CEOs at the Spokane areas bigger high-technology companies expect that the stronger revenues their companies enjoyed this year will continue in 2006.


Dave Curry, president and CEO of World Wide Packets, the Spokane Valley maker of devices for fiber-optic communications, says that the company has increased sales every year since it launched operations in 2000, and he sees signs in the telecommunications industry of an improved level of capital spending and a much improved future in 2006.


Next year will be unquestionably better, and has the potential to be significantly better, than 2005 for World Wide Packets, Curry says. The company employs nearly 100 of its 135 workers in Spokane Valley.


Wayne Williams, president and CEO of Liberty Lake-based Telect Inc., which employs 150 here and about 850 worldwide, says that things look good in the telecommunications industry for the next two to three years.


Telect, which makes gear for telecommunications, should see its revenues grow by between 15 percent and 20 percent in 2006, Williams says. This year, Telect expects to realize revenue growth of 19 percent. Williams says Telects new research and development emphasis on Ethernet-based voice-over Internet protocol, or VoIP, will continue next year, and it will place a lot more emphasis on power-system development.


Itronix Corp., of Spokane, which merged with massive General Dynamics, of Falls Church, Va., in September, has about 20 new employment openings here and will continue to grow, says Tom Turner, president and CEO. He says Itronix employs about 450 workers in the Spokane area, and about 580 worldwide.


Itronix will continue to focus on the development of dual-use computers for commercial and military purposes, and is receiving more insights into the manufacturing of future military projects thanks to the merger, Turner says.


We hope in 2006 to develop more high-technology products and expand our overall business, he says. The bottom line is that things are going pretty well.


Mima Scarpelli, vice president of investor relations at Itron Inc., the Spokane Valley maker of automated utility meter-reading equipment, says, Weve had a terrific year so far, and look for further growth in 2006. We are looking at 10 percent revenue growth beyond 2005, and even better net income figures then.


Jeff Severs, president and CEO of Liberty Lake-based ISR Inc., the maker of technology to cool high-performance electronics, says the companys financial numbers are not in for 2005, but it has seen significant growth. He says ever-increasing growth in the companys commercial sector will make for another strong year in 2006.


Citing Itronixs merger with General Dynamics, Severs says he sees an increase in the number of stable high-technology companies in the Spokane area. And that makes it easier for us to recruit, he says.