Biz Bits: The future of the past

Morgans’ Alley in downtown Lewiston has been acquired by the owner of Alternative Nursing Services.

Beier Properties LLC purchased the 25,000-square-foot, more than 100-year-old building from twin sisters Nikky Hites and Vikky Ross in a deal that closed last week.

Branden Beier, the owner of Alternative Nursing Services in Lewiston, is the sole member of Beier Properties.

“It’s quite a privilege,” he said of buying Morgans’ Alley.

His goal is to preserve the building’s historic character while maintaining the close-knit atmosphere among about 25 tenants, which include BoJack’s, Seasons Bites & Burgers and Old Town Sushi.

The transaction included a number of historic artifacts like a telephone booth and post office boxes that are a relic of when a post office operated at Morgans’ Alley. They will stay on site.

“It really shapes our sense of place and everyday encounters,” Beier said. “It reminds us, as a community, of where we’ve been.”

The addition of Morgans’ Alley to Beier Properties is taking that business in a new direction. Multi-family dwellings like triplexes and fourplexes dominate its holdings.

Stax ending its run in downtown Lewiston

The sandwich shop Stax is closing June 4 after six years in Lewiston, but will continue to operate its Moscow location.

The owner of the business, Andy Severson, said in a social media post sharing the news that he was “heartbroken” over the decision.

Ongoing, extreme labor challenges, ever-increasing food costs and rampant supply shortages are responsible for the decision — as well as the addition of his two “cute red-headed babies under 4 at home,” Severson said.

Lewiston’s Stax employees will receive raises in the last few weeks along with their summer bonuses.

“I believe strongly the closing of the business should not impact them or derail their financial stability,” he said.

The post drew an outpouring of support from Stax customers. They made comments such as “Great spot! It will be missed!” and “Dang this sucks! We LOVE stax and eat there at least once a week,” on Facebook.

The Stax in Moscow is at 402 W. Sixth St., Suite 101. Its hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday. McCall’s Stax is under different ownership.

Purdue University honors Pullman inventor and SEL executive

PULLMAN — The founder, president and chief technology office of Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories in Pullman has received an honorary doctorate from Purdue University’s College of Engineering.

The university in Indiana recognized Edmund O. Schweitzer III as a pioneer in digital power protection. Schweitzer has been granted more than 250 patents. SEL products help protect, monitor and control electric power systems in 168 countries.

His company is the region’s largest private employer, with more than 3,000 staff members at its headquarters and manufacturing site in Pullman and its manufacturing operations in Lewiston. It is constructing a printed circuit board factory in Moscow.

Schweitzer earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from Purdue before completing his doctorate in the same field at Washington State University in Pullman.

He has maintained his ties to Purdue. In 2019, Schweitzer and his wife, Beatriz Schweitzer, contributed $3 million partly to endow an electrical and computer engineering professorship. The donation also supports the school’s power and energy systems research area, now named Schweitzer Power and Energy Systems.

The following year, the Schweitzers made a $4 million commitment for programs and scholarships at Purdue Polytechnic High School Schweitzer Center at Englewood, one of three free charter high schools focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics that were founded by the university and the city of Indianapolis.

SEL opened a 100,000-square-foot facility in West Lafayette, Ind., known as SEL Purdue in 2020. The ground floor of the three-story building houses a manufacturing operation. The upper floors provide space for the company’s engineering services and research development divisions, which include internships for Purdue students and research collaborations with the university’s faculty.

Lewiston’s Maurices store is relocating to Nez Perce Plaza

The Lewiston Center Mall is losing another tenant.

The women’s clothing store Maurices is expanding and moving to the former RUE 21 space in July, according to a social media post. The spot at Nez Perce Plaza is near TJ Maxx and Ross Dress for Less.

No additional details were available.

The Lewiston Center Mall has seen the departures of two other of its anchor tenants since 2020 when Macy’s and J.C. Penney shuttered their Lewiston stores.

St. Joe’s is set to become part of a larger network

The national health system that runs St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Lewiston is poised to get bigger.

ScionHealth in Louisville, Ky., is acquiring CornerStone HealthCare Group in Dallas, in a deal expected to close in the second part of 2022, according to a news release from ScionHealth and CornerStone.

“The acquisition of Cornerstone is the first step in executing ScionHealth’s strategic plan for growth and innovation,” according to the news release.

ScionHealth was established at the end of last year and has 79 hospitals in 25 states, including St. Joe’s. CornerStone has 17 specialty hospitals in Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas and West Virginia; eight senior living centers in Arkansas, Tennessee and Texas; and a behavioral health facility in Arizona, according to its website.

“The combination of the two patient-focused and quality-driven organizations will strengthen ScionHealth’s position as a leading healthcare delivery network, expanding services, resources and expertise to grow and invest in the health and well-being of patients and employees in communities nationwide,” according to the news release.

MOD Pizza cooks up a plan to give back

An artisan pizza restaurant with locations in Lewiston and Moscow has introduced value meals that will benefit not-for-profit groups.

A total of 50 cents from every value meal comprised of a pizza or salad and a beverage will be donated to an organization identified by MOD Pizza. Customers can also elect to make 50-cent donations with other purchases.

Best Buddies International, the world’s largest organization dedicated to helping people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, will be the recipient from now through Aug. 22. MOD expects to donate $500,000 to Best Buddies to help its programs that support integrated employment, one-to-one friendships, leadership development and inclusive living communities.

Founded in 2008, MOD Pizza is one of the fastest growing restaurant brands in North America, with more than 500 locations in 29 states and Canada, according to a MOD Pizza news release. The chain has eateries in Lewiston and Moscow.

Customers create their own individual pizzas and salads with any combination of more than 40 toppings and sauces.

Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.