Cookie Place, Maltese Crossfit open new locations

The Cookie Place's new Idaho Falls location, on East 17th Street.

On the small business front this week, we have a couple of items to report.

The Cookie Place, a designer bakery that opened in Rexburg in August, has expanded to an Idaho Falls location at 2087 E. 17th Street, in the Teton Plaza shopping center next door to Little Caesar’s. The business, owned by Garth and Amy Romrell, specializes in gift boxes, does deliveries and offers catering.

Doors open at 11 a.m. For more information, check them out on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/thecookieplace.co/ or on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/thecookieplace/.

The interior of Maltese Crossfit's new gym.

In a completely different vein, Maltese Crossfit has moved to a new, expanded location, at 3899 S. American Way, off Sunnyside Road. Owners Sam and Becky Harmer opened Idaho Falls’ first Crossfit Gym roughly eight years ago and have now moved twice. At 10,000 square feet, the new facility is the largest Crossfit gym in southeastern Idaho.

They will be having an open house Dec. 30 from 9:30 a.m. through the afternoon. Guests are welcome to bring friends and family to check it out and even try a workout.

Crossfit emerged in the 1990s as a way to keep soldiers, firefighters and police in top shape. Harmer, an Idaho Falls firefighter who started his gym in his garage, has seen steady growth in interest. This is the third and final expansion, he said.

For more information, call (208) 360-9423 or visit the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/maltesecrossfit/.

Fall River Electric announces holiday lighting contest

Owner-members of Fall River Electric have a chance to win a $250 energy credit by entering the co-op’s holiday lighting contest. Members who have decorated their home or business with outdoor holiday lights are eligible to enter just by taking a photo of their light display and submitting it by Friday, Dec. 15.

Submissions can be made via email to memberservices@fallriverelectric.com or by mail to 1150 N. 3400 East, Ashton, ID 83420, or by posting on Fall River’s Facebook page. Entries should include your name, address of the holiday display and a phone number. Only one entry per member is permitted.

Winners will be selected and notified the week of Dec. 18, and will be announced on Fall River Electric’s Facebook page. There is no cost to enter the contest.

Fall River Electric serves electrical and propane consumers in three states (Idaho, Montana and Wyoming), covering eight counties, covering 2,524 square miles. Fall River has 13,082 electric owner-members,15,575 electric meters and nearly 5,000 propane customers.

Jeff Sollis named EIRMC's new CEO

Jeff Sollis

Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center has named Jeff Sollis, the hospital’s current chief operating officer, its new chief executive officer, effective Jan. 1, 2018. Sollis is taking the position held by longtime CEO Doug Crabtree, who announced his retirement earlier this year.

Sollis has nearly 10 years of leadership experience in large hospitals across the nation. At EIRMC, he has had administrative and operational oversight of the 334-bed medical/surgical hospital, freestanding behavioral health hospital, and cancer center. He has played an integral role in recruiting physicians to support major services at EIRMC: cardiovascular and thoracic surgery; electrophysiology; psychiatry; pediatric subspecialties; and radiation oncology.

Sollis recently completed his three-year team on the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce board of directors, and currently serves on the Idaho State University Physician Assistant Advisory Board.

Prior to joining the EIRMC leadership team, Sollis served as chief operating officer of Timpanogos Regional Hospital in Orem, Utah.  He was also the assistant COO at HCA Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, Kan., and assistant administrator at HCA North Suburban Medical Center in Thornton, Colo. 

Sollis earned his Masters of Health Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a B.A. in Behavioral Science and Health from the University of Utah.

LunchboxWax in Ammon to hold grand opening Thursday

LunchboxWax in Ammon is the Sun Valley-based operation's 35th salon since 2013.

LunchboxWax, the first wax-only salon in the Idaho Falls-Ammon area, will be holding an open house and ribbon cutting Thursday from 3 to 7 p.m. Complimentary refreshments will be served, including cookies from The Cookie Place.

