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For the first time, the state of Idaho was awarded the 2023 Golden Shovel Award by Area Development Magazine, and Micron Technology’s recent expansion in Boise was named one of the 2022 Manufacturing Projects of the Year.
Area Development’s annual Shovel Awards recognize states for their achievements in attracting high-value investment projects creating a high number of new jobs in their state. These awards recognize Idaho’s top projects and Idaho Commerce’s mission to support businesses and job expansion in Idaho. The projects recognized by the award will create significant new jobs and capital investment across Idaho.
Hear directly from the companies that were part of recent expansion and relocation projects in Idaho, and learn more about why they decided to, and continue to, do business in Idaho, below.
For more information on doing business in Idaho, contact us.
Read the award announcement here.
In September of 2022, Micron Technology announced the largest single private investment in the state’s history, an investment of approximately $15 billion through the end of the decade to construct a new fab for leading-edge memory manufacturing.
This investment will create approximately 2,000 direct jobs by the end of the decade, and more than 17,000 indirect jobs. This will be the first new memory manufacturing fab built in the U.S. in 20 years, ensuring the domestic supply of leading-edge memory required for critical market segments.
This major investment is also why Area Development recognized the project one of the 2022 Manufacturing Projects of the Year.
“Our new leading-edge memory manufacturing fab will fuel U.S. technology leadership, ensuring a reliable domestic supply of semiconductors that is critical to economic and national security. We also appreciate the support of Governor Little and his administration, Idaho state legislators, Mayor McLean and our partners at Idaho Power. We are proud of the positive impact this investment will have on the community and our more than 6,000 employees located in Boise, Micron’s headquarters and the epicenter of our innovation for over 40 years,” Micron President and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said.
Meta (formerly the Facebook company) announced in February 2022 that the City of Kuna would be the location of its newest data center. The data center represents an investment of $800 million, supporting the growing community of Kuna and the broader Treasure Valley.
Idaho has long been viewed as an ideal location for data centers, with low risk of natural disasters, a stable climate and a ready workforce. These factors, combined with the city’s access to infrastructure and renewable energy, and a great pool of talent, were all important factors in Meta’s decision
“Meta found a home in the Kuna community after announcing the data center in 2022. We are committed to hiring locally and working with our local partners to construct, operate, supply and maintain each of our data centers. Kuna and the state of Idaho have been fantastic partners, and we look forward to being a part of the community for years to come. Idaho and Kuna offer vibrant communities and strong partnerships. Meta is committed to supporting the community through hiring people to build and operate our data center, volunteering and supporting local schools, nonprofits, and community projects,” Meta Community Development Manager, William Marks said.
The project will also include a commitment from Meta to fund a $70 million new water and sewer system for Kuna. The infrastructure will be constructed by Meta and dedicated to the city of Kuna to own and operate.
GoGo SqueeZ has a long history in Idaho, establishing its second domestic plant in Nampa more than eight years ago. The company, which is the flagship brand of Materne North America, produces squeezable fruit-based snacks.
It has grown to operate 10 production lines and recently announced a new building expansion. The building will be more than 204,000 square feet and provide additional production lines for the company. The project, which was approved for a TRI, will create an additional $108 million investment over the next three years, generating more than 150 new jobs in Nampa.
“This material investment will generate economic benefits through direct new hires, but also rippling through the City of Nampa and the Canyon County with our local business and community partners,” Go Go SqueeZ Senior Financial Controller, Jerome Negro said.
Black Market Gelato creates a variety of flavors of gelato and sorbet that are served in restaurants, hotels, resorts and grocery stores around the United States.
The company will create a new 90,000-square-foot large-scale production facility in Boise, Idaho. The project is expected to create about 12 jobs with a capital expenditure of around $2 million.
Suntado is a new dairy processing plant that will create state-of-the-art shelf-stable milk and alternative beverages.
The company is the brainchild of two Magic Valley dairymen, Dirk Reitsma and Jesus Hurtado and will be located in Burley, Idaho.
The facility is expected to open in Spring 2024 and will create over 100 jobs with a capital expenditure of $123 million.
