Coeur d’Alene’s economy has enjoyed strong growth in the last 20 years. The traditional base of Coeur d’Alene’s economy was the natural resources sector. Surrounding forests provide timber for mills to convert to boards and plywood. The Silver Valley to the east was at one time the richest mining district in the world. These industries provided high-paying jobs, but they also were subject to cyclical economic downturns. While these enterprises continue today, Coeur d’Alene’s economic base has expanded to include many new industries.

Tourism has had a long history in the area and currently is the largest industry in the Coeur d’Alene area. People visit here to enjoy the natural beauty of Lake Coeur d’Alene. Since the late 1980s, the development of the Coeur d’Alene Resort, Silverwood Theme Park, the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Casino, and the Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course have made Coeur d’Alene a world-class destination. Tourism-related businesses provide 7,200 jobs in Kootenai County with wages and salaries totaling more than $96 million in 2004.

In the 1990s, the Coeur d’Alene region businesses began developing a mixture of manufacturing firms and high-end customer service centers. Flexcel, the largest manufacturing firm in Kootenai County, provides employment for more than 400 people. In January 2005, Buck Knives will move a plant from the San Diego area to Post Falls, employing 250 people. After Buck’s move, Kootenai County will be home to 250 manufacturing businesses with 4,500 employees and a payroll exceeding $150 million. Advances in telecommunications operations have also attracted large customer service centers to the area including three Verizon Communications order-processing centers, two Center Partners call centers providing customer service for telecommunications companies, and a Coldwater Creek center taking catalog orders. In the first quarter of 2005, U.S. Bank will open a call center serving its credit-card customers in Coeur d’Alene. After the U.S. Bank Center opens, call centers in Kootenai County will employ more than 2,100 people.

The continual creation of new jobs by a growing variety of businesses strengthens, diversifies, and stabilizes the economic base. To serve potential manufacturers or commercial businesses, the area has more than 12 industrial parks.