that we are able to work with Grace. They are good people and without them we wouldn’t be able to do what we do.” However, Cano wanted to be clear that the MEC is the responsibility of the Pocatello/ Chubbuck Auditorium District rather than the church. Construction is moving forward under the eye of general contractor, MBA Construction. The contractor is also working on the nearby Grace Lutheran High School. Dykeman Construction in charge of the ground preparation work. For more information, visit meceventcenter.com.
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8 July/Aug ust 2 016
Id a ho St ate B us i ness J o urna l
Chubbuck Red Robin Serving Up More Than Burgers and Fries By Shelbie Harris For the Journal
CHUBBUCK — Known for its bottomless fries and handcrafted burgers, Red Robin brought about 100 jobs to the Pocatello and Chubbuck areas. But more than that, General Manager Kerry Aughenbaugh and staff are finding ways to give back to community and enrich the lives of both customers and employees alike. “We’re in the people business,” Aughenbaugh said. “Sometimes people are only coming to Red Robin for lunch, but they also come here to celebrate or come here for dates.” Aughenbaugh recalled one occasion where a couple came in to celebrate their 10th anniversary because their first date was at Red Robin. “The man wanted to propose to his wife,” he said. “The whole family was at my restaurant having dinner, and he called and said he was running late and would be there shortly. He came in dressed up in the Red Robin costume, and as Red walked up to the table, got down on one knee and opened a ring box. She was so confused before he took the hat off, but she said yes in the end.” Every employee of Red Robin, from the CEOs at the top to the part-time greeters at the door, begin every meeting or shift rally with examples just like these called, “Burger Stories.” These stories exemplify the core values Red Robins across the country share with their employees and customers with each letter
Employees at the Chubbuck Red Robin are looking forward to serving the community.
representing a particular value. For example, “B” stands for bottomless fun, “U” stands for unwavering integrity and one “R” stands for relentless focus on improvement. “Sometimes a visit with Red Robin leaves a guest with an experience they are never going to forget,” Aughenbaugh said. “We have an opportunity to make an impact on those people that they’ll never forget. And when we do that we also want to make sure we celebrate that experience, not just in the four walls of our building, but within the whole company.” Aughenbaugh said Burger Stories are shared at the general manager conference every year, through email and at the beginning of every shift.
“When you share these experiences, team members begin to look for opportunities to perform them,” he said. Another Burger Story involving one of the trainers occurred during opening week. After paying for gas, a woman with a car full of kids and packed full of stuff approached the trainer and asked if she had any change. The trainer told the woman she did not and began filling her car. She then noticed the woman in the corner crying. “She went in and asked what number was the woman’s car parked at,” Aughenbaugh said. “She put $20 in her tank. Now that had absolutely nothing to do with Red Robin, the lady didn’t know she worked here and she wasn’t wearing a logo. But we still celebrated as if it happened in our four walls because that
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creates people who are looking to make other people’s lives better.” In addition to sharing Burger Stories, Red Robin participates in multiple programs o throughout the year focused on giving back tow the community. s These programs include donating 100 per- I cent of all opening week Freckled Lemonade e sales to Alex’s Lemonade Stand and 1 percent o throughout the year to aid in the fight against e childhood cancer. “The biggest thing that’s happening g right now for the community is our royalty a program,” Aughenbaugh said. “We have this t program called Burgers for Better Schools. b Every royalty member can pick a school from t our royalty website to have 1 percent of the w total donated to the school.” p This may not sound like a large amount for l one guest, but considering a restaurant can do anywhere from $1.5 to $5 million a year, it cant become a large number. n Other programs include Relay for Life and u Tip a Cop for Special Olympics, a personal a favorite of Aughenbaugh because he can see e the direct impact on the community. p Aughenbaugh believes strongly in creating s a balanced work environment. Of course, team members must adhere to rules and a regulations, but hopefully they focus more on s the fun side of things. c “You always have standards and standards c have to be non-negotiable,” he said. “But, t beyond that fun is what keeps team members coming back to work. Having fun and enjoy- a ing what you do is contagious, and that is m what Red Robin is all about.” t
J u ly/Au gu st 2 01 6 9
lIdaho St ate B u s in ess Journal
Idaho has plan to minimize economic impact of disasters