Wild Rye is located in Ketchum, Idaho, where the rugged mountains and world-class ski area provide the perfect place to develop their products.
The company creates outdoor clothing for women that is comfortable, stylish and versatile.
Recently, the company expanded its location in Ketchum, Idaho creating an additional 28 jobs.
Trimjoist Corporation is a family-owned and operated joist manufacturing business, founded in Columbus, Mississippi and serving a nationwide customer base. Trimjoist invented, patented and introduced the first trimmable floor truss system and has been manufacturing the product since the early 90s.
This well-established business recently decided to create a new manufacturing facility in Kuna, Idaho to continue to expand its operations and more efficiently and effectively serve western states.
The company will create 60 jobs in Kuna.
Idaho stood out amongst other states due to its business-friendly environment, healthy economy and reasonable cost of doing business.
“Choosing a state that supports you in building your business and advocates on your behalf is crucial. Through procuring land and building a manufacturing plant, so far, Idaho has proven to us to be a state that does just this. We look forward to the state’s continued support as we become operational. We are excited to open the doors to our new western-based facility and look forward to rolling the first Trimjoist® off the line. Both facility expansion for increased output and additional component manufacturing for improvement are goals that we have set for the near future. We look very forward to successfully serving our western distribution network and, thus, the end-users of our product for many years to come,” Trimjoist Director of Strategic Development, Skyler Thomas said.
Northwest Fourslide has been making precision metal stampings and wire forms since 1979. The company serves all industries with a specific emphasis on medical, defense, power distribution, and precision test instrumentation. Northwest Fourslide builds custom tooling solutions and uses highly configurable stamping presses and forming machines to make complex metal parts for its customers.
The company recently decided to move its business to Idaho from Oregon, citing affordability, low cost of living, and a qualified and productive labor market as some of the key factors driving their decision.
The company will locate its new facility in Lewiston, Idaho and create nearly 50 jobs with a capital expenditure of $5 million.
“Doing something new or different is always going to be tough, but it helps when you can see the prize at the end and know that it will be worth it. I can’t see us 20 years from now not being stronger with this move. We are excited about putting down new roots in a building we could afford due to lower land and labor prices. We have seen continued growth over the last five years and we need to build a team that will partner with us to keep making critical components for US goods and infrastructure,” Northwest Fourslide Tooling Manager, Matt Mellinger said.
The Stow Company specializes in providing intelligent storage solutions such as closet organizers, garage storage systems, pantry organizers, wall beds, laundry cabinets and much more. The company recently announced plans to expand to the West, building a 550,000-square-foot state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Nampa, Idaho.
The new facility will allow the company to serve its customers better and is expected to create about 236 new jobs with a capital expenditure of over $140 million.
Seeler Industries is the leading distributor of various grades and strengths of hydrogen peroxide, acids, caustics, and glycols and toll manufactures other specialty chemicals.
The company recently created a new facility in Kuna, Idaho. The project will create 35 jobs with a capital expenditure of about $4 million.
Love’s will create over 65 jobs in Mountain Home to put in a new distribution center. The project has a capital expenditure of over $25 million.
Love’s has a variety of travel stops and county stores at more than 600 locations around the United States.
Learn more.
Equifax, formerly Kount, will create over 60 high-paying jobs in Boise through its latest expansion.
Kount is a provider of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven fraud prevention and digital identity solutions.
2022 Recognized Projects
The AZEK Company
AZEK is a company creating low-maintenance outdoor living products that replace wood. The company has set up shop in a 350,000-square-foot production facility in Boise and is expected to bring over 140 jobs. Learn more.
Artisan Labs
Artisan Labs is a cosmetic manufacturing company that located to Hansen, Idaho. The company will create approximately 170 jobs. Learn more.
Jervois
Jervois Mining is a leading cobalt company focused on becoming a global supplier in the emerging battery metals market. Jervois acquired the Idaho Cobalt Operations, located in Salmon, Idaho, in 2019. The site is on track to commence commercial production by the end of 2022 and create over 160 jobs. Learn more.
