Scott McClure: Idaho Business Leader of the Year

What does it take to become the Idaho Business Leader of the Year? How about serving on four public service positions and participating in seven community service projects.

Scott McClure got into the engineering business because he wanted to create a product that could benefit his community. He owns McClure Engineering in Twin Falls, and said it’s important to stick to being a business owner.

“You better make sure that you’re committed to making it successful,” he said at the award dinner Thursday evening at the Stephen’s Performing Arts Center. “Do you have the determination to stay in there and carry through? Because that’s really when your greatest opportunities are – after some of your greatest challenges.”

The award is given to business leaders who have shown outstanding community and public service while operating a successful business. Alpha Kappa Psi, the business fraternity at Idaho State University has presented the award every year for 55 years.

For a full list of McClure’s achievements, as well as a list of all past winners, click here:www.isu.edu/headlines/?p=5302

Josh Bullers, chairman of the committee that picks the award recipient, said he hopes this award shows business leaders their hard work can be recognized, but not just by making a lot of money.

“We hope that, through [the award], they’ll shape their future career in business and work with their communities to help everyone, instead of just focusing on that profit that businesses always want,” Bullers said.

McClure said he is grateful for the opportunities he’s had to work with businesses all over the state, including a current project with Idaho State University, where his company is working on a plan to improve the heating system at the Holt Arena.

“So we’re just trying to look at what we can do, at a reasonable cost”to enhance the comfort levels for the players and the fans,” McClure said.

McClure said he’s enjoyed the time he’s been able to spend with the business students while on the ISU campus. He said he hopes he helped them realize what employees can expect to do for their job, and what they can expect their employer to do for them, all while focusing on what’s really important.

“The money is important, but that’s, as we indicated, an up and down situation. The commitment’s really the important thing.”

McClure said a lot has changed since he graduated college in 1970. He said the state paid for 80 percent of a student’s education, while the students paid 20 percent. He said he’s concerned because it seems to have flipped as time has passed, and having students get so in debt so early in life is concerning.

“I think that’s problematic,” McClure said. “I don’t think we’re investing in our future the way we should in order to make Idaho as great a state as we could make it.”

McClure also discussed a project he’s hoping will happen in September. He said a Hollywood company has contacted him and is trying to set up a recreation of Evel Knievel’s famous jump over the Snake River Canyon, and if the project goes forward, McClure Engineering will be creating the launch pad.

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