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ith the recent flooding Job growth, low in Texas, earthquakes in unemployment boost Australia and onslaught Idaho labor market of the Zika virus in South America, Idaho’s labor market has outperwe are reminded that disaster can formed the rest of the U.S. for the past strike in myriad ways. Fortunately, six straight months, ranking first in Idaho has developed a specific state the nation for percentage increase of emergency preparedness plan that jobs. March marked the 10th conRandy outlines what is to be done in the secutive month that total unemployShumway event of disaster. ment decreased in Idaho. According to Idaho’s 2015 EmerIdaho’s unemployment rate degency Preparedness Plan, the state is most clined to 3.7 percent in April. Idaho’s nonfarm at risk for wildfire disruption, cyber disruppayrolls increased slightly this month, while tion and flooding. By potentially ruining the state’s seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs buildings, roads, infrastructure and access grew by 25,700, or 3.8 percent, compared to utilities, disasters such as earthquakes and with last year. The strongest year-over-year wildfires would create the highest degree of employment gains occurred in the construcphysical disruption to personal and business tion, professional and business services, and life. leisure and hospitality sectors. The plan dictates that first responses are to be administered on a local level, beginHousing prices continue to ning with municipal assistance, and moving rise up through county, state, and federal Idaho home prices rose 1.9 percent from assistance. Idaho has divided training for March to April and 7.5 percent since April emergency preparedness into five areas: 2015. Gem State home prices are forecasted prevention, protection, mitigation, reto increase 1.3 percent this month and 6.4 sponse, and recovery. percent in the next year. According to stateThe Idaho National Laboratory has been ments by the Ada County Assessor’s Office, actively working to ensure power grid cyber residential property values increased 7.7 security for years. Power outages or downed percent on average this year, compared with cellphone towers during business hours an increase of 6.8 percent last year. could cause billions of dollars of lost productivity and revenue. Food, energy drive increase It is equally important for individuals in CPI and businesses to create their own plans to The national Consumer Price Index minimize the effects of exogenous shocks on increased 0.5 percent from March to April on the economic system. a nonseasonally-adjusted basis. The national
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CPI has increased 1.1 percent over the last year, which is below the Federal Reserve’s annual inflation target of 2 percent. The overall rise in CPI was driven by increases across a broad range of categories as the indexes for food, energy and all items less food and energy rose in April. Consumer confidence dips The Conference Board’s U.S. Consumer Confidence Index declined 2.1 points to 92.6 in May. The Present Situation Index, which measures sentiment about the current state of the economy, decreased from 117.1 to 112.9, while the Expectations Index decreased from 79.7 to 79.0, indicating slightly weaker confidence in the state of the economy six months out. Consumers’ assessment of current conditions was slightly more favorable as the percentage of consumers who felt business conditions were “good” increased in May. However, those stating current business conditions were “bad” also increased. Opinions of the labor market were more negative: those claiming jobs are “plentiful” remained mostly unchanged while those claiming jobs are “hard to get” increased. Job growth misses Wall Street expectations U.S. economic data continues to straddle the line between strong recovery and relapse into downturn. First-quarter GDP growth was 0.8 percent, which is a step in the right direction, but this figure was the slowest annual
growth rate since first-quarter 2015. The labor market offered the biggest shock in terms of economic data. While the unemployment rate declined, a mere 38,000 jobs were added to the economy in May — significantly below Wall Street’s projected growth of 162,000 jobs. On a positive note, home values and personal disposable income have risen over the past year. Global factors impact longterm U.S. outlook Developments in the U.K, China and Trans-Pacific Partnership could have a major impact on the long-term economic outlook of the United States. First, the U.K. referendum regarding whether it should remain in the European Union will have a significant effect on the long-term U.S. economy. The European Union in general is a major trading partner for the U.S., and any hit to its stability will certainly jostle the United States. Second, China has been working hard to prop up the yuan, but its long-term stability is questionable. While China’s exporters may welcome a declining yuan, the bigger worry is that capital outflow may result. Third, uncertainty in the upcoming U.S. presidential election has put some economic agreements in a holding pattern, particularly the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which has been rejected by presidential contenders. Randy Shumway is CEO of the Cicero Group, the exclusive data analytics and economic consulting firm to Zions Bank.