Hempitecture
Lamb Weston
Lamb Weston is a food processing company headquartered in Eagle, Idaho. It is one of the world’s largest producers and processors of frozen french fries and other potato products. Learn more.
Revelry
“We chose Sun Valley as the destination to bring participants due to the unique offerings of Idaho and the community around Sun Valley. The area offers year-round outdoor activities with the sun shining most of the time, so it is easy to engage outside. Sun Valley and Ketchum are easy to recruit and once employees are engaged and on board, it is easy to retain them. There is also a strong professional community that has settled in the area, so finding local talent was easier than anticipated.
We have relocated from a coastal city where the regulations and cost of doing business are often overwhelming. The government officials we deal with in Idaho are there to support businesses and help them accomplish their objectives. We will continue to expand our base of operations in Idaho versus other states. Every employee we have relocated or hired in Idaho do not plan to go anywhere else, and neither do we!” – Jim Crystal, Revelry Group
The Revelry Group develops and commercializes food and beverage products — for outside contracted companies and products it markets on its own. The products it develops end up on restaurant menus and grocery store shelves. The company works for the largest food and beverage manufacturers in the world as well as global restaurant chains. Learn more.
Shell
“Idaho has a lot to offer in terms of feedstock for renewable natural gas facilities, and the local and state communities have been outstanding to work with. We’ve appreciated the welcoming attitude, from the local coffee shop to a local excavation contractor. Our experience in Idaho has been a great one. Leaders in the state place a priority on business development and have a welcoming spirit. As we continue to build out Shell’s renewable natural gas business, we look forward to future opportunities of growth and believe Idaho continues to hold potential for us.” – Kate Balart, Shell
Shell’s Idaho site is the third renewable natural gas facility in its portfolio and its first project in Idaho. Shell located to Gooding County and will call Idaho home to its Bovarius facility, which is currently under construction and projected to begin producing renewable natural gas in 2023. This facility uses waste products to make renewable natural gas, which is injected into the pipeline and immediately co-mingled into the natural gas supply. Learn more.
Morton Buildings
“Pocatello’s local government officials and community have been incredibly welcoming and helpful. All Morton employees who have traveled to the area for our project have experienced kindness and sincere willingness to assist at every juncture.” – Roger Bauer, Morton Buildings Inc.
Morton Buildings is the industry leader in post-frame manufacturing and construction for farm, residential, equestrian and commercial buildings. Morton is currently building a new 67,428 square-foot manufacturing facility in Pocatello, Idaho, expected to begin operations by 2023. The plant includes space for manufacturing, cold storage and office space. With the new plant in Pocatello, Morton expects to hire 20 to 30 employees initially and expand employment to meet growth needs. Learn more.
Wasco
“The city and county officials in Emmett have been wonderful to work with. It has made moving into Idaho as smooth and welcoming as possible. The economic development people, especially Western Alliance, the mayor and city council of Emmett, and the staff at the chamber of commerce have been a wealth of knowledge and great help assimilating into the community. Emmett really has a small-town feel that allows business to be personal. ” – Kari Way, Wasco
Wasco is a second-generation family-owned business that designs, manufactures and sells ultra-high purity sensors for a variety of industries. Wasco began manufacturing in Emmett, Idaho at the end of 2021. In the next 5 years, the company expects to bring 50 jobs to Emmett and grow the company by over 60%. Learn more.
Bare Beans
Bear Beans Co. grows and produces scratch-made, quality, ready-to-eat beans. The company is located in Rupert, Idaho. Learn more.
2021 Recognized Projects
MetalQuest
MetalQuest Unlimited is a leader in manufacturing tolerance precision machined component parts. MetalQuest specializes in advanced machinery, computer-controlled inspection, traceability and on-time delivery. Recently, MetalQuest expanded to Post Falls, Idaho. Learn more.
GoGo SqueeZ
GoGo squeeZ is a flagship brand of Materne North America, a French-owned company with headquarters in New York City. GoGo squeeZ is a squeezable, resealable fruit-based snack. In 2019, Materne selected Nampa for a production line expansion, creating a positive ripple effect throughout the community. The company purchases fruit and ingredients from local suppliers and has added more than 50 jobs. Learn more.
