Suggestions in Nvsion plan coming to reality

Plans are under way to implement a number of projects recommended in last year's Northern Nvision study.

A project to upgrade the Web sites of rural counties is nearly complete, says Ron Weisinger, executive director of the Northern Nevada Development Authority.

Next, to avoid conflicting dates, the Web site builders will craft a regional calendar on which agencies and associations can post business events such as the recent Governor's Awards dinner.

Meanwhile, Carson City and Fallon have formed young professionals clubs, which the study led by AngelouEconomics of Austin, Texas, proposed as a way to attract and retain a younger workforce.

And Lyon County has donated about 10 acres in Fernley for a business incubator to nurse fledgling companies to health. A request for funds to erect a building is pending.

"We're looking to hire a firm to do the fundraising," says Weisinger.

Staff from development agencies traveled to Salt Lake City to tour a business incubator begun there eight years back.

"The best thing they did was get business people involved," says Bus Scharmann, dean of the Fallon campus and rural development for Western Nevada College. "Larry Miller, multi-millionaire car dealer, provided dollars to build the SLC incubator building."

The Utah incubator now hosts eight businesses.

Overall