10 J uly/Au g ust 2016
Id a ho St ate B us i ness J o urna l
Idaho’s Hispanic Population Increases 2.9 Percent from 2014-2015 By Journal staff Idaho’s Hispanic population grew 2.9 percent between mid-2014 and mid-2015, the same growth rate the state experienced between 2013 and 2014, according to recent U.S. Census Bureau surveys. Hispanics accounted for 12.2 percent of the state’s population in mid-2015, up from 11 percent in 2010. Idaho’s Asian population showed the largest percentage increase at 4.8 percent but numerically accounted for only 1,121 additional people. People who selected the category of “Two or More Races” in an online survey increased 4.6 percent, an additional 1,687 people in 2015. Whites had the largest numeric increase at 16,080, down from 18,358 in 2014. The growth rate was 1.1 percent, the lowest of all race categories. Canyon County saw the largest numeric increase of Hispanics at 1,501, or a 3 percent growth rate. Ada County was second with a Hispanic population in mid-2015 of 34,729, an increase of 4.5 percent from mid-2014 or 1,481 people. Eight counties saw a decrease in the Hispanic population — Clark, Adams, Caribou, Washington, Fremont, Elmore, Butte and Bingham. Idaho’s Hispanic population has increased 15.1 percent since the 2010 census, an additional 26,529 people. Hispanics between the ages of 40 and 64 had the largest numeric increase at 2,104, but the age group over age 65 had the highest growth rate at 8.5 percent. This ethnic section of Idaho’s population is aging slightly faster than the state as a whole. Foreign-born unemployment rate drops The unemployment rate for foreignborn people in the United States was 4.9
PRESENT
ED BY
Information from the Pew Research Center
percent in 2015, down from 5.6 percent in 2014, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in June. The jobless rate of native-born persons fell to 5.4 percent from 6.3 percent in the prior year. Data on nativity are collected as part of the Current Population Survey (CPS), a monthly sample survey of approximately 60,000 households. The foreign born are persons who reside in the United States but who were born outside the country or one of its outlying areas to parents who were not U.S. citizens. The foreign born include legally admitted immigrants, refugees, temporary residents such as students and temporary workers and undocumented immigrants.
The survey data, however, do not separately identify the numbers of persons in these categories. Highlights from the 2015 Current Population Survey: • In 2015, there were 26.3 million foreign-born persons in the U.S. labor force, comprising 16.7 percent of the total. • Hispanics accounted for 48.8 percent of the foreign-born labor force in 2015 and Asians accounted for 24.1 percent. • Foreign-born workers were more likely than native-born workers to be employed in service occupations; natural resources, construction and maintenance
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occupations; and production, transportation, and material moving occupations. Native-born workers were more likely than foreign-born workers to be employed in management, professional, and related occupations and sales and office occupations. • The median usual weekly earnings of foreign-born, full-time wage and salary workers were $681 in 2015, compared with $837 for their native-born counterparts. Differences in earnings reflect a variety of factors, including variations in the distributions of foreign-born and native-born workers by educational attainment, occupation, industry, and geographic region.
