Brodie Tyler, Author at Idaho's Best

US Ecology: The Workhorse Of The Green Movement

Brodie Tyler on November 16, 2021

US Ecology

What happens to your old batteries when you toss them out? Assuming you attempt to dispose of them properly rather than sending them to the landfill with your regular garbage, you might not actually know their fate.

Many of the products in your home qualify as hazardous waste. The average household generates more than 20 pounds of hazardous waste per year. Products like motor oil, fluorescent light bulbs, and certain electronics should never be tossed into your regular waste bins. In fact, it may even be a crime!

In 2020, Boise Fire responded to a trash trailer fire at Republic Services that was caused by the improper disposal of a lithium-ion battery.

That’s because they have the potential to cause harm to the local environment, poison our water sources, or start fires. So what are you supposed to do with your hazardous waste? Get it into the hands of US Ecology, one of the top waste disposal companies on the globe, headquartered right here in Idaho.

At a glance, most people would guess that US Ecology is a government program that has something to do with the environment. (Or is that just me?) I spoke with Adam Hudgins, their director of talent acquisition (and retired Army veteran), to get set straight.

“We do the hard work that lies behind the face of the green movement.” –Adam Hudgins

With 70 years of experience, US Ecology is the leading environmental solutions provider for treatment, disposal, and recycling of all kinds of waste for government and business entities across the nation. In addition to managing waste, they are a top-tier emergency response service and offer a wide array of field services.

If you don’t know exactly what’s in that glowing toxic sludge you need to dispose of, chemists at US Ecology will figure it out so they can determine how to dispose of it properly. Even if you do know what’s in your hazardous waste, they are going to test it anyway just to be sure, and then use SCIENCE to render it chemically inert (if possible).

US Ecology’s service is comprehensive. Transportation? Whether it’s small lab packs or bulk materials over rail, they can do it. They have significant experience with DOT requirements for radioactive material and transporting difficult waste streams. Documentation? US Ecology loves documentation and will handle all necessary permits, loading and supervision, packaging, manifesting, and tracking.

All Roads Lead to US Ecology

The full scope of what they do cannot be captured in this article. What you should know is that US Ecology does the challenging, complex work that keeps you and me safe while also protecting our environment.

Nearly any industry you can think of encounters waste management or environmental problems that this green movement powerhouse can solve. Most of what US Ecology does involves waste solutions, recycling, and field services.

Waste Solutions

Your household hazardous waste (HHW) may not seem like much, but as a group we generate tens of millions of pounds of HHW every year. If we don’t all do our part to dispose of such waste properly, our beautiful state could quickly lose its natural luster.

US Ecology probably won’t be making home visits to pick up your recycling or used motor oil. But as the leading provider of environmental services for commercial and government industries, the odds are good that the local services that are helping you out will turn over your HHW to the experts at US Ecology.

Household Hazardous Waste

When it comes to your HHW, you have several options to help you dispose of it safely. Even if you can’t take it to a US Ecology site directly, there are plenty of ways to get your HHW safely disposed of.

Take it to a designated HHW collection site for free. For our convenience, these sites are all over the place, though they are usually only open one day per month. Some sites might be limited to certain types of waste, such as heavy metals or prescription medications.
Drop off your hazardous waste at a landfill or transfer station. These will have designated collection areas for various types of HHW.
The Homebound Service assists elderly or physically challenged residents who are unable to transport their HHW to an established collection site and do not have readily available assistance from others. The Homebound Service offers convenient at-home pickup of HHW.

Commercial/Industrial Waste

Just like you, the hardware store needs to safely dispose of unsafe materials such as returned or expired paint. Likewise, your vehicle service stations, pharmacies, and manufacturing plants all have a plethora of products and chemicals they need to address. No matter the scale, US Ecology can handle it all and minimize the footprint left on our environment.

Recycling

US Ecology’s network of facilities and service centers provides recycling services for everything from organic waste to universal waste (like bulbs and batteries), electronics, and more! They are the first and only company in the U.S. offering Aerosol Recycling Technology (ART) for aerosol waste. ART produces recyclable metal and reusable fuels, and it’s landfill-free with zero emissions.

People throw away over $10 billion of precious metals every year as electronic waste. US Ecology’s metals recovery service reclaims valuable metals that otherwise would have hit the landfill.

