Governor Touts Idaho Businesses To Help Economy

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter is touting Idaho businesses that he says will help lead the way toward boosting the state's gross domestic product to more than $60 billion annually, from about $50 billion now.

And they aren't all high-technology companies, he says.

In an e-mail to state media outlets, Otter raved about the Camas Prairie Winery's project to use solar energy to reduce the Moscow-area wine maker's energy bills.

And he's talking up Micron Technology Inc., the billions-losing Boise-based computer chip maker that aims to use a $5 million share of the 2009 stimulus package to get into making energy-efficient lights — and restore its luster as one of the state's biggest employers.

Otter says, "It doesn't matter if you sell alfalfa or write software, it takes innovation to efficiently produce value, get your product to market and grow your business."