[Vision2020] In Support of Alturas Park

[Robin Woods]

I am the owner of the Anatek Labs/Alturas Analytics building, President of
Alturas Analytics, Inc. and a member of the Alturas Technology Park Owners
Assn.  It's time to speak up on the Alturas issue and I would like to
reinforce what Bill Strand wrote.  About four years ago, Anatek Labs outgrew
its building on S. Main (across from Columbia Tractor), and we would have
moved to Spokane had it not been for the existence of Alturas Technology
Park.  We did end up starting a branch of Anatek Labs in Spokane, and
believe me, it's VERY easy and attractive to run a business in Spokane.
However, as graduates from the local universities, we know Moscow is a great
place to live and I’m glad we were able to build in Alturas and expand from
5 to 12 employees.

Additionally, we started a new business in Moscow with a partner from Pfizer
in Groton, CT.  As our new business is involved with the pharmaceutical
industry, we could have easily located in one of the pharmaceutical areas of
the US such as New Jersey, San Diego or San Francisco, but we chose Moscow
and Alturas Park and our partner chose to relocate to Moscow.  How's that
for attracting new business?

A community as small as Moscow will never be able to compete with the
Spokane’s or Coeur d’Alene’s without something like Alturas to level the
playing field.  I would like to see Alturas expand and attract more
research-technology based businesses.  This will not happen without a
healthy mix of other supporting businesses and a business-friendly
environment in general.  The anti-business rhetoric that pervades Vision
2020 certainly doesn't help.  Instead of nit-picking the issue to death, why
can't we all look to a broader vision of what a business park like Alturas
will do for Moscow?



Robin Woods
President
Alturas Analytics, Inc.