A couple of key industries in the Washoe County economy logistics and finance and insurance begin this year with aggressive expansion plans.
But executives in both industries worry about their ability to find good employees.
A survey of 69 companies overseen by the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada found that 30 of them plan to expand their employment or facilities during the next year.
And in the next three years, the companies said they plan to create 665 jobs and undertake $145.4 million in capital investment.
About 550,000 square feet of new space is on the companies' drawing boards.
Finance and insurance companies will account for much of the expansion and capital investment, said Donna Crooks, who manages EDAWN's to retain and encourage expansion of employers in the region.
That's important, she said, because that industry typically creates higher-paid jobs that require a more skilled workforce.
But even as they gear up for growth, nearly two thirds of the executives interviewed by Crooks and EDAWN volunteers say they're having trouble recruiting workers.
Among their specific problems:
* Experience in the industry is hard to find.
* There's a lack of candidates generally with the tight labor market.
* Basic, entry-level skills are lacking.
* It's hard to find good, hard-working employees.
But even though executives said they have trouble finding employees, they gave high marks to the productivity of the region's labor force, and gave above-average grades to the stability and quality of the workforce.
And 58 percent of the companies said they're increasing their training budgets.
Crooks noted that 34 percent of the companies surveyed by EDAWN plan to expand their staffs within the next three years.
That's the largest percentage of any of the industries surveyed by the economic development agency.
The reasons cited by executives for their willingness to expand in the Reno-Sparks area include its good business climate, its quality of life, its affordability and its location.
Asked about ways the community could improve, the executives cited the need for a better workforce, the need to address high real estate costs and the need for better planning and vision.
On the other hand, the ratings that finance, insurance and logistics executives have given to community planning efforts have steadily risen during the past three years.
On a five-point scale, the executives gave planning a 3.27 score in the most recent survey.
In 2003, planning got a 2.67 score.