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J u ly/Au gu st 2 01 6 1 1
Immigration/ agriculture intersect in gem state n Farmers from 25 different states, including Idaho, have lodged complaints that they can’t find enough workers to pick crops
The old trope of the immigrant farm worker is nothing new. However, as the United States’ economy improves their role is becoming ever more crucial to the success of agriculture. This growing season farmers from 25 different states, including Idaho, have lodged complaints with the American Farm Bureau Federation. They are worried they will not have enough foreign workers to harvest their whole crop. Fruits and vegetables are the most likely to rot in the field as demand for labor outpaces the legal supply. ”Many farmer members have called us and state Farm Bureaus asking for help,” American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said. “They face serious hurdles in getting visas for workers in time to tend and harvest this year’s crops. Paperwork delays have created a backlog of 30 days or more in processing H-2A applications at both the Department of Labor and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.” According to AFBF officials, domestic citizen workers in Idaho and across the nation are finding full-time employment leaving a vacuum in the temporary field worker industry. The legal way to fill that increasing need for foreign workers is the cumbersome and costly H-2A visa process. An H-2A visa allows a foreign national entry into the U.S. for temporary or seasonal agricultural work. It also guarantees that the farmer will pay them at least $11.75 per hour (in Idaho), pay for their plane ticket to and from their native country, provide transportation to and from the field as well as room and board. The farmer also has to prove to the Department
of Labor that there is not a local worker who can, or will, do the job — usually requiring a lot of unsuccessful newspaper and website advertising. Finally, the farmer has to put in a request to the United States Department of Labor for this type of worker, promising to pay the added cost they come with. This year in Idaho, farmers and ranchers are asking for 1,500 people. However, many across the nation are still saying that’s not enough. “This year, the problem has been worse than others,” said Kristi Boswell, director of congressional relations for the AFBF. “We have definitely seen an increase (in the need) this year.” AFBF’s most recent quarterly report showed that farmers put in 13 percent more applications for
H-2A farm workers than last year at this same time. “And last year set a record,” Boswell said. Most of the complaints from farmers are that applications are not being processed quickly enough, meaning crops sit rotting in the field while famers wait for legal workers to pick them. Farmers depend on the H-2A agricultural visa program to fill gaps in the nation’s agriculture labor system, but Duvall said the program is far from perfect. Processing and procedural delays, such as the government’s use of U.S. mail instead of electronic communications, are leading to losses from unharvested crops. “There are delays with the Department of Labor on the front end, and then there are delays with the USCIS on the back end,” Boswell said.
Like the farmer, the farm worker seeking the visa has to put in an application. However, those papers often get delayed in the mail or stuck on desks waiting to be processed. “Crops can’t wait on paperwork,” Duvall said. “DOL is routinely failing to approve applications 30 days prior to the day farmers need workers. That delay, coupled with delays occurring at USCIS, places farmers in an impossible situation. We’ve heard from members who are already missing their window of opportunity to harvest. They are already facing lost revenue.” According to a 2014 report from the U.S. Department of Labor, the top three Idaho cities (by positions certified) were Hamer, Rupert and Ashton. According to that same report, the visa-holding workers were needed to harvest
hay and straw (683 people), potatoes (633 people), grains (300 people), livestock (162 people) and corn (141 people). Many of the H-2A visa holders in Idaho are from Peru and they help the state’s sheepherders, Boswell said. However, the majority, more than 50 percent, of American farm workers are still unauthorized, or illegal. “The only way to create a legal and stable workforce is through comprehensive immigration reform,” Boswell said. “These delays highlight a major issue. We don’t see in the current political climate with the election and candidates that any immediate progress is going to be made. The issue will continue to worsen until Congress passes responsible immigration reform. It is past time to address this issue for agriculture.”