Field Services

US Ecology does more than help you dispose of dangerous industrial chemicals. Their field services offer safe logistics and response solutions directly where they’re needed, including specialty waste packaging, collection, transportation, and total waste management.

When disaster strikes, governments and businesses around the world call in the cavalry by way of a US Ecology emergency response team. Whether it’s a hurricane, a train derailment, or a deadly disease outbreak, they are the boots on the ground protecting human health and the environment. As I write this, they have 1,100 people in the field cleaning up a burst oil pipeline in California.

Creating a Sustainable Environment

The team of 3,400 professionals at US Ecology is what the military would call “squared away.” They are organized, efficient, and do everything by the book. They can help any industry develop safe and compliant solutions to manage their particular environmental risks.

Most of us might not notice the understated benefits that services like US Ecology provide us every day. Without them, generators of hazardous or industrial wastes couldn’t comply with government regulations and couldn’t operate. More importantly, their work is what allows us to go day-to-day without worrying too much about the impact we have on the environment.

We can all do better, be greener, and make more environmentally friendly choices. While we figure out the little things that we can do, US Ecology is there to handle the big things. They protect us, they protect our wildlife, and they protect our future.

Trust

Brodie Tyler on October 4, 2021

What do the Chicago Bulls, the New York Yankees, and Tiger Woods have in common? They all dominated their fields with back-to-back-to-back titles. And now we can add Heritage Auto Repair to this list of legendary three-peats (2019–2021).

I wanted to look under the hood to see what makes Heritage special. To that end, I visited the shop, interviewed team members, and read what customers had to say. I found one particular message being conveyed over and over again, the single word that best describes why people love Heritage Auto Repair:

“Trust”

Data from AAA suggests that nearly two-thirds of Americans do not trust auto repair shops. We don’t usually plan to need help with auto repair, but even the best of us can be caught by surprise with a sudden leak, a failed transmission, or running out of blinker fluid. (I’m being told blinker fluid is not a thing.)

When car-tastrophe strikes, it can be incredibly stressful and can upend your life. We become vulnerable when our transportation and livelihood are in the hands of a mechanic — so we REALLY want to be able to rely on the people we trust with our vehicles.

“We have always wanted to do two things: to change the way people view our industry by being THE leader in our industry in integrity, honesty, and trust, and secondly to be a positive influence in our community.” – Rebecca Zanders, Co-owner

Folks trust Heritage Auto Repair with their vehicles. They trust that the Heritage team has the skills and tools to do excellent work. They trust that they’ll receive honest quotes and recommendations, and that the work will be timely and fairly priced. That trust is why Heritage has been named Best Auto Repair Shop three years in a row.

A Culture of Kindness

Brodie Tyler on September 24, 2021

Kindness is underrated, both as a measure of society and as a business strategy. Our intuitive recognition of empathy and concern can be as important in health care interactions as the treatment itself.

Calling kindness a business strategy is a very cynical approach, but it is an important step to understanding how Advanced Dental Care of Twin Falls is so darned good. Their back-to-back wins as Idaho’s Best Dentist is no fluke. It is a direct result of caring about people first and then providing exceptional treatment. The secret ingredient that sets Advanced Dental Care apart is a culture of kindness that inspires people and generates goodwill.

Idaho's Best dentist Dr. Rencher and Dr. Viegel understand that their team, their patients, and their community all impact one another, so they take special care in nurturing all three groups. Attempt to inspire those around you and treat everyone with kindness. When you are up, help those who are down.

Truthfully, I could compile a long list of positive things they’ve done, acts of kindness toward employees and patients, and ways they’ve served the community. Lacking space to do it justice, instead I’ll cherry-pick something I uncovered talking to team members at the office.

Did you know that oral health can significantly impact expectant mothers? Pregnant women are at higher risk for oral health problems during pregnancy, and those with periodontal (gum) disease may be seven times more likely to have a baby that’s born too early and too small. That’s why expectant mothers receive that extra dose of TLC from ADC. They’ll get the best that modern dentistry has to offer them and that bun in the oven, and the team helps them out with baby books, fudge — and someone over there is even knitting little hats! (Cue audience: “AWWWWWWWW”)

Dr. Rencher, Jodie Rencher, and Dr. Viegal show their love for those around them through their actions. More telling is that their employees, patients, and community love them dearly in return. For them, kindness is not just a hypothetical ideal to strive for — it is what Advanced Dental Care does.

