Spotlight on Twin Falls

Twin Falls is in the middle of what is known as the “Magic Valley.” The magic comes from harnessing the Snake River, which has enabled farmers to change a mostly dry landscape into productive farmlands for potatoes, sugar beets and much more. Today, the Snake River waters are also used at Clear Springs Foods,  the world’s largest producer of Rainbow Trout, in neighboring Buhl, Idaho.

Entering the city of Twin Falls from the east can be an adventure since it involves crossing over the Perrine Bridge, which spans a nearly 500-foot deep canyon. In addition to providing a stunning view of the river and valley below, the bridge is also a mecca for world-class BASE jumpers, who leap off the bridge and freefall at 70 mph before releasing their chutes seconds before hitting the water. Since the Perrine Bridge is one of the few legal places to BASE jump in North America, it’s not unusual to come across these extreme sports enthusiasts.  View a video of BASE jumpers by clicking here and selecting "Base Jumping in Idaho."

Industry and Business

While a small city, Twin Falls leaves a big retail footprint. The city is a regional center for several small communities, drawing upon a much larger population for its customer base. Because of this, the city has a significant number of dining options and regional retailers often only found in much larger cities. Twin Falls’ charming old downtown has a variety of shops and is conducive to a casual stroll and unique shopping opportunities.

The city is also home to many leading food processors, such as Con Agra/Lamb-Weston, the No. 1 producer of frozen French fries in America, and McCain Foods, the world’s largest processor of French fries. Glanbia Foods, the largest American-style cheese manufacturer in U.S., also makes Twin Falls its home.

“If you’ve eaten a cheeseburger west of the Mississippi, you’ve likely eaten our cheese,” said Shawn Athay, Glanbia USA’s vice president of human resources and organizational development.

The company has its cheese and whey products in a number of products, from energy drinks to Costco brand cheese to Schwan’s pizzas. Glanbia Foods has been in Twin Falls for 20 years and, with no layoffs in its history, is a stabilizing force among area employers hit by recessionary times.

“We have a great workforce in this area,” said Athay. “People here have grown up in agriculture-related businesses and they know how to work.”

Those food processing and agricultural businesses have attracted a variety of manufacturing firms – from Jayco to Hilex Poly Co. in recent years. Melinda Anderson, the city’s economic development director, says low overall business costs and a solid workforce are top assets the area has to offer. The city has a new 100-acre industrial park that is “completely shovel-ready” and just two miles from I-84 and near the airport, said Anderson.

“We’ve also diversified into things like technical call centers so there are a variety of skills for new and expanding employers to draw upon,” she said.

The ease of accessing workforce training at the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls is also a business asset.  Todd Schwarz, instructional dean at CSI’s Office of Instructional Administration, said the college frequently partners with area employers to create specific pre-hire or post-hire training programs.

“We do a lot of custom training. If a company has a specific need for training, either on their site or at our facility, it’s not unusual for us to create a very company-specific training on demand,” said Schwarz. “We also have apprenticeship programs that some companies can participate in.”

Schwarz said creating a training partnership with CSI is easy. “Just call us,” he said. (208-732-6221) “We have the ability to customize and find the right people to deliver the training. We do this for a number of local companies.”