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1480901
By Sarah Glenn For the Journal
5 12 J u ly/Aug ust 2016
Id a ho St ate B us i ness J o urna l
reasons why you should develop good financial habits early In Your Career
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he recent report from the cial habits, such as saving a porU.S. Bureau of Labor Station of their income every time tistics showing Idaho leads they are paid. The following are the nation in job growth is great five reasons why people should news for our state, its businesses start saving early: and its workers. With jobs in hand, it might not be time for all Early retirement of these new hires to start thinkHow long will we have Jennifer ing about retiring, but it’s never to work? That is one of landon too early for them to start thinkthe great questions we ing about saving for retirement. ask ourselves. Saving Too often, people wait until the early in a career, according to a recent perfect time to begin a retirement savsurvey by MoneyRates.com, has a huge ings plan. But when is the perfect time? impact on when people eventually People can talk themselves out of build- retire. The study found that people who ing a nest egg in much the same way start saving in their 20s are 66 percent they can talk themselves out of a diet or more likely to say they’ll reach retirean exercise program. ment by age 60 than people who waited The number of excuses used to delay until their 30s to begin saving. Unforretirement savings are endless, but some tunately, only 27 percent of respondents of the most frequent ones I hear are: started saving for retirement in their • I can’t afford to save 20s. • I’ll start saving when I get a raise • I’m too young (or too old) to start A hard habit to saving break • I’m scared I won’t get a return on If you don’t start saving my investment early in your career, who’s to • I have to pay for my … housing, car, say you’ll start later? Again, kids, college, etc. The list goes on and if you were waiting for that perfect moon. ment to begin saving, who’s to say that Those excuses for not saving might will occur in your 30s or 40s, once you seem valid to the person saying them at have the additional burdens of a mortthe time they’re saying them, but when gage, a marriage, kids or possibly even they get five, 10 or even 50 years down caring for your aging parents? Once the the road and find themselves retired habit of not saving is ingrained, it will and staring at an empty nest egg, they’ll become more and more difficult to take wish they had a time machine. money out of that paycheck. I mentioned diets and exercise programs earlier for a reason. You might The power of eat right one day but not the next. You compounding might join a gym and go through a roureturns tine, but for one reason or another you In a perfect world, saving get out of the habit. for retirement would be a Much of life’s successes are grounded given. As I’ve discussed, it’s not always in good habits. Saving for retirement is that simple. Life happens. Jobs come no different. I often tell young clients and jobs go. Other personal situations that financial success isn’t correlated hit, offering roadblocks to saving for with how much income they bring in later, but if possible: Save! The effects of but rather a consequence of good finan- compounding interests over several de-
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“Much of life’s successes are grounded in good habits. Saving for retirement is no different. I often tell young clients that financial success isn’t correlated with how much income they bring in, but rather a consequence of good financial habits, such as saving a portion of their income every time they are paid.” cades is staggering, and the earlier you start, the better your chances will be of reaching your financial goals.
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Shrinking Social Security For decades, retirees had a given, that government systems such as Social Security would be there to provide a financial comfort for them in their golden years. There simply are too many questions surrounding the various
welfare systems and their viability in the future, and we are living too long in retirement to let that be your main safety net. While there’s nothing wrong with using Social Security in retirement, do you want to depend on it to see you through a retirement that could last 30 years or more?
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Late retirement You might want to keep working well into your 70s or even your 80s. But if you do choose to extend your working years, don’t you want to be in control of that choice? According to the MoneyRates.com study, only 52.5 percent of those who put off saving until their 50s expect to be able to retire by the time they reach 70. And, more than 25 percent of those late starters didn’t know if they would ever be able to retire. As you begin a new job or even a first job, it’s important to remember that every paycheck counts. The earlier you begin saving for retirement, the earlier your money begins to work for you and the earlier you may be able to retire. If that’s what you want to do. Jennifer Landon, founder and president of Journey Financial Services, is an accomplished advisor, educator and presenter on financial topics. Landon has spent the last decade advising Idaho Falls residents on the wealth and retirement planning strategies needed to help them achieve peace of mind on their retirement journey. She is an Investment Advisor Representative and a licensed life and health insurance professional in the state of Idaho. Landon is a member of Ed Slott’s Master Elite IRA Advisor Group, the National Ethics Association (NEA) and the Better Business Bureau. For more information about Jennifer Landon and Journey Financial Services, please call (208) 552-9169 or visit www.JourneyRetirement.com.