The business is located at 2680 E. Sunnyside Road, in the Sand Creek Commons shopping center. The staff caters to women and men who are mindful about the people they choose for personal care, waxing bottoms and brows, cheeks and chests – a little (like ear fuzz) or a lot (from tip to toes).

The company started in 2010 in Sun Valley, Idaho, and now has 35 franchised operations nationwide. According to LunchboxWax’s webpage, the CEO and founder, Debi Lane, had years of experience running a multi-service day spa in Sun Valley. Her clientele, made up of many vacationers, would rave about the speed-waxing services they received, and recognizing a need in the personal care world for a waxing-only service, Lane launched Idaho’s first salon entirely dedicated to waxing. As LunchboxWax grew, the company began awarding franchises in 2013.

Hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call 208-754-5453. The salon’s Facebook page can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/lunchboxwaxidahofalls.

Contractor Condos offers shop space for rent

Contractor Condos, off South Yellowstone, at Burggraf Way and Heritage Lane. This photo was posted Sunday on their Facebook page.

Developer Casey Jackman's original plan was to build storage units, but when he noticed how many units were being used by contractors and subcontractors he decided to turn them into shops by adding power and heat. As a result, Contractor Condos is going up at the intersection of Burggraf Way and Heritage Lane, off South Yellowstone Highway.

Jackman's company, CJI Properties, is nearing completion on six 20-foot by 40-foot units. Another five are to be built in spring 2018.

Each unit is 20-by-40 feet, with a 14-foot overhead door and an 18-foot ceiling. The units feature plenty of electrical outlets. The development is served by a communal restroom. There is easy access to Interstate 15, and for deliveries the grounds have room for semi-tractor access.

Monthly rents start at $500 per unit for tenants willing to sign a lease for a year or longer. For information, call Jackman at 208-709-2317. The Facebook page can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/contractorcondos/.

Bank of Idaho CEO gets cybersecurity certification

Jeff Newgard

When it comes to financial data security, Bank of Idaho is stepping up from the top down.

In early November, Bank of Idaho President and CEO Jeff Newgard traveled to Denver to attend courses and test for certification in the CompTIA Security+ program. This certification gives a strong base of knowledge in several areas of cybersecurity, including threat management and security infrastructure.

Newgard’s certification, paired with his involvement with the Independent Community Bankers of America’s Special Committee on Cyber-Security, means his perspective on the subject matter includes the most current information in both industry-specific implementations and more global applications. This enables the bank to make educated decisions to better safeguard the institution and its clients.

“By having a stronger understanding of the technology and processes, I am better prepared to work with our I.T. leadership to ensure we take the right steps to protect the bank, and more importantly, our customers,” Newgard said.

The top-level commitment of resources reflects the high priority the Bank of Idaho places on the protection of customer information, while the increasing frequency of widespread data breaches illustrates the importance of such measures.

“I’m kind of a hands-on guy, and with so much in the news about data breaches and digital fraud, I felt it was important to get a better understanding of how we, as a community bank, can better protect our customers. My work with the ICBA Special Committee on Cyber-Security, and my recent studies have greatly increased my awareness on the issues facing all of us. We are committed to doing all we can to protect our customers, from the top down.”

Burton elected v.p. of Fall River Co-op board

Ralph Burton

Fall River Electric board member Ralph Burton of Island Park has been elected vice president of the nine-member cooperative board. Burton has been a board member for six years and an owner-member of the co-op for nearly 20 years. As vice president, Burton is authorized to act on behalf of the board president when he is unavailable and perform any other duties as assigned by the
full board membership. Fall River Electric board members are elected annually by the Co-op’s board of directors.

Burton is the retired CEO of The Amalgamated Sugar Co. and Snake River Sugar Co. Amalgamated, with roots reaching back to 1897, is an American sugarbeet-refining company and is owned by Snake River Sugar, a Boise based cooperative.