March 3 / Clearwater reports smaller profit
Spokane-based Clearwater Paper Corp. posted fourth-quarter net earnings of $37.8 million, or $3.19 a diluted share, compared with $47.2 million, or $4.01 per share, in the year-earlier quarter. For all of 2010, Clearwater reported net earnings of $73.8 million, or $6.24 per diluted share, compared with 2009 net earnings of $182.5 million, or $15.50 a share. The company acquired Cellu Tissue Holdings Inc., of Alpharetta, Ga., in late December, and continued construction of a new facility in North Carolina throughout the year. "We believe these accomplishments put us in a very strong competitive position for the future," said Gordon Jones, Clearwater's chairman, president, and CEO.

March 2 / Red Lion posts smaller quarterly loss
Red Lion Hotels Corp., of Spokane, reported a fourth-quarter net loss of $7.2 million, or 39 cents a share, compared with a net loss of $8.5 million, or 47 cents a share, in the year-earlier quarter. For all of 2010, the company posted a net loss of $8.6 million, or 47 cents a share, compared with a 2009 loss of $6.7 million, or 37 cents a share. The company's total revenue for the latest quarter grew 2.5 percent to $36.9 million, compared with the year-earlier quarter, and it said its revenue per available room, or RevPAR, which is a key performance indicator in the hotel industry, grew 11.4 percent.

Feb. 28 / Cd'A Mines posts losses for quarter, year
Coeur d'Alene Mines Corp., of Coeur d'Alene, posted a net loss of $9.9 million, or 11 cents a share, for the fourth quarter of 2010, compared with a net loss of $27.4 million, or 46 cents a share, in the year-earlier quarter. For all of 2010, the mining company posted a net loss of $91.3 million, or $1.05 per share, compared with a net loss of $27.1 million, or 38 cents a share, in 2009. The company said it had a 72 percent increase in metal sales and a 199 percent increase in annual operating cash flow in 2010 compared with the previous year.

Feb. 24 / Two retailers plan new stores at RPS
The North Face, an outdoor apparel and equipment outfitter, and Ben Bridge Jeweler Inc. announced plans to open stores at River Park Square downtown. The North Face will move into the space currently occupied by Restoration Hardware, on the mall's ground level, in late summer or early fall. Ben Bridge will move this summer into a ground-level space currently occupied by The Walking Company, which will move to the former Sunglass Hut location, on the second level. Sunglass Hut will move to a new kiosk, RPS said.

Feb. 24 / Boeing wins $35 billion tanker contract
The Boeing Co. won a $35 billion contract to build the first planes in the next generation of air refueling tankers for the U.S. Air Force. The contract calls for producing 179 new tankers, a military version of the Boeing 767, which was picked over the Airbus A330 in a fiercely contested battle. Spokane Mayor Mary Verner's office said that about 20 members of the Inland Northwest Aerospace Consortium, which collectively employs about 8,100 people, could be suppliers of parts for the new aircraft.

Feb. 24 / Hecla reports $13.1 million loss
Coeur d'Alene-based Hecla Mining Co. reported a net loss of $13.1 million, or 5 cents a diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2010, compared with net income of $28.7 million, or 11 cents a share, for the year-earlier quarter. For all of 2010, Hecla posted net income of $35.4 million, or 13 cents a diluted share, compared with net income of $54.2 million, or 23 cents a share, for 2009. The mining company said it had record operating cash flow and a $106.3 million increase in revenue in 2010 compared with the previous year.

Feb. 23 / SIA names new director
The Spokane City Council and Spokane County Commissioners voted to approve Larry Krauter as Spokane International Airport's new executive director. Krauter comes from Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority, in Pennsylvania, where he has served as its interim director for 11 months. Spokane Airports said Krauter will replace interim director Ryland "Skip" Davis at SIA on or before April 1.