Biz Bits: Killer Clothing Collective takes its show on the road

The Killer Clothing Collective in Lewiston has expanded its reach with mobile pop-up shops based out of a converted school bus that the owner, Patrick Brown-Hayes, drives to events around the region.

The bus has enough room for Brown-Hayes to pack up about 75% of the inventory in his store, almost all of which is previously owned. The vehicle has the same current and trendy vibe as his brick-and-mortar store.

He spray-painted the entire exterior of the bus himself and added features inside such as neon lights and artificial grass.

For each event, he brings graphic, vintage and concert T-shirts that sell for $8 each and jeans priced at $20 from manufacturers like Wrangler and Levi’s. A selection of Nike and Carhartt apparel is a customer favorite.

He also carries his original line of clothing that he creates from garments that otherwise would go to the landfill.

Long-sleeved tops for men and women made with backs and fronts of T-shirts and the arms of flannel shirts are part of his upcycled line, which also includes items such as jackets and pant sets fashioned from coveralls. Brown-Hayes assembles the clothing by using 36 vintage, industrial sewing machines at the store.

When The Killer Clothing Collective is remote, it offers most of the services it provides at its brick-and-mortar store in Lewiston.

It has tents that serve as changing rooms. Brown-Hayes, being a tailor, will take the measurements of customers and then identify jeans in his inventory that will flatter their body types.

Since acquiring the bus, The Killer Clothing Collective has traveled to Moscow, Pullman, Coeur d’Alene and the Tri-Cities. In the coming months, it will be in Boise, Spokane, Seattle, Lumberjack Days in Orofino and the Nez Perce County Fair in Lewiston.

The popularity of the pop-up shops has dramatically increased sales of The Killer Clothing Collective, Brown-Hayes said.

“My sales have increased 143% since starting the mobile bus pop-ups and it helps offset the slow days here in town,” he said.

In addition, it is part of overcoming a challenge, Brown-Hayes said, his store and other retailers have faced in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley.

“Once the coolness of being a new business wears off, it is very, very, very hard to continue to do business here unless you get creative,” he said.

At the same time, The Killer Clothing Collective meets the issue with its quickly evolving stock of original pieces, Brown-Hayes said, noting he had just upcycled 30 new items to put out on the floor that day.

“I bring in new or make new inventory every day,” he said. “Every day is changing. I’m able to stay up on trends and actually be one of the few that gets to make them.”

The Killer Clothing Collective is open noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday at 519 Thain Road, except on days when Brown-Hayes is doing pop-up shops.

Wasem’s shutting down photo processing service

The popularity of taking pictures with cellphones is one of the reasons that Wasem’s Pharmacy & Home Medical is discontinuing its photo processing on Tuesday.

Transferring images from 8 millimeter film or VHS tapes to digital thumb drives and creating memory slideshows for funerals are among the services Wasem’s will no longer offer, said Lisa Byers, an owner of Wasem’s Pharmacy & Home Medical, in an email.

Those labor-intensive tasks have become so expensive with rising wages that Wasem’s can no longer offer them at prices that are reasonable for customers, she said.

At the same time, people are not printing as many photographs and are increasingly purchasing cameras online, not at brick-and-mortar shops like Wasem’s, Byers said.

“Consumers have changed the way they take pictures and buy cameras,” she said. “We have tried to adapt and change in this environment, but it has not helped the bottom line.”

The business will maintain a photo kiosk where customers can make digital prints from cellphones, compact disks and memory sticks.

“This was a hard decision to make,” Byers said. “Photography and processing has been an integral part of Wasem’s for so many years.”

Clearwater Power announces hiring of new GM/CEO

Telly Stanger starts Monday as the new general manager and CEO of Clearwater Power in Lewiston.

Just prior to joining Clearwater Power, Stanger was a project manager at Wireless Construction in Eureka, Mont., where he developed a division of the company that does telecom construction.

He replaces K. David Hagen, who is retiring from Clearwater Power after serving for 19 years as the general manager and CEO of the member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative.

In his new role, Stanger will oversee an operation that serves 11,500 accounts in rural areas of 11 counties in north central Idaho, eastern Washington and northeastern Oregon that cover more than 5,000 square miles.

“(Stanger) brings a wealth of experience and strong commitment to our mission of providing reliable, affordable and sustainable electricity to our members,” said Tom Hutchinson, president of Clearwater Power’s board of directors, in a news release.

Clearwater Power collaborated with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Executive Search to identify Stanger as the right person for the position, according to the news release.

Raised on a southern Idaho farm, Stanger has been general manager and CEO of Lincoln Electric Cooperative and Rural Propane Services in Eureka; chief operations and member services officer for Southeast Colorado Power and Southeast Communications in La Junta, Colo.; and manager of economic development and agriculture at Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative in Wilcox, Ariz.

Loseth marks 35 years as leader of P1FCU

The top executive of one of Lewiston’s largest and most prominent financial institutions is marking his 35th anniversary in his position.

Potlatch No. 1 Financial Credit Union has grown significantly since Chris Loseth became its president and CEO in July 1989.

When Loseth took over, the credit union had one branch, 16 employees, 9,815 members and $29 million in assets, according to a news release from P1FCU.

Today, P1FCU has 34 branches in Idaho, Washington and Oregon, which together employ more than 415 people. Its assets have reached $2.2 billion and it has 127,253 members.

“The growth stems from Loseth’s strategic mergers and transition from a federal to a state charter for the credit union in 2019,” according to the news release.

Loseth has played an important role in many community projects, according to the news release.

Among them are the P1FCU Activity Center at Lewis-Clark State College, the P1FCU Kibbie Dome at the University of Idaho, the P1FCU inpatient wing at Tristate Health, the P1FCU arena at the Walla Walla Fairgrounds, the P1FCU sports complex at Lewiston High School, the P1FCU performing arts center at LHS and the P1FCU pavilion at the Boys & Girls Club of the Lewis-Clark Valley.

Over the years, Loseth has volunteered his time to community causes, according to the news release.

He has been campaign chairperson for the Asotin County Library, honorary campaign chairperson for the Twin County United Way, a founding board member of the ROC Rescue Mission, and a board member of the Asotin School Board for 19 years. He has also served on the LCSC Foundation and that school’s career advisory board as well as the Walla Walla Community College entrepreneurship advisory board and WWCC’s carpentry board.

Industrywide, Loseth has advocated for credit unions, serving on the six-state GoWest Credit Union Association’s governmental affairs committee, regulatory advisory committee, and federal and state issues work groups.

Even though Loseth has spent 35 years at P1FCU, he plans to remain at P1FCU for a “few more years,” according to the news release.

“Loseth has worked hard to lay groundwork in several new areas and plans to follow through on ensuring the continued success of P1FCU,” according to the news release.

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