J. Foote Excavation growing

SANDPOINT — The new owners of J. Foote Excavation expect to create one to three jobs annually for the next few years.

Dale Olson of Spirit Lake and Jay Barrett of Coeur d'Alene, who in July 2006 purchased the business from founder Jerry Foote of Sandpoint, employ 28 full-time workers. New positions paying between $16 and $25 an hour will include heavy equipment operators and pipe layers.

Foote founded the excavation business 10 years ago. The company has built roads and done site work for Springhaven, Cedar Green and Maplewood housing developments. J. Foote Excavation also will be doing site work for the new Panhandle Animal Shelter at Kootenai Cutoff and McNearney Road; Mountain West Bank on Highway 2 and Division Avenue; and a 60-acre subdivision in Hayden.

The company is currently doing the site work for the first phase of Trappers Creek condominiums at Schweitzer Mountain Resort and building a roundabout at the nearby fire station.

Olson and Barrett plan to keep the company name.

"It's a good name," Olson said. "You can't get rid of a good name."