Is Boise too Reliant on Micron?
Micron reports $225 Million in quarterly losses. Eddie at the IBR has a good discussion going on over on their site.
Micron is a big ship that has been moving in one direction for a very long time. I know they are trying to change things over there. I hope they can. The sad part is that, either way, the end result could be the same for Boise.
I’m also afraid that years of placing all our eggs in one basket could backfire on us. While we have been giving tax credits and incentives to the large companies maybe more resources should be put into taking our existing small businesses and helping them grow larger.
I don’t claim to be an economist or a politician, but it does seem to me that one way or another we need more medium sized tech companies in this town and I personally don’t we’ll be successful at bringing in any. I think we’ll have to grow our own. I also don’t think we have time to wait for our government to do anything about it. I think the private sector has to pull together, without the help of the “big guys” and make things happen.
Efforts like this site, IdahoSEA.org and others are a good start, but what else do we need?
We really need a few solid startup success stories in the Valley to generate some buzz and momentum. C’mon Balihoo and Pronetos!! We’re rooting for you…
I know this is a tech site and most on this board are tech minded, but the Treasure Valley needs more medium sized business in multiple industries. It’s not smart to put all of you eggs in one company or in one industry.
Exactly, Tac! Thank you for moving the conversation back to the market and away from a government solution. The market (as represented by the private sector) is more nimble, can make quick decisions and is more efficient.
Tac- “your” magazine idea looks pretty timely, eh? I certainly enjoyed writing a couple hand grenades for it. I tried to make a shameless** plug for it over at IBR, but IBR’s site seems to be down (?)
Yes, it’s up to us - if each of one us just asks one simple question, has one single conversation about.. what one little thing could *I* do to help Idaho start growing businesses (not just starting new firms, we’re good at that - but ventures that will grow and create jobs.. .and [for Krissa!] economic wealth for the state.
Now is the time for optimism - realistic optimism, yes, but the glass is just as half-full as it was yesterday. There are plenty of things that can be done that we know how to do, don’t cost much at all -just need to choose to do them.
And maybe now we have a galvanizing event like Wild Bill talks about - something that catalyzes us, just like North Carolina, New Mexico, Oklahoma, et al.
** shameless only because I wrote stuff; Tac should be proud
See IBR ‘Micron’ thread.
(will someone explain trackbacks, etc.?)
Obviously, it’s time to start meeting for coffee . As Rick R argues over at IBR, let’s find something & just start doing it.
Here’s a start: Monday, 5:30pm, Dawson-Taylor downtown. Some folks are traveling this weekend through the 4th, others are heading out the 3rd through the following weekend, but we can start finding something we can do, eh?
Cheers!
norris.krueger@gmail.com ; 440-3747
[and time/date/place subject to change on ridiculously short notice, i.e., “watch this space”
You guys are just in the beginning of that ‘galvanic event’ …let it unfold, and get organized to pick up the pieces.
And I’m sorry Krissa, but when state govt has done so much in Idaho to bring this about, only radical restructuring at many govt levels will allow the next phase. With less than 1/2 of 1% of the entire US population (not even a fiftieth), who do you think will do this? A bunch of altruistic billionaires?
“Yes” is probably the unfortunate answer to Tac’s question, but I don’t think our economic risk is limited to reliance on Micron. Most of the big local companies we know and love participate, at least in part, in this trend of growing and being acquired such that the locus of control over jobs is somewhere other than Idaho.
I agree with Tac’s views that more mid-sized companies are needed to diversify our risk, and that we have tremendous opportunities for organically-grown companies to fill this role. KickStand is one great collection of innovators companies and people who could step up to the plate.
That said, we need a multi-point approach to growth. In that regard, I hear some very exciting recruitments are in the works by Boise Valley Economic Partnership. I’m sure that there are others outside Boise, too. In the meantime: Go, BVEP, Go!