Introducing Idaho’s Best Employer Awards

Brodie Tyler on September 9, 2021

We’ve been hard at work identifying and recognizing the best businesses and organizations in Idaho…according to your customers! But what would your employees say?

The hunt is on for Idaho’s Best Employers! We want to recognize the best workplaces in the Gem State, while also giving you the data to hone your recruitment and retention strategies.

Why now? We’ve been working on this project for a while, and we are happy to announce that it’s dialed in. Here’s a few reasons why we believe we have the best employer awards program in Idaho:

Efficiency
By focusing on only the essential and most indicative metrics, we were able to deliver fast surveys without compromises in quality data. An average user completes our survey in 5-6 minutes.
D.I.S.C. Profiling
Our surveys and reports utilize D.I.S.C. profiling, which are designed to help improve communication and cooperation in your workplace, boost the performance of teams, and improve the effectiveness of leaders and managers.
Anonymity
We’ll survey your employees anonymously, allowing them to provide genuine feedback and credible data. We protect their identity and report on data in aggregate.
Recruiting and Retention
Use your “Best Employer” status as a recruitment tool to attract great talent! Even if you didn’t make it to the top this year, you’ll have valuable data you can use to turn things around for next time.
Legitimate Results
From start to finish our Employer Awards program utilizes genuine experts to ensure we have genuine results. We’ve also put multiple safeguards in place to protect our data from attempts to manipulate surveys or results.

Sounds great! How do we get started?

I’m so glad you asked! Here’s a brief rundown of what to expect. If you’d like to dive straight into the details, check out our How It Works page.

1-Registration Nominations and Registration 9/1/21-10/22/21
Nominations are open NOW, and can be made by nearly anyone — you can even nominate yourself. Registration needs to be completed by a representative of your organization, i.e. owners, executives, human resources.

2-Survey Survey Period 10/1/21-10/31/21
We obtain the needed data through an efficient survey that is sent directly to each employee. You’ll need a specified minimum number of employees to complete the survey to qualify for the awards.

3-Finalists Announcing Finalists 11/15/21*
In November we’ll announce the organizations with the highest scores (in alphabetical order) as Idaho’s Best Employers for 2022.

4-Winners Awards Ceremony 1/11/22
Join us in January when we announce the overall winners and the best in various categories. We’ll celebrate in traditional Idaho’s Best fashion, complete with a red carpet, professional photos, and a celebrity keynote speaker.

5-Reports Reports 1/31/21*
Registered organizations will receive a Summary Report about what you’re doing right and what you could improve. If you upgrade to the Insights Report, you’ll receive extensive data, segmented results, all employee comments, and expert feedback.

Have questions about Idaho’s Best Employers? Check out our FAQ first, and contact us if you still have questions.

Call the Doctor That Dentists Call

Brodie Tyler on July 6, 2021

Best Oral Surgeon | Statewide Winner and Best of Treasure Valley

There are certain situations when you want the specialized skill of a professional, especially when it comes to your health.

I learned this lesson the hard way when my dentist at the time tried and utterly failed to remove all my wisdom teeth.

You see, two of them were impacted, meaning they were overcrowded and growing in at an angle. After an extended length of time in my mouth, the dentist threw in the towel and referred me to an oral surgeon to complete the job. I was left with a bleeding mouth, a swollen face, and a broken wisdom tooth.

More Than a Dentist

Let me be clear — this is not a knock against dentists! General dentists are seasoned professionals in dental hygiene, treating cavities, and teeth whitening (among other things).

But dental school was just the beginning for Dr. Jeremy Hixson. Oral surgeons like him go to medical school and residency for an additional total of five years beyond dental school. Surgical procedures that might be performed occasionally by a general dentist are routine for Dr. Hixson, who has years of additional training and experience in surgical procedures and anesthesia.

As the president of Idaho Oral Maxillofacial Surgeons and former chairman of the St. Alphonsus Hospital Department of Surgery Subspecialties, he is especially qualified in facial trauma, bone grafts, dental implants, and injury restoration.

