Biz Bits: Sushi venture opens in downtown Lewiston
Oct. 22—Sunken Ship Sushi has opened at 1113 Main St. in Lewiston in an attention-grabbing retro motorhome.
The honey-smoked salmon roll ($14) is one of the most popular items at the food truck located near where westbound motorists separate onto D Street as it heads into Lewiston's downtown, said John Bernard, the owner.
He chooses what he will prepare based on the quality of what's available each day, usually leaning toward filling rolls with cooked and smoked fish, he said.
"There's a lot of good fish purveyors in the valley," said Bernard, who has perfected his craft for more than 15 years during short stints at Zany Graze and Red Bento, as well as selling sushi to family and friends.
Along the way, he's held other jobs, such as working on rock-crushing crews.
A cancer survivor, Bernard said he cooks rice in stainless steel pots in water treated in a distillation filtration system held in glass pitchers before it's used.
Those are practices he's chosen, he said, because he believes they are healthier than using plastic.
The motorhome that houses the food truck was manufactured by the same company that makes Airstream trailers. Very soon, he will add limited inside seating that will have an atmosphere similar to brick-and-mortar sushi bars.
Sunken Ship Sushi is open 5-9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
Lewiston-made rifle reviewed in national magazine
A light-weight rifle manufactured by Lewiston's Seekins Precision earned praise from Guns & Ammo in the publication's November edition.
The Seekins Element Slam, a custom firearm, appears in a double-page photograph at the beginning of an eight-page story by Tom Beckstrand, who reviewed the product for the magazine.
"This is the first rifle I've seen that has a folding stock, a functional forend, is comfortable to shoot, has a barrel longer than 20 inches and, impressively, weighs less than 5 pounds," Beckstrand wrote.
The bolt-action rifle weighs 4 pounds, 13 ounces and retails for $5,200, he wrote.
"I ... didn't have to pause between shots to let the barrel cool in order to get the best accuracy out of it," Beckstrand wrote. "If this is the age of light and accurate rifles, then the Seekins Element Slam is a new entry that everyone will notice."
The firearm is available from Seekins Custom Shop so buyers can have it made with almost any chambering as well as any barrel length, fluting style and color they want, he wrote.
Seekins was founded in 2004 when Glen Seekins invented a new type of scope ring after missing a whitetail deer on a hunt because his scope rings moved. The company grew by making other kinds of parts for firearms before manufacturing complete rifles. Its plant is located near Bryden Canyon Golf Course.
At least one other Lewiston-made product is included in the same magazine: CCI Mini Mag ammunition appears in a photo with a different firearm.
Valley Vision looks to Puerto Rico to potentially ease worker shortage
Hiring employees from Puerto Rico is a solution to the region's worker shortage being promoted by Valley Vision.
The not-for-profit economic development group held a conference call workshop on the initiative in the summer, according to a Valley Vision newsletter.
That event occurred a few weeks before the Idaho Department of Labor issued a monthly report indicating the unemployment rate in Nez Perce and Asotin counties was 3.3%, the same it had been the previous year.
The unemployment rate averaged 2.8% from January through August, compared with 2.9% for the same time last year, according to the Idaho Department of Labor.
"Valley Vision is working with the Employment Service Division (ESD), Workforce Development Puerto Rico," according to the newsletter. "As a U.S. territory, Puerto Rican citizens can travel freely to work in any state without barriers or obtaining a visa."
Filling positions with Puerto Ricans has a number of benefits, according to the newsletter.
Among them are Puerto Rico's large supply of well-educated potential employees, most of whom speak English, inexpensive costs to get staff members to the region and short times to fill openings.
Employers have to follow certain rules such as providing housing for employees or help with finding a place to live, said Valley Vision President and CEO Jerry Chavez.
So far, some employers are in conversations about the approach, but no employees from Puerto Rico have arrived in the area through the program yet, he said.
"That platform is well understood in other locations," said Valley Vision President and CEO Jerry Chavez at a recent City Council meeting. "We're introducing that here in the LC Valley."
