Linda Waali and Chris Dever say it was passionpassion for America, U.S. military history, and gunsthat brought them from the Seattle area to Spokane about 1 1/2 years ago to invest everything they had in a retail venture. The two women, 38

Spokane construction concern Max J. Kuney Co. has been awarded a $17.2 million state contract to build six bridges along the planned north-south freeway route beginning in August.All of the bridges are to be constructed north of Francis Avenue,

Wilbert Precast Inc., the 100-year-old Spokane-based concrete-products manufacturer, has bought the assets of Yakima Precast Inc., a concrete-products maker in Yakima, Wash.Dan Houk, president of Wilbert Precast, says the company completed the

Columbia Paint & Coatings Inc., the Spokane-based manufacturer and retailer of paints and coatings, has opened an outlet in Ellensburg, Wash., giving it 39 stores overall.The store occupies a 6,000-square-foot, leased building at 710 N. in the

Medford, Ore.-based Lithia Motors Inc., which owns Spokanes Camp Automotive Inc., says its in the process of buying land in Liberty Lake possibly to build a new facility for its Mercedes-Benz dealership here.The automobile-dealership chain

Landworks Development Inc., a Spokane Valley development company headed by real estate executive Bryan Walker, is proposing a 369-home subdivision adjacent to the big Northwood neighborhood, overlooking Spokane Valley. The Spokane office of the

The opening of a grocery store downtown, which doesnt have a full-line food store now, would be a boon to residents who live in new and converted multi-occupant buildings, and at least two specialty grocery chains are looking to see whether they

Preliminary discussions have begun about a possible merger of the Spokane Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Spokane Area Economic Development Council, the top executives of the two organizations say.The executives, chamber President and CEO

A recent sharp narrowing of the gap in the U.S.-Canadian currency exchange rate has triggered an upswing in Canadian visitors to the Inland Northwest and has boosted expectations of more tourism spending here, economic observers say.The dollar,

New and growing businesses have gobbled up much of the vacant warehouse and industrial space in the Spokane market over the past year, dropping vacancy rates substantially, experts in those markets say. Activity is expected to remain strong at