In fact, when a star hockey player was badly injured during play, it was Dr. Hixson that the trauma center called for help. With teeth broken or missing and severe damage to the gums and jaw, this young athlete needed the skilled hands of an expert if he was ever going to be normal again.
Fortunately, Dr. Hixson was able to repair the injuries, fully restoring the athlete’s ability to speak, chew, and show off a pretty smile for the fans.

Dr. Hixson is Idaho’s Best Oral Surgeon

The team at Eagle Oral Surgery are also the go-to for procedures like dental implants, which are used for patients who are missing one or more teeth. Dental implants act as artificial tooth roots. The implants are usually made from titanium, screwed into the jawbone underneath the gums, serving as an anchor for restorations like crowns or bridges. If you’ve lost a tooth, or teeth, dental implants can restore your smile and your oral health permanently.

While Jeremy was teaching me the basics, he expressed concern about a recent trend he’s seen in the industry. Some establishments are offering too-good-to-be-true deals on dental implants, and are able to do so by substituting low quality materials for the restoration.

Done properly, dental implants should last a very long time. But when your restoration is completed with low-cost materials, they will likely only last a couple of years. He advises caution and encourages patients to ask questions and get a second opinion if necessary.

When other dentists or doctors have a tough case, they send their patients to Dr. Hixson. But you don’t have to wait for problems to arise to receive next-level care — get it right the first time by going to Eagle Oral Surgery & Implant Center.

Barbacoa’s (Unstoppable) Triple Crown

Brodie Tyler on June 21, 2021

Statewide Winner & Best of Treasure Valley — Steak | Fine Dining | Restaurant

Allow me to let you in on a little secret. The 36 or so categories that make up Dining in Idaho’s Best are some of the most competitive, with “Best Restaurant” likely being the hardest award to win in Idaho’s Best.

But Barbacoa makes it look easy with a repeat triple crown. For both 2021 and 2020, Barbacoa was the Treasure Valley and Statewide winner for Best Restaurant, Best Fine Dining, and Best Steak. In 2019, they were the winners for Best Fine Dining and Best Steak — we didn’t have a “Best Restaurant” category that year.

Barbacoa is Much More than Just Barbecue

“Barbacoa” is where the word “barbecue” comes from! Boise’s Barbacoa is so much more than simple meat and fire. The amazing creations of Chef Enrique Martinez are inspired by the best cowboy cooking that Latin America, Spain, and the Western U.S. have to offer. Barbacoa isn’t just the grandfather of American barbecue — it’s the future of it.

With so many great restaurants across Idaho, how does Barbacoa do it? You can’t be this successful without incredible food, but what makes Barbacoa special is the sensational experience that transcends taste! In fact, they promise that “all your senses will be touched and stimulated” — at least buy me dinner first!

When first-timers enter this enticing establishment, they may rub their eyes and wonder what magical rabbit hole they have fallen through, as it is unlike any other restaurant anywhere. Barbacoa is the creation of the Castoro family, and it is a restaurant, museum, and art gallery all rolled into one. Owner/artist Martine Castoro can be credited with the incredible visual impact of the restaurant, and a large portion of the design and art on display is her personal work.

Always eager to get insider information on great food, I asked manager Nikola Castoro for some tips on what to order. The crowd favorites include the “Hot Rock” filet — Barbacoa’s signature 10-ounce filet mignon with flamed cognac sauce — and made-at-your-table guacamole, rounded off with delicious icetinis (if you’re feeling fancy). For something different, Nikola suggests “When Pigs Fly,” an exquisite dish featuring pork and quail. Finally, for the rebels out there, he recommends the fish of the day to experience the latest chef-inspired creations from the kitchen.

The Most Winning-est Winner

By striving to do what’s possible and not simply what’s necessary and safe, Barbacoa has earned their Idaho’s Best triple crown. Only one question remains: Can they do it again next year? I’ll consider the odds of that while I savor a 27-ounce rib eye from their rooftop lounge this summer, but I wouldn’t bet against Barbacoa!

No Crystal Ball Required (But Cope Collision May Be)

Brodie Tyler on May 19, 2021

Rick and Sharon Cope — While other auto body shops have sold out to industry consolidation, the owners of Cope Collision have kept it in the family and in Meridian since 1963.

