Nevada Business Journal, in cooperation with MRCGroup Research Institute, sent out survey forms to over a thousand Nevada businesses, asking them for information about their growth rates. Because most companies have not yet compiled their 2000 revenue figures, we asked for revenue numbers from 1997, 1998 and 1999. Comparing 1997 revenue with 1999 revenue provided a figure for … [Read more...] about Leaders of the Pack: Nevada’s Fastest-Growing Companies

"At the time we got our business license, there was no classification at the county office for computer software. The closest thing we could find was a category for microfilm," states Louis Castle, co-founder and general manager for Westwood Studios in Las Vegas. The company, which develops and markets computer games, was founded in 1985, a time when the term "high-tech" … [Read more...] about Bringing Silicon to the Silver State: High-tech Companies in Nevada

Is your business compliant with regulations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)? It’s a topic many businesses ignore until they’re hit with a costly lawsuit after someone is injured on their property or simply can’t enter their establishment because of barriers. From a legal perspective, it’s vitally important for business owners to understand that all businesses—even … [Read more...] about Lack of ADA Compliance is Costly to Business Owners

It’s a major artery, and too often it’s clogged. We’ve all seen this too-familiar scenario on the evening news: tens of thousands of Southern Californians hitting the road after a three-day holiday weekend in Las Vegas, only to find that the ride home more closely resembles time in a parking lot. So many cars clog I-15 that what should be a four-hour drive home becomes an … [Read more...] about The Widening of I-15: Paving the Way to Our Economic Future

Stable was the key word for 2000, and optimistic seems to be the mood for 2001. Nevada continues to defy doomsayers as the economy grows steadily, if not at a record pace. Retail real estate, driven by residential real estate, continues to reflect the fact that Nevada is a great place to live, work and shop. SOUTHERN NEVADA Residential growth (particularly in master-planned … [Read more...] about If You Build It, They Will Shop: Millennial Retail Update and Preview

The Business: Sundance Bookstore Inc., an independent bookseller in the Keystone Square Shopping Center in Reno at the intersection of Keystone Avenue and Fourth Street. The Players: Dan Earl, who started the business 16 years ago, and Christine Kelly, who joined Earl as a partner in 1989. The Background: Earl moved to Reno about 20 years ago from Los Angeles, where he was a … [Read more...] about Sundance Bookstore: An Independent Fights Back

An investment advisor is in the business of helping clients and their families build wealth over long-time horizons. The reason to own equities for the decades to come should be the conviction that the values of common stocks may significantly benefit from both the pace of scientific and technological discovery, and also the global capitalist revolution. Certainly, the … [Read more...] about It’s the Wrong Time to Be Investing in Equities… Or Is It?

No advancement of the past two decades has changed the way Americans work and play more than the advent of the personal computer. The computer and the related explosion of the Internet have opened new doors for learning and increased productivity in the workplace, and have spawned new industries devoted to enhancing and expanding the role of technology in everyday … [Read more...] about A Meaningful Investment In America’s Future

Although interactive voice response systems (IVR) have been around for decades, they are continuing to evolve and change in an effort to meet the business challenges of 21st century companies enthralled with the Internet. Used historically in the financial services industry, the most common example is toll-free banking numbers that allow customers to call in for payment and … [Read more...] about Interactive Voice Response Systems Grow Up

In the Northern Nevada marketplace, healthcare — specifically hospital healthcare — is a competitive business. But with 529 beds and 54 percent of the market share, Washoe Medical Center has emerged as the biggest and toughest kid on the block. Established in 1862 as a hospital to treat smallpox victims, Washoe Med, as the locals call it, falls under the umbrella of its parent … [Read more...] about Washoe Medical System: A Comprehensive Approach to Care

Formerly known as Nextlink Communications, XO Communications has spent more than $100 million since its 1997 inception to provide telecommunication services to Southern Nevada businesses over the Las Vegas Valley’s first completely digital, fiber-optic network. XO, headquartered in Reston, VA, has broadband networks in 51 cities and employs more than 6,100 people. In Nevada, it … [Read more...] about XO Communications-“Not Just Talk”

Pity those poor legislators packing their bags and heading off to Carson City. The 71st Legislative Session, beginning February 5, will be very tough on them. It will be only the second session in modern time strictly limited to 120 days, and it is filled with some of the toughest, most emotionally challenging issues ever. Reapportionment, tax and pocketbook issues always alter … [Read more...] about The 71st Session: So Many Issues, So Little Time

With the announcement on October 4, 2000, of the merger between Firstar Corporation and U.S. Bancorp, Nevada may have seen the last of the banking mergers for awhile, ending a decade-long succession of mergers and acquisitions by the state’s largest financial institutions that has left customers reeling, often driving them into the waiting arms of the state’s community … [Read more...] about What’s Ahead for Nevada’s Banks: Is the Merger Frenzy Over at Last?

After all the mergers and acquisitions taking place in the banking industry over the last few years, Silver State Bank is one community bank that is holding its own and continuing to thrive. Chairman and CEO Tod Little and President Corey Johnson opened the bank’s first branch in July 1996 in Henderson. The bank has now expanded to five branches serving individuals and small … [Read more...] about Silver State Bank: Growing with Southern Nevada