InRide Entertainment System Debuts in Taxis
Taxi passenger Julie Jeorgeva plays Taxi Slots using the InRide Entertainment System. The new product recently debuted in taxis owned by Yellow-Checker-Star Transportation, the largest taxi business in Nevada. The system enables passengers to play 3-D interactive games such as Taxi Slots, Video Poker and Blackjack on a 15-inch flat display panel mounted on the back of the front seat. The user touches the screen to play a game or get information on local casinos, entertainment, dining and shopping. A built-in mini-printer can produce hard copy printouts of winning prizes, information or coupons from advertisers. The InRide Entertainment System was developed and operated by Captivads, Inc., a Las Vegas-based company.
Business Accelerator Planned for Damonte Ranch
Perry Di Loreto, a Northern Nevada real estate developer, and Fred Sibayan, president of Sibayan & Associates, LLC, have created a partnership to build a business accelerator in south Reno. Sibayan, a co-founder of Exodus Communications, currently manages a portfolio of early stage technology start-ups. Di Loreto is a managing member of Nevada Tri Partners, which is developing the master-planned community of Damonte Ranch, where the accelerator will be located. The new business is scheduled to open late in 2001.
Station Casinos to Purchase The Reserve Hotel
Ameristar Casinos, Inc. has agreed to sell The Reserve Hotel & Casino in Henderson to Station Casinos, Inc. for $70 million. The Reserve, which opened in February 1998, is situated on 33 acres and includes 42,000 square feet of casino space, a 224-room hotel, meeting facilities and six restaurants. In a separate agreement, Station Casinos will sell Station Casino St. Charles and Station Casino Kansas City to Ameristar for $475 million in cash. The Reserve purchase agreement is subject to termination if the Missouri asset sales are not completed, and both transactions are subject to approval by regulatory agencies.
Ely’s Home Grown Jobs Initiative Wins AOL Award
A Web site created by the Home Grown Jobs Initiative in Ely recently won $10,000 in the AOL Rural Telecommunications Leadership Awards 2000 competition. The site, whitepinecountrystore.com, enables entrepreneurs to market locally-made products including bottled water, artwork, landscape rock and homemade soaps. The Home Grown Jobs Initiative was started by the White Pine Economic Diversification Council in 1998 to generate entrepreneurial activity in the region, whose economy has been heavily impacted by mine closures. To date, the Web site has created 54 full-time jobs. The Nevada Commission on Economic Development has said the award money will be used to generate more jobs, and to provide assistance in business education, micro-loan financing and collective marketing.
Silver State Bank Plans Two New Branches
Silver State Bank recently announced plans to build two more full-service branches in Southern Nevada. One of the branches will be built on a one-acre parcel at Craig Road and Martin Luther King Blvd. Project costs for the 5,000-square-foot branch are estimated at $2 million. Another new bank will be built on a half-acre lot near Rainbow Boulevard and Dewey Drive, near the new Beltway extension. Project costs for the 3,000-square-foot branch are estimated at $1.2 million. Silver State Bank currently operates three branches in Henderson, one in Las Vegas and one in Boulder City.
Sunrise Hospital Opens New Emergency Department
Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center in Las Vegas recently opened a new $17 million emergency department featuring separate emergency units for pediatric and adult patients, a heliport, additional parking spaces and a new entrance. The adult emergency unit has 50 beds, two triage areas and four nursing stations. It also houses the Sunrise Chest Pain Center. The pediatric unit, with 22 beds, includes size-appropriate equipment, rocking chairs for parents and a play area. One room is dedicated to examinations by a SCAN (Suspected Child and Neglect) team. The new 78,000-square-foot emergency department can handle a total of 6,000 patients a month. Two additional levels for expanded cardiac and intensive care services will be added in the near future.
UNLV International Gaming Institute Finds New Home
The Stan Fulton Building, a three-story structure on the UNLV campus, officially opened its doors this fall to students of the UNLV International Gaming Institute. The building’s first-floor casino lab is a fully-functional casino with table games, slot machines, hard- and soft-count rooms and a security system built to Nevada gaming code, including an “eye in the sky.” The 35,000-square-foot building was made possible by a $6.2 million grant from Stan Fulton, a gaming consultant and former chairman of Anchor Gaming. The building was designed by JMA Architecture and constructed by Korte-Bellew & Associates. The UNLV International Gaming Institute was created in 1993 to promote gaming research and education.
Three Southern Nevada Firms Win Awards
Following a nationwide tour of the country’s most upscale hotel spas, The Wall Street Journal rated the Aquae Sulis Spa at the Regent Las Vegas as its favorite. It was the only spa that met all the newspaper’s criteria, including a steam room, sauna, indoor whirlpool, in-room massage, candles and chilled towels.
Paddock Pools, Patios and Spas, with two stores in Southern Nevada, won an award from the Summer & Casual Furniture Manufacturers Association. Paddock was the winner in the multi-store category of an Apollo award, recognizing outstanding accomplishments in store design and display, as well as a commitment to customer service.
Las Vegas Color Graphics received recognition from American Printer magazine and the National Association for Printing Leadership as one of the top 50 fastest-growing printers in the country. It ranked fourth on the list, which was based on percent of sales growth from 1997 to 1999 among printers with sales of more than $1 million during 1999.
Youth Entrepreneur Business Launched in Las Vegas
A youth-driven business called New Era Sidewalk Cleaning Enterprises was recently founded in Las Vegas to teach young people ages 14 to 19 how to operate their own company. Funded by grants from the Gap Foundation and the City of Las Vegas-Department of Neighborhood Services, the business was created to provide vocational and career opportunities to youth from disadvantaged communities. After attending job-readiness workshops, the 12 youths manage all aspects of the business, including cleaning operations, bookkeeping, customer service, sales and marketing. Staff from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Las Vegas and a committee of local business leaders advise the young entrepreneurs in solving the day-to-day challenges of their operation, which involves using power-washing equipment to clean sidewalks and parking lots.
Encore Productions Inks Agreement with GES
Encore Productions, Inc. has reached an agreement with GES Exposition Services to purchase the bulk of GES’ audio-visual assets and to become the exclusive provider of audio-visual rental services for GES’ clients and exhibitors at Las Vegas trade shows. Encore Productions is a provider of trade show, presentation and event services specializing in audio-visual rentals, staging services, creative production and media services. Founded in 1988, it serves both domestic and international clients from its Las Vegas headquarters.