When I was a kid and our family’s new car was on the wrong end of a freak hailstorm, my father lamented that you’d have to have a crystal ball to know how much repairs would cost, when the work would be done, and if you were getting a quality repair or not. Cars are quite different now from when I was a kid. Back then they couldn’t talk (except for KITT from “Knight Rider”), and more often than not they were stick shifts.

Modern vehicles can be incredibly complex, which means that even a simple fender bender requires a skilled technician to restore your vehicle to like-new condition. As one example, with the introduction of the 2015 F-150, Ford engineers aimed to increase fuel economy by reducing the weight of the vehicle. They did this by replacing the steel in the bed and body panels with lighter aluminum.

While this results in significant improvements to efficiency, you can’t take your Ford to just any old body repair shop now. You must take your truck somewhere with the right equipment, training, and certification in aluminum-based Ford vehicles — somewhere like Cope Collision Center, voted Idaho’s Best Auto Body Shop two years in a row.

Though they are in a new, state-of-the-art facility, this shop has been family-owned and operated in Meridian since 1963. Chances are, when a company has been around for over half a century, they’re doing something right. And if you don’t have a Ford, that’s okay too.

Their team is I-Car Gold Class certified, the highest level of training in the industry, and they are factory certified by Acura, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Ford, Honda, Jeep, Nissan, Subaru and more. That means whether it’s a scratch or a structural repair, they can return your vehicle to pre-loss, factory condition. To my surprise, repairs are much more than pushing a dent out, slapping some Bondo on, and painting it. They require researching manufacturer repair procedures, safety checks, computer scans, and calibrations to ensure all systems are functioning. Skip a step and your vehicle may not be repaired properly.

While it’s unfortunate when your vehicle gets banged up, you’ll never need a crystal ball to fix it. You just need Idaho’s Best Auto Body Shop.

Idaho’s Best of 2021 Awards

Brodie Tyler on February 15, 2021

That’s a wrap for Idaho’s Best of 2021! It was a tough road, but fortunately we were able to cap off this year’s awards with a great event to announce the winners. But first let’s take a quick refresher to see how we got here.

How Idaho’s Best Winners are Determined

Stage One – Nominations to Determine Which Businesses are on the Ballot
The 2021 season kicked off with a nomination period in October 2020. Every single business on the ballot got there because it was nominated by Idaho residents during this period. As most categories have dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of potential contestants, only those 15 businesses with the most nominations moved on to the voting round for each category.

Stage Two – Voting to Determine Finalists
After a short breather to verify our nominees, voting took place from November 30 to December 18, 2020. To obtain the most reliable results, participants were restricted to one vote per category. The top vote-getters in each region and the state overall progressed to stage three as bona fide finalists.

Stage Three – Reviews and Reputation to Determine Winners
As we say, “Votes make you a finalist, and reviews will make you a winner!” Scoring isn’t complete with just votes. We do a little math involving your reviews from the previous 12 months, which (simplified) looks like this:

Votes + (5-Star Reviews x Rating) = Score
*Votes and reviews are averaged for multi-location businesses

We also verify that each finalist is in good standing with the Better Business Bureau. Although it’s not considered in the final calculation, you cannot have a grade lower than a B. No grade is okay, but a bad one is not.

Idaho’s Best “Business Rally” … and the 2021 Awards

This year we faced an uphill battle (as most of you likely did as well). Despite the state of affairs, we polled you for your opinions on how exactly we should announce awards this year. An overwhelming 91 percent of those of you who responded indicated that you still wanted an in-person event, and we strived to meet that request.

After multiple venues falling through, loads of red tape, and some last-minute changes, we were able to host the Idaho’s Best Business Awards at the remarkable Chateau des Fleurs. Many of you made sacrifices so that more businesses could attend, such as switching nights, reducing your party size, or even sitting in the Grand Hallway. We thank all of you for your incredible support, particularly our sponsors, without whom this event would not have happened.

For those who attended, there were a few differences this year other than the venue and the masks. In order to hold the event at all, it needed to be religious or political in nature. After convincing Brodie that starting a new religion may not be the best direction to go, we decided we could make the political angle work. We were honored to have guest speakers to reinforce our theme for the night, which was a rallying cry for supporting Idaho’s many small businesses.