Making more Puerto Ricans part of the Nez Perce County and Asotin County workforce is just one of the efforts of Valley Vision, he said.
The group also is anticipating to host six site tours for businesses considering expanding or relocating in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley by the end of January, Chavez said.
Three have already happened, two are set for the fall and a sixth is set for January, he said.
Out of those leads, Valley Vision anticipates one or two will open operations in the region.
"We're very proud of what we've done," Chavez said.
Valley Vision is recruiting ventures from places such as California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona and Canada.
The organization is seeking energy and food processors as well as businesses that do computer numerical control machinery manufacturing. It's also looking for makers of weapons, ammunition, software for the U.S. Department of Defense and outdoor recreation products.
To make the area more attractive, Valley Vision is working on plans to construct a building that would be available for its prospects, he said.
"The building that we propose to build would have four walls and a roof and the ability for us to showcase a building that they could eventually move into," Chavez said.
Wilson Sandwich Company closes permanently
A family-owned lunch spot in downtown Lewiston has called it quits.
Wilson Sandwich Company is out of business in a decision its owners said on social media was bittersweet.
"We are a 100% family owned/ran business and that has come with a lot of ups and downs and inconsistencies in our ability to be open as of lately," according to a Facebook post from Wilson Sandwich Company. "With recent changes in our life we have made the very hard decision to close our doors permanently."
The Wilsons are very thankful for their customers, said Ashlie Wilson on Facebook Messenger. Wilson, a former manager of Stax, which had been in the same space at 504 Main St., opened the business with her husband in the summer of 2022.
"(It's) ultimately best for our family and we're excited for our next chapter," she said.
Many Wilson Sandwich fans left messages on the business's Facebook page.
"Total bummer!" said one. "Thanks for the great lunches while it lasted!"
Another diner had something similar to say.
"Definitely will be very missed!" a customer wrote. "Wonderful customer service and the best sandwiches etc in town!"
Schweitzer Engineering Labs ranks 15th in size among employee-owned companies
PULLMAN — Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories is the 15th largest 100% employee-owned company in the United States, according to rankings from the National Center for Employee Ownership.
SEL is the largest private employer in the region. Its headquarters and largest manufacturing site are in Pullman, where it employs 2,712. It has a manufacturing facility in Lewiston with 943 employees and recently debuted a new printed circuit board factory in Moscow that has a staff of 55.
They are among more than 5,500 employees SEL has at offices around the world. SEL invents, designs and builds digital products and systems that protect power grids. The technology prevents blackouts and allows customers to improve power system reliability and stability.
SEL first transitioned to employee ownership through an employee stock ownership plan in 1994 and became 100% employee owned in 2009 as part of its long-term strategy for sustained growth, stability and customer focus, according to a news release from SEL.
Like staff at other companies with employee stock ownership plans, SEL employees own stock shares that are held in trust until they leave or retire from the company, according to the news release.
Employee stock ownership plans are associated with 92% higher median household net worth, 33% higher median income from wages and 53% longer median job tenure, according to the news release that quoted from a National Center for Employee Ownership study.
TriState Health adds physician, doctor of nursing
A physician and a doctor of nursing practice have joined TriState Health.
Dr. Daniel Ryan, who specializes in internal medicine, is practicing at TriState Family Practice & Internal Medicine in Clarkston.
He focuses on solving diagnostic problems, managing severe, long-term illnesses and complex medical conditions. Just prior to joining TriState, he completed a residency in internal medicine at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle. A University of Idaho graduate, he completed his medical degree at the University of Washington.
Ryan Daly, a doctor of nursing practice, is seeing patients at TriState Family Practice in Lewiston. Before taking that position, he was a certified flight nurse for the Life Flight Network and has previously managed trauma cases in an intensive care unit.
Daly earned his nursing degree at Lewis-Clark State College and his doctorate of nursing practice at Idaho State University in Pocatello.
Appointments can be made with Ryan by calling (509) 758-1450. The number to make appointments to see Daly is (208) 848-9001.
Williams can be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.