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Idaho St ate B u s in ess Journal
J u ly/Au gu st 2 01 6 1 3
Slow Food at the Farm Table Café
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usiness has been steady at The Santa Fe Wrap tops black the new Farm Table Café beans, corn, roasted vegetables, in the Pocatello Co-op. fresh greens, and avocado with a Café personnel are proud of their spicy southwest-style sauce. Those contribution to the so-called “slow with a sweet tooth appreciate the food” movement and its emphasis thick, rich Espresso Milkshake, on good, clean, fairly-produced made from Cloverleaf ice cream food. According to Slow Food and fresh, locally-roasted espresso, Janna USA, this is food that as well as the Berry Cobbler Graham • is “wholesome, seasonal, local, Smoothie, blended from berries, cashew milk, pecans, oats, and , fresh, and delicious”; • maintains biodiversity, environmenhoney. Vegan and gluten-free options are tal health, and the health of humans and available for all menu items. animals throughout its production and We live in an era of highly processed consumption; and industrial food requiring minimal • honors the labor involved in producpreparation. If calories were all that ing and preparing the food as well as the mattered, we would be rich indeed. In diversity of food traditions in the U.S. contrast, the slow food movement and In today’s fast-paced world, slow food the Farm Table Café adhere passionately can seem like either a luxurious indulto the idea that fresh, wholesome food, gence or a frustrating throwback, but prepared with care, is worth far more taking the time to consider where our than the extra minutes that might be food comes from and eat thoughtfullygained by eating junk on the run. This is prepared meals can actually provide a a celebration of cooking from scratch, of welcome respite in our busy lives. sourcing, preparing and eating quality From behind the old soda fountain at meals that taste better and are bet308 E. Center St., the Farm Table Café ter for us than the alternative. Such an serves up salads, wraps, smoothies, and endeavor is important. It supports food more to a growing number of customproducers who are committed to using ers who are looking for healthful dining sustainable growing methods, protectoptions that also happen to be tasty and ing the health of workers, consumers, satisfying. In true slow food style, everyand the land they use. It supports local thing at the café is made from scratch farmers and ranchers, who are proud of right behind the counter, including the food they produce and want their tortillas and sauces for the wraps, dressneighbors to enjoy it. It supports comings for the salads, and syrups for the ice munity by encouraging us to slow down, cream sundaes. Ingredients are produced choose our food with care, and share sustainably and sourced locally whenmeals with family and friends. The Farm ever possible. The emphasis on available Table Café and other eateries with good, local foods creates a happy variety; fresh clean, fairly-produced choices on the spinach might be the basis for a salad one menu offer a taste of slow food and all it week, red leaf lettuce the next. Pausing represents — and it is delicious. to enjoy the atmosphere is part of the For more information about the slow slow food experience. Customers can sit food movement, check out Slow Food at the counter to watch their food being USA at www.slowfoodusa.org. The Farm Table Café is open Monday through e prepared and visit with café workers as they mix, chop, and measure. Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday 8 Among the most popular menu items a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Look for beer and wine are the kebabs, made from local, grass-fed service (as well as expanded dinner opbeef and lamb. Customers also gravitate tions) later this summer! To learn more about the Pocatello Coe toward the hearty, savory Cyprus Salad, which includes greens, fresh vegetables, op, contact the store at 208-904-1368. Kalamata olives, pistachios, avocado, Janna Graham is the outreach coordinator hemp hearts, and dairy or cashew Parfor the Pocatello Co-op. She can be reached at mesan with house-made tahini dressing. outreach@Pocatellocoop.com.
