This was an interesting article in the UK Times featuring Albert Wada, Southeast Idaho potato farmer:

Albert Wada is one of America’s potato kings. Farming 12,000 acres of land in Idaho, the state that produces a third of America’s spuds, Mr Wada is one of the biggest potato farmers in the United States, having bought the business in 1972 from his father.

“My father emigrated from Japan to the US in 1922, and moved to Idaho during the war after immigrants of Japanese descent were forced to leave California. He started growing potatoes in the fall of ’42, on the land I stand on now, and we haven’t missed a crop since.”

By his own admission, it is the shift in diet of some of Mr Wada’s distant relatives in Japan that has seen his Idaho crops benefit from a rise in price over the past 18 months.

Japan and China are driving an increase in demand for processed potato - sliced and frozen for chips (or French fries, to use the American term). “The fast food craze in China and Japan accounts for the largest percentage of the increase in the price for processed potato. The French fries potato market has reversed a downward trend for potatoes – it’s not a huge increase, but it is a rebound.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/consumer_goods/article2896576.ece

You can visit Albert Wada's web site at http://www.wadafarms.com/

Washington Group International Acquired by URS

Washington Group International shareholders approved a $3.1 billion buyout Thursday by rival URS Corp. to create the nation's biggest engineering and construction company.

WGI, now Washington Division of URS, is one of the top employers in Southeast Idaho and joined with CH2M HILL to manage the $2.9 billion cleanup Idaho Cleanup Project contract for the U.S. Department of Energy.

Read More...

Ben's Name Brand Shoes in Rexburg

Rexburg now has a place for a great selection of name brand shoes! Conveniently located off the South Rexburg exit across from Applebees, Ben's Name Brand Shoes carrie Dockers, Avia, Nevados, Ryka, Sketchers, Dr. Martens, Carolina and Catapillar work boots, Clarks, Born, New Balance, K-Swiss, Northside Winter Boots and Slippers, Naturalizer, Mudd, Nike, Bongo, Bass, Indigo, Bostonian, Privo and many more to come!

The store has an impressive 2700 square foot showroom floor, with a children’s section displaying a 29 gallon fresh water aquarium. NAI Commerce One broker Melvin Rudd, Rexburg area commercial real estate specialist, helped procure the space.

Ben Rutter, owner of the store, is a former Ricks College graduate who had a dream of opening a business in the Rexburg area. Click here to read more about Ben's story.

Department of Labor Information

1% Unemployment in October for Idaho Falls? Unbelievable, right? But it's true. (1.7% in Bonneville County, 1% in the city limits.)

Check out more fun facts from the Idaho Department of Labor...

http://idaho.labor.gov/

Fall 2007 Newsletter on Work Force Trends in Bonneville County:

http://labor.idaho.gov/lmi/pubs/BonnevilleProfile.pdf

Trick or Treat Feats

NAI Commerce One Office News Update


· Brecca did an awesome job planning the Trick or Treat booth and handing out candy to all the little kids at the Snake River Landing Halloween event sponsored by KLCE. Thanks to Mitch and Randy’L for helping with that as well, and Steve Frei and Randy Waters for providing shuttle service.

· Shane Murphy went above and beyond at the Snake River Landing event by providing Java Espress HOT chocolate milk to thousands of little kids and their parents. Let me repeat that—not just hot chocolate—hot chocolate MILK, which ain’t cheap these days! The Snake River Landing and KLCE people were so thankful, as were all the people who enjoyed the hot chocolate while standing in line. Way to go Shane and Java Espress!

· Randy Waters is now actively pursuing his CCIM designation. He will be in Salt Lake taking CCIM 101 this weekend and early next week. Good luck Randy.

· Good luck to Samantha Lindsay in finishing up the requirements for her broker’s license!