The Great PNW Inc. is on track to have its best year yet, as the Spokane-based apparel company continues to focus on improving company culture, expanding proven product lines, and increasing marketing reach, says owner Joel Barbour.

For its latest episode of Elevating The Conversation, the Journal sat down with Mike Marzetta, president of Altek Inc. and co-founder of Minds-i Inc., to discuss manufacturing and innovation.

In a crowded apparel industry where countless brands compete for attention, the four founding partners behind Spokane-based Cooked as a Goat LLC believe their biggest advantage isn't flashy advertising or viral social media campaigns.

Providence is investing $9 million to modernize four operating rooms at Sacred Heart Medical Center, located at 101 W. Eighth in Spokane, as part of a multiyear project to revamp all 28 surgical rooms at the hospital.

Bremerton, Washington-based architectural firm Rice Fergus Miller Inc. is seeing an increase in work in the Spokane area, and Gunnar Gladics, principal and partner at the firm, anticipates continued growth in both projects and personnel.

A Spokane Valley-based real estate development company has purchased 5 Mile Shopping Center, at 1812 W. Francis, and several neighboring commercial buildings for $32 million.

Even as higher vehicle prices, insurance premiums, and borrowing costs continue to squeeze household budgets, Spokane-area lenders say auto loan activity is picking up this year as customers refinance existing loans, stretch payment terms, and hunt for more affordable vehicles. 

Driven by a silver tsunami of retiring baby boomers, Spokane-based Stewardship Concepts Financial Services LLC has seen its assets under management surge from $78 million in 2024 to $200 million in April 2026, says Noah Schwab, co-owner and certified financial planner at Stewardship Concepts.

A surge in artificial intelligence investment is reshaping the venture capital landscape, driving record valuations and deal sizes while creating new challenges for startups that aren't centered on AI technology.

Washington state is on the leading edge of a demographic shift that is placing pressure on senior housing providers, long-term care operators, healthcare systems, and developers as the state's aging population grows substantially faster than the workforce and housing inventory needed to support it.

As behavioral health patients at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center age and their medical needs grow more complex, the hospital is redesigning its staffing strategy for inpatient psychiatric services. 

Whitworth University will launch its new Bachelor of Science in Nursing program in fall 2027 to address the growing need for trained nurses across the Pacific Northwest.