Founder's daughter takes the helm at United Lithographers
Brandy Donough has taken over ownership of United Lithographers Inc., of Spokane Valley, due to the sudden death in June of her father, Ray Tyson-Flyn, who started the business in 1981.

Donough worked for United Lithographers as a janitor, receptionist, bookkeeper, and customer service representative before graduating from East Valley High School. She studied the printing business in college, then worked in the industry in England. She was living in Alaska when called home to run the 18,000-square-foot facility, which has seven full-time employees and one part-time worker.

Donough says she plans to grow the business by adding a sales representative and a customer service representative, and by purchasing a new six-color press and more bindery equipment. She hopes to expand the business' customer base beyond the Spokane-Coeur d'Alene area to other regions of the Inland Northwest.

Cremation service expands to Valley
Fairmount Memorial Association, the Spokane-based nonprofit that operates Fairmount Memorial Park, at 5200 W. Wellesley, and four other cemeteries here, has opened its second cremation services office here.

The newest office, Community Cremation Service Valley, is in a leased 3,200-square-foot space at 13127 E. Sprague, in Spokane Valley.

Jason Armstrong, formerly a pastor in Alaska, is managing the Valley storefront operation, and says he is in the process of hiring a part-time assistant.

Fairmount Memorial Association's other office, Community Cremation Service, located at 4407 N. Division, has been in operation for five years.

Armstrong says the Valley facility differs from the North Side facility in that it has an on-site chapel where it holds memorial services and funerals. Both offices provide simple cremations and burials, and also provide pre-arranged funeral plans.

Photographer here plans to move studio to downtown space
Spokane portrait photographer Diane Maehl says she has leased space in a building at 168 S. Division and plans to move her photography studio there this month.

When she moves she also will change the name of the business to Diane Maehl Photography.

Maehl says she has operated a photography business out of her South Hill home for 25 years under the name Portrait Creations by Diane Maehl.

Maehl employs one other person, a studio manager, and doesn't plan to hire any additional staff members at the new location.

The 1,000-square-foot space she has leased will include a studio area and a gallery and will be located in the same building as Urbanna Natural Spa & Salon, which also is opening this month. Maehl says she knows the owner of Urbanna, Linda Biel, and the two hope to provide complementary services to customers at their respective businesses.

Maehl says the building owner is completing renovations to the space. Mark McLees, of NAI Black, handled the lease.

Pressworks buys assets of Post Falls concern


Pressworks Inc., a commercial print shop here, has bought the assets of Custom Printing Services Inc., of Post Falls, including about 85 percent of its equipment and all inventory, says Jim Hansen, general manager of Pressworks.

Pressworks, located in 3,500 square feet of leased space at 3012 N. Nevada and employing 11 people, produces mailing inserts, brochures, posters, stationery products, envelopes, and other products.

The business also now will operate at the former Custom Printing location, at 4253 E. Third, in Post Falls, as well as at its location on Nevada for the next several months, and then the two operations likely will be consolidated, though it's not clear where, Hansen says.

Custom Printing had added special finishing features to materials that were printed elsewhere, specializing in dye cutting, foil-stamping, and embossing, he says. Pressworks will offer those services under its name.

Tom Eckhardt, owner of Custom Printing, will keep the Custom Printing name and operate a separate dye-making business at a separate location, he says. Pressworks will employ three people in Post Falls for now, including Eckhardt, who will help run the operation, he says.

Home-based trophy business targets youth


Jennifer Lorenz says she has started Budget Trophy, a sports-trophy business, in her North Spokane home.

Lorenz says the business targets participants in youth sports in the Spokane area. It sells trophies through a Web site, www.budgettrophyspokane.com, and through fliers passed out at sports fields on Saturdays.

Besides offering three categories of commonly awarded trophies, it takes special orders for trophies, medals, pins, ribbons, and certificates from a catalog featured on its Web site.

Lorenz says she has a degree in engineering and worked in that field before becoming a stay-at-home mom. She says she started the business "so people didn't have to hunt down a trophy shop."

Massage therapy franchise opens
Dani and Tony Giardino have opened an Elements Therapeutic Massage franchise in a leased 1,800-square-foot space at 325 S. Sullivan, in Spokane Valley.

Felicia Pederson is managing the facility, which has three full-time and 12 part-time employees. She also manages the Elements Therapeutic Massage franchise owned by Joel and Kristal Hayek at 3209 E. 57th, which opened in 2007. Another Elements Therapeutic Massage franchise, owned by Steve and Linda Sparks, opened at 101 E. Hastings in December.

Pederson says the new Valley facility is open seven days a week until 8 p.m., and no appointment is needed. "All we focus on is massage," she says. "You can sign in, get a massage, and leave."

Tony Giardino, a periodontist, owns Post Falls Periodontics, at 602 Calgary Court, in Post Falls.

Elements Therapeutic Massage, headquartered in Highlands Ranch, Colo., was founded in 2000 by Michele Merhib and began franchising in 2006 under the Fitness Together Franchise Corp.