Since my last guest column in the August 2001 edition of Nevada Business Journal, our world has been forever altered. On that tragic day in September, an incomprehensible act of terror caused reverberations that continue to be felt to this day. While the nation remains in mourning for the tremendous loss of family, friends and colleagues, we also face the persistent economic … [Read more...] about Weathering Hard Times: State Treasurer’s Office Deals with Downturn

Southwest Cancer Clinic and Nevada Radiation Oncology Centers – which officially merged operations in May 2000 – have united under one new name, Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada. "We originally merged because we were driven by the knowledge that in order to conquer our common enemy – cancer – we must unite," said Dr. Raul Meoz, president of Comprehensive Cancer Centers of … [Read more...] about Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada: Merger Provides Benefits for Patients

Doctors aren’t the only professionals in Nevada taking down their shingles because of high insurance prices. In June of this year, 96 Systems President Leo Duram wrote to Nevada Insurance Commissioner Alice Molasky-Arman, "I have recently had to close my residential construction division . . . which accounted for 90 percent of all revenue." Duram cited "astronomical" insurance … [Read more...] about A Complex Case for Carson City: Coalition seeks relief from construction-defect litigation

Everywhere you look these days, there seems to be another scandal involving corrupt business practices. The current cycle started with Enron, moved on to Arthur Andersen’s role in the Enron affair, and then spun off into evidence of other companies cooking the books to inflate their stock prices, and executives and their friends benefiting from insider trading. Who knows where … [Read more...] about Business Ethics – A New Oxymoron?

Over 4,000 Nevadans will be killed this year by heart disease or stroke, a figure that is rising every year. Cardiovascular disease is the number-one killer of adults in the United States, claiming more lives than the next six leading causes of death combined. The American Heart Association (AHA) is the nation’s largest voluntary heath organization devoted to heart disease … [Read more...] about American Heart Association: Hunting America’s Number-One Killer

Family business plays a major role in our economy. It is estimated that family firms comprise 80 to 90 percent of all business enterprises in North America and contribute almost 50 percent of our nation’s Gross National Product. This year Nevada Business Journal selected the winners of the "Family Business of the Year Awards" by asking members of the business community to … [Read more...] about A Family Affair: Family-Owned Businesses Achieve Success

When the Nevada State Legislature meets in 2003, it will be considering a variety of issues, from construction defects to utility regulations and tax issues, questions of how public entities compete with private and how to fund the state budget. All these issues have the potential to impact a variety of Nevada businesses and businesspeople. Nevada is still a small state and … [Read more...] about Law Firms and Lobbyists: Gearing Up for the 2003 Session

Several years ago, a large national company lost a number of its key executives in a helicopter accident on the way to a mountain ski slope. This highly-publicized tragedy and others like it across the nation have caused turmoil and loss to many companies large and small over the years. Of course, it is impossible to replace the lives that have been lost. However, it is very … [Read more...] about Key Person Life Insurance: Protecting Your Most Valuable Assets