Debbie Bryce/For the Journal
The Pocatello Co-op’s new location is at 308 E. Center St.
“the slow food movement and the Farm Table Café adhere passionately to the idea that fresh, wholesome food, prepared with care, is worth far more than the extra minutes that might be gained by eating junk on the run. This is a celebration of cooking from scratch, of sourcing, preparing and eating quality meals that taste better and are better for us than the alternative.”
14 Ju ly/Aug ust 2016
Id a ho St ate B us i ness J o urna l
Southeast Idaho business leader:
Kent Oram K ent Oram has been at the helm of Idaho Central Credit Union through some significant accomplishments. The institution was named one of Idaho’s Best Places to Work in 2016 and a new branch recently opened on Yellowstone Ave. in Pocatello. Kent’s personal accomplishments have also made a few heads turn. He was Southeast Idaho’s 2015 Professional of the Year and was recently inducted into the Credit Union Executives Society Hall of Fame. We caught up with this Idaho business leader to see what makes him tick. What’s your workday morning routine? n Each morning, all teams at Idaho Central Credit Union (ICCU) start with a daily HDL. It stands for “Handle Daily Logistics.” In that short 8 minute meeting, we talk about priorities, daily challenges or events, and anything else we think is important. After HDL, I typically check email, phone messages, etc. After that, there is no routine day for me. Every day is different which is exciting and energizing. What are a few habits that help you succeed? n Think of people first, projects second. What is the impact we (or I) have on those who work around us? What is the impact we have on our
members (customers)? What is the impact we have on our communities? Answer those questions in meaningful ways. Handle each phone call, email, letter or personal interaction with the fewest number of touches possible. Decide faster. Be thoughtful — but make a decision! What is unique about doing business in Southeast Idaho? n We have branches in all parts of Idaho. When I think of Eastern Idaho, I think of the region from Island Park to Malad and Preston. The folks in this region are hard working and reliable. I am a Blackfoot native and have lived in the region for all but three years of my life. I love the area and I love the people in the area. There is a nice resurgence of optimism in Eastern Idaho too and that is
refreshing. Doing business in Eastern Idaho means you are going to do business with honest people.
What is at the top of your bucket list? n My wife would love to travel to Italy. We have never been to Europe and I think it would be exciting to take her to see a place she has dreamed of seeing. Do you have a favorite quote? n Lots of quotes are good. I like “Do it right the first time” the best.
What is the best piece of professional advice you have ever received? n First: “If you want an answer without letting me think
about it, the answer is no.” Second : “Slow down.” The second came from my dad who thought I could be a bit hasty now and then.
We all have bad days at work. How do you successfully weather the ups and downs? n My daughter sent me a Happy Hump Day greeting this morning. I thought it was nice and weird. I have NEVER had a position in my life where I didn’t enjoy the challenge of work, good or bad. For me, Monday is the same as Friday. The best success I have had has come from being optimistic in the midst of adversity. On the rare occasion I get the blues, I just get up, walk around, talk to our team, and I’m immediately reminded of the good things we do. What is the best part of your job? n Our mission is to help our members achieve financial success. Our mission is best fulfilled by a happy and engaged workforce. The best part of my job is helping to create an environment where our team members are free to do what they think is right. What would you tell a younger version of yourself in a job interview? n Too much patience is not a virtue. Be patient but don’t wait too long. On the other hand, the grass is pretty green where you are standing. You might want to water it, nurture it and encourage others to do the same thing.
Idaho St ate B u s in ess Journal
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16 Ju ly/Au g ust 2016
Id a ho St ate B us i ness J o urna l
J u ly 2 7 6 : 0 0 p M n o M i n at i o n s d u e b y J u ly 1 s t Medical professionals l aw y e r s a c c o u n ta n t s r e a lt o r s bankers engineers insurance agents ceo’s investors e d u c at o r s
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