If this was your first year to attend, we thank you for coming and hope you don’t expect the same type of political event next year, because we are totally committed to going back to a fancy party that is focused on food, fun, and you.

View Your Idaho’s Best of 2021 Winners

How to Capitalize on Your Idaho’s Best Recognition

We jumped the gun on 2021 just so you can use the recognition of being Idaho’s Best for the whole year. All levels of winners receive digital resources that can be used to promote your new status and show off to your audience, building consumer confidence in your brand. We also have a few other tools that you can utilize for promotion.

Idaho’s Best Plaques

Proudly display your Idaho’s Best award with a high-quality 8″x10″ engraved plaque!

Idaho’s Best Magazine

Designed to be a coffee table type of publication that residents and businesses will hold on to and use as a reference guide, the magazine will give you and your company positive exposure throughout 2021.

Idaho’s Best Presents Your 2021 Finalists!

Brodie Tyler on January 5, 2021

After reviewing tens of thousands of votes cast for the 2021 Idaho’s Best nominees, we’re happy to announce the finalists for each category. Since voting ended on December 18th, we’ve been hard at work confirming the results.

This year, votes were cast with ballots secured through text message verification, and the finalists were vetted by the Better Business Bureau. We’re confident that these rock-solid results represent the best of Idaho businesses.

Votes + (5-star Reviews x Review Rating) = Final Score

Nominations

Votes

Reviews (← we are here)

When Will the Winners be Announced?

We’re almost there! While the top vote-getters move on as finalists, votes alone aren’t enough to take home the gold. We’re tabulating the number of 5-star reviews from the last 12 months and the ratings for each finalist. We expect to be able to announce the 2021 winners at the Idaho’s Best™ Awards Banquet (hopefully). We’re holding the banquet across two evenings in January or February in the Boise area, details to be announced soon.

Congratulations to all of our finalists for Idaho’s Best!

It’s Official – The BBB Thinks You’re All Just Great!

Brodie Tyler on January 5, 2021

What does it take to win Idaho’s Best? First, you need to have a business that people love. You need to have the marketing acumen to leverage that affection, transforming their positive energy into reviews. You also need their support garnering nominations and votes. All of that is to say that you need a great reputation to become a finalist for Idaho’s Best, and that’s why we’ve partnered with the Better Business Bureau.

The BBB is far from the new kid on the block when it comes to business reputation. Long before Yelp, Google My Business, or TripAdvisor got into the reputation game, the BBB had cemented their place in establishing marketplace trust. They have been the mediator and the muscle in resolving disputes between businesses and customers for over 100 years!

The BBB Northwest-Pacific Puts in Their Two Cents

We wanted to incorporate the BBB into our scoring and judging of the Idaho’s Best Awards. As of this writing, even we don’t know who the winners are yet, only our finalists. So we weren’t sure what would happen when we turned over our unofficial list of finalists to the BBB for vetting. But like a parent sending their first-born off to summer camp for the first time, we were hoping our baby would come back in one piece.

The BBB was tasked with reviewing our list of over 800 Idaho businesses and providing their grade for each one. The BBB rating system utilizes a grading scale just like you used in school, going from an A+ down to an F, graded on 17 different factors. This rating represents a business’s overall trustworthiness and their good-faith efforts to address customer concerns. Any businesses that didn’t have a passing grade are to be ineligible to win Idaho’s Best.

The BBB Gives the Idaho’s Best Finalists a Passing Grade

After a thorough review, 99 percent of our potential finalists had an “A” or “B” rating, with less than one percent failing to pass muster with a “C” or lower. That means that we’re rubber stamping that unofficial list of finalists and certifying them as OFFICIAL.

It makes sense to me that our BBB vetting standard results in such a minor impact on our list of finalists. Before getting to that point, a business first had to be nominated many times just to be a contender. They then had to receive enough votes to be competitive, and were then scored on the quality and quantity of their reviews. At that point, finalists have already proven they have a great reputation and that they deserve to be where they’re at.

Let this also be a reminder to keep an eye on your BBB page and be responsive if an issue comes up. The important take-away from reviewing every single one of your listings is that your responsiveness to an issue is what affects your grade the most, and complaints themselves and negative reviews on the Better Business Bureau not so much. It is yet another third-party check to ensure that only the best can be named Idaho’s Best.