Western Aircraft
Western Aircraft offers aircraft services and management for aircraft avionics, maintenance, interiors, parts, sales and more. Western Aircraft is one of the largest aircraft service companies in the west and is based in Boise, Idaho. Learn more.
Scoular
Scoular creates reliable and safe agricultural supply chain solutions, serving offices and facilities around the world. Scoular buys, sells, handles and processes grain and ingredients, as well as manages transportation and logistics worldwide. Scoular is headquartered in Nebraska but has five locations in Idaho — Aberdeen, Bancroft, Grace, Jerome and Ogden. Learn more.
Lamb Weston
Lamb Weston is a food processing company headquartered in Eagle, Idaho. It is one of the world’s largest producers and processors of frozen french fries and other potato products. Learn more.
True West Beef
“Idaho has a business-friendly climate, a strong Ag economy, and access to over 2 million head of high-quality cattle within its borders. As we evaluated locations on where to expand with a new beef packing facility, it was readily apparent that we had the strong support of the state. Idaho Commerce was an instrumental partner in encouraging us to apply for tax and business incentives that would become the decisive factors in helping us make the decision to expand in Idaho.” – Jay Theiler, AgriBeef.
True West Beef, a new partnership between Agri Beef and a group of ranchers and feeders, has announced plans to build a processing plant in Jerome, Idaho. The expansion will give Idaho ranchers more competition and better prices for their cattle. Learn more.
Frigitek
“Idaho has an excellent workforce. Idaho has some of the most innovative executives in the U.S. We have found local and state government to be exceptionally business-friendly. Everyone is very cooperative. We really enjoy working in Idaho. We have long-term plans to increase our footprint of innovative facility development in the state. ” – Kenneth Brown, Frigitek.
Frigitek is a technology-focused logistics start-up that solves problems in the cold chain by providing infrastructure and services to buyers and sellers of perishable goods. Recently, the company broke ground on a large cold-storage facility at the Pocatello Regional Airport in Idaho. Learn more.
Lactalis
The rich agriculture industry is certainly what brought Lactalis American Group to Idaho in the late 1990’s, but it is that paired with the collaborative business community and access to local-level resources that keep us investing here. Lactalis American Group sees great promise in the Nampa facility. Because of the business-friendly environment in the state, we have been able to make regular investments in our facility in the more than twenty years we have been operating in Nampa. The company has a renewed focus on sustainability, is currently highly concentrated on building our workforce and we continue to eye future investments and expansions on the horizon. ” – Amanda Watson, Lactalis.
Lactalis American Group is part of Groupe Lactalis, a world leader in dairy. Groupe Lactalis employs more than 85,000 in 94 countries and purchased it’s Nampa facility in 1999. The facility is now 326,000 sq. ft and is the largest in the U.S.. More than 700 people work at the Nampa facility. The company has made considerable investments in the facility in Nampa over the years. Learn more.
Pet IQ
“Conducting business in Idaho has contributed greatly to our success. Our state and local leaders support our growth. The pool of qualified talent is exceptional and committed to excellence and the atmosphere of commitment to balance makes Idaho an extraordinary place to live and work. In Idaho, it is easy to attract and retain top talent due to the great companies that call Idaho home and all the state has to offer, creating an unparalleled work/life balance.” – John Newland, PetIQ
PetIQ is based in Eagle, Idaho, and redefining pet health by giving pet parents a smarter way to take care of pets. PetIQ educates its audience on the importance of preventive veterinary care and gives pet parents access to affordable veterinary services and wellness products. Learn more.
Production Technologies Inc.
Production Technologies Inc. began in 2002 out of a parking lot in Logan, Utah. PTI designs and creates unique solutions for problems that manufacturers face. Their products are based in steel fabrication, serving industries such as agriculture, amusement, construction and solar. PTI recently selected Preston, Idaho for their relocation and construction of a new 33,000 square foot facility. Learn more.