Why Companies Are Landing in Nampa, ID

Mission Aviation Fellowship

Expanding in population over the past two decades to become the third-largest city in Idaho, picturesque Nampa has learned to think big when it comes to business recruitment. 

The business climate in Nampa offers numerous positives. The city of nearly 111,000 located 20 miles west of Boise provides many of the same perks as its metropolitan neighbor, but with less crowding and expense, says Brad Hoagland, who works for Mission Aviation Fellowship, a Nampa-based nonprofit that moved from Southern California to the region in 2006. 

When his company announced its relocation, some business observers questioned the decision, Hoagland says. But it turned out to be on the leading edge of a trend. 

Since that time, relocating to Nampa from higher-cost locales has become popular among CEOs seeking a friendly business climate without sacrificing quality of life. 

“We have everything you can possibly need,” says Hoagland of Nampa. “We’re in a beautiful valley with access to both golf and skiing. We enjoy all four seasons. But from a relocation standpoint, we are no longer under the radar.” 

While popularity may come with a price, growth in and near Nampa gives employers added confidence as they seek to invest in the area, says Robyn Sellers, director of economic development for the City of Nampa. 

Exceptional Business Climate in Nampa

“We’ve had an unbelievable number of people moving in, many from outside the state,” Sellers said. “So, along with our business growth, our labor market has remained strong.” 

For both owners and employees, purchasing power can be a major plus for the business climate in Nampa and in Canyon County. The cost of living is nearly 5% below the national average, with lower costs for utilities, groceries, health care expenses and other sectors. 

The surge of newcomers has kept the local housing market competitive, Sellers says. Residential values are still solid, however, at 102.2% of the national average. Median home values in Nampa are 88% of the Idaho median value. Office and commercial vacancy rates remain healthy, as well, although rents may be poised to rise. 

According to Sellers, recent investments in Nampa’s vibrant downtown have begun to attract more retail, restaurant and service businesses to the district. 

“It’s still a small city with a beautiful downtown with turn-of-the-century buildings,” she says. “We have a major focus on revitalizing, with incentives to reduce the cost of moving into the area.” 

Worldwide Reach 

Manufacturing has long had a strong presence in the Nampa area, particularly in the agricultural sectors. It constitutes 17% of the city’s employment base, nearly double the national average. 

Food processing and other agribusinesses are stalwarts of the Nampa economy, woven into the farming traditions of the Snake River Valley.

Nampa welcomed its first major brewery in 2016, when San Diego-based Mother Earth Brew Co. announced an expansion of its operations. At that point, the company shipped beer to five states. Now, Mother Earth reaches 18 states as well as customers in Europe, Asia and South America. 

With its $3 million investment, the company was able to expand the brewery’s footprint more economically than in its hometown, Kevin Hopkins, the brewery’s executive vice president, told the San Diego Reader in 2020. He said the decision to expand in Nampa occurred after 18 months of failed site-seeking efforts in California, and he cited Nampa’s top selling point as cost savings, as well as access to natural resources. The region’s “water profile” brews an excellent beer, the company discovered. 

Amalgamated Sugar, which traces its roots back to the late 1890s, is a farming cooperative that works with regional farmers to manufacture and sell sugar from sugar beets. Combined with similar facilities in Twin Falls and Paul, the company produces some 2 billion pounds of sugar each year. 

Among the many other food manufacturers in Nampa are Lactalis Culinary (maker of Sorrento cheese), GoGo squeeZ applesauce and HB Specialty Foods. 

Made in Nampa 

Nonagriculture-related industries include Douglas Manufacturing (conveyer parts), Fleetwood Homes, The Stow Co. (custom closet makers) and Gayle Manufacturing Co. (steel fabrication). 

House of Design, which provides robotic systems for construction, is another manufacturing success story that started in Nampa. It is the robotics integrator and software developer for the region’s Autovol Volumetric Modular facility. 

In cases where highway access is a key factor, transportation options for businesses include entry to Interstate 84 from four Nampa interchanges and proximity to state Highways 55 and 45. 

The business climate in Nampa is also fueled by a great air service, which is provided through Nampa’s Municipal Airport for general aviation, and nearby Boise Airport (about 20 miles away) is home to major airlines such as American Airlines, Alaska, United, Delta and Southwest.