1. NW Mixer Feeders

NW Mixer Feeders recently moved to a new 12,000-square-foot building in Caldwell, Idaho. It’s about four times bigger than the company’s previous quarters on Gunfire Road.

The business sells and services cattle feeding equipment, and some manure-management equipment. It also helps producers design systems.

Owners Kimi and Todd Smith said the new location, at 1121 Garber St., accommodates recent and anticipated growth as well as customers’ need to optimize feeding efficiency as commodity prices fluctuate. An open house is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mountain on April 24.

“After three generations of family-owned business and 54 years of commitment to the industry, this is where we are today and how things have changed,” Kimi Smith said.

The mixers blend measured amounts of commodities and silage to keep ratios constant for every animal down the line. They can be mounted on a semi-tractor chassis — which NW crews can extend if needed — or placed in a fixed location and loaded by conveyors.

NW’s new building includes large areas for installation, service and repair, and parts. It has an indoor painting facility. The business carries eight product lines.

The project, which cost about $2.5 million including land, enables NW to carry more inventory and parts, increase service capacity and operate as a one-stop shop.

Sales — up about 15% in the first quarter from a year earlier, Todd Smith said — are a function of service, which includes NW trucks that can go to client feeding sites 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The business employs about 32, up from around 25 a year ago. It occupies 6 acres and has another 6 acres for future growth. It also has locations in Hermiston, Ore., opened in the past six months, and Jerome, Idaho.

The Smiths in 2012 bought Ag Equipment, which operates on Kit Avenue in Caldwell, from Kimi’s family. In 2015, they acquired Treasure Valley Mixer Feeders, which they renamed NW to reflect regional coverage.