Lewiston’s native Speer brand has been praised by the man who will oversee it when Vista Outdoor splits up during a presentation on the New York Stock Exchange.
“NYPD, we have all business with Speer,” said Jason Vanderbrink, president of Vista Sporting Products.
“Law enforcement undoubtedly, we are the # 1 supplier in law enforcement and the Speer Gold Dot is still your preferred duty shift today.”
Vanderbrink was one of the top executives who spoke in New York on May 24 explaining the implications of the Vista Outdoor division in a transaction that is expected to close later this year.
Vanderbrink will be the chief executive officer of a company that will include Lewiston’s Speer and CCI, as well as Federal, Remington, Estate Cartridge and HEVI-Shot. Vista’s outdoor product companies will be part of a separate business. They include Camelbak, Bell, Giro, Camp Chef, Bushnell, Bushnell Golf, Foresight Sports, Stone Glacier and QuietKat.
“We couldn’t be more excited about the future,” Vanderbrink said.
That optimistic outlook is based on many factors.
“Our management’s primary goal is to continue to be obsessed with low-cost manufacturing,” said Vanderbrink.
Demographics and buying patterns in the market are now more sustainable than they were from 2017 to 2019, he said.
“The average age of a new gun owner in America is 36, down from 49,” Vanderbrink said. “We have gained a generation of gun owners in America, which bodes well for future consumption.”
The reasons people buy guns and cartridges have also changed, he said.
Only 25% of first-time gun owners purchase due to civil unrest. The rest acquire weapons for recreational shooting or hunting or because of family assets, home defense, first-time buying a home, or the threat of Second Amendment regulation.
Similar but not identical trends are happening with ammunition. The amount of ammunition in stock is close to all-time lows and 85% of all shooters purchase for use, according to Vanderbrink’s presentation.
The alternative energy project is helping to support the Port of Lewiston
The Port of Lewiston expects to earn more than $ 100,000 through a contract with Omega Morgan for its role in operating 60 blades for a wind farm that will generate electricity. The components began arriving by barge in late May from the cities of Washington, Longview or Vancouver, and will continue to be delivered until the end of July, Port Manager David Doeringsfeld said. The blades are transported by truck to their final destination, Jenner, a city in the Canadian province of Alberta, Canada. He said.
Mobile Oil is now an exclusive fuel brand of Liberty Marts in Lewiston
Lewiston’s Liberty Mart branded Mobile Oil for a more reliable gasoline source.
Fuel for the convenience stores at 226 22nd St. N. and 606 Thain Road comes from City Service Valcon, the same supplier the company uses, said Janet Rimmelspacher, owner of Liberty Mart with her husband, Tim Rimmelspacher, since 2002.
But instead of buying the type of fuel that is the best deal available at any given time, Liberty Mart only buys fuel from Mobile Oil, a high-quality brand that has often been in rotation, he said.
Mobile Oil delivers to its branded customers first, followed by customers who are repeat buyers, followed by customers who bought them when they have the least expensive price, Rimmelspacher said.
The deal has customer benefits, such as a Mobile Oil loyalty program, he said.
Customers can earn points for the purchases they make on everything Liberty Mart sells besides lottery tickets and cigarettes, he said.
Every 100 points is worth $ 1 that can be redeemed at any Mobile Oil-branded retailer nationwide, Rimmelspacher said.
Surf and turf featuring a mobile restaurant
Shrimp sticks are a specialty of a food truck that recently debuted in Lewiston.
The sticks start at $ 8 and come in four flavors, salty barbecue, garlic parmesan, sweet and spicy, and lemon pepper, said Tanasia Roberts, owner of Big Shrimpin & Bangers with her husband, Cody Roberts.
The restaurant started last year as a food tent under the SOB sausage name and continues to sell items featuring a rich variety of Italian sausages produced by a specialist company, he said.
The truck is open in Lewiston’s 1500 Main Street block and for special events, which owners promote on social media.
The Roberts both have full-time jobs. He is a contractor who installs the insulation and she helps adults with disabilities learn daily activities, such as cooking.
Financial institution cuts taxes to help low-income families
Zions Bank is reducing overdraft fees and insufficient funds starting July 13 in a move that expects to save over $ 7.4 million annually to individuals and small businesses.
“For some low-income families, overdraft fees can be a major obstacle to having a bank account,” according to a Zions press release. “Zions Bank is among a growing number of financial institutions working to meet the needs of consumers who may find it difficult to pay for traditional banking services.”
Zions, for example, will increase the overdraft cushion amount from $ 5 to $ 30. Previously, no fees were charged when an account was overdrafted of $ 5 or less at the end of the day. That cap was raised to $ 30.
Zions has 25 branches in Idaho, including offices in Lewiston and Moscow, and 98 in Utah and Wyoming.
Palouse companies participate in the chamber program
COACH – Sandwiches, candy, and theater tickets are among the items that can be purchased through a recently reintroduced Chamber of Commerce and Coach Visitor Center program.
The organization sells “Chamber Buck $” in amounts of $ 5 and $ 10 which can be redeemed for cash at participating companies.
The logos of the sponsors of the Neill’s Flowers and Gifts and Neill’s Coffee and Ice Cream programs appear on the first print of the Buck $.
Other participating activities include J&H Printing, Rico’s Pub, Cherie Amour, Zoe Coffee & Kitchen, Cougar Country Drive In, SYG Nursery & Landscaping, Palouse Country Candy, Subway, Regional Theater of the Palouse, Noshies and The Yarn Underground and Oak on Principal. The Yarn Underground is in Moscow; all other activities are by coach.