Joe Cooper and his wife, Necia, are the new owners of Mrs. Powell’s Bakery in Ammon, Rigby and Rexburg. See the team making cinnamon rolls in the video above. | Photo: Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com

Do you want to know what’s happening in the eastern Idaho business scene? We’ve got you covered. Here is a rundown of this week’s business news across the valley.

BIZ BUZZ

AMMON

Mrs. Powell’s Bakery under new ownership

AMMON – Like many people in eastern Idaho, Joe Cooper has fond memories of going to Mrs. Powell’s as a kid. He never dreamed he would own it one day.

The 42-year-old Utah man bought the business in August when the previous owner, Amy Romriell, decided to give it up. He runs it with his wife, Necia, and he tells EastIdahoNews.com that aspect is what he enjoys most.

“I’ve been in startups the last four years, and I was looking to buy a business my wife and I could do together. She’s a fantastic baker,” Cooper says. “I didn’t know it was Mrs. Powell’s (when I inquired about a bakery for sale). But when I found out, I said, ‘I gotta do that!’”

The fact that it had a long track record also appealed to him.

Cooper went to high school with the daughter of the original owner, Gayle Powell. Since taking it over, he’s been in touch with Powell, and he’s thrilled that she’ll play a small role in the business operation under his leadership.

“Our intention from the beginning was to take (the bakery) back to what it was that made it so popular in the first place,” Cooper says. “Gayle came in to look at the recipes we’re using and compare it to what she had originally. We’re really excited to have her involved (as a consultant).”

Many of the items customers know and love are still available, with a few exceptions. Sandwiches are only available at the Rigby location now. Soup is served at the Rexburg and Rigby stores. Cookies and some other desserts are no longer at the Ammon location.

Joe says the main focus of the Ammon store at 1813 South 25th East is homemade cinnamon rolls made fresh daily.

Some of the Cooper’s personal touches include three savory rolls: three cheese, jalapeno cheddar and Italian with mozzarella, olive and Italian seasoning. They’re also offering an unfrosted cinnamon roll topped with butter, cinnamon and sugar. A rotating cinnamon roll flavor will be available every month.

The Coopers say they were waiting for the right moment to announce the new ownership, which is why the transition happened quietly. They’re planning some type of celebration in the near future.

“I don’t know exactly how we’ll do it, but I want to do something,” says Joe.

Mrs. Powell’s originally opened inside the Grand Teton Mall in the early 1980s. Joe isn’t sure how long Gayle owned it. She later franchised it, which led to multiple locations in the eastern U.S. In time, Powell sold the franchise so she could focus on the local store.

The Rigby and Rexburg stores opened after Romriell bought the business five or six years ago.

Though Joe grew up in Idaho Falls, he lives in Syracuse, Utah. He and his wife recently built a house there and he owns several businesses in the Beehive State. He’s planning to travel back and forth and will be visiting each store three days a week.

“We have a fantastic product, and we want to grow it,” Joe says. “We don’t want to make any big changes. If anything, it’s more of taking a step back to what it was originally, with a baker in the store making things fresh daily. We want to make sure everybody knows about it and make it as popular as it has been.”

Mrs. Powell’s is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m at all three locations.

BIZ BITS

Frontier Credit Union opening first Driggs location

DRIGGS – Frontier Credit Union is excited to announce the opening of its new branch in Driggs on Feb. 15.

A ribbon-cutting will kick off at 10:45 a.m. at 1105 State Highway 33. The grand opening celebration will follow from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Swag will be available along with food from Captain Ron’s Smoke House.

“We are thrilled to finally open our doors in the beautiful Teton Valley! We can’t wait to continue to build better lives and support our community members,” branch manager Jenny Bressler says.

Hours of operation will be Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Fall River Electric earns spot on list of Top 100 privately owned companies in Idaho

ASHTON – Fall River Electric Cooperative has been named one of the Top 100 privately owned companies headquartered in Idaho.

It was ranked No. 78, up five spots from last year.

This is the cooperative’s fourth year in a row being recognized. It’s one of 12 local companies to make the list and the only privately owned electric utility.

It came about as part of Nerus Strategies’ annual survey of top performing privately held Idaho-based companies, as compiled by the international accounting firm KPMG.

The top five companies are Simplot, WinCo, Jackson Foods, Kendall Auto Group and Woodgrain. The top east Idaho company was Melaleuca at No. 6. Other local companies on the list include North Wind Group, Potandon, Smith Chevrolet, Kingston, Valley Office, Headwaters Construction, Heartland Pharmacy, Health West, Premier Technology and Title Financial.

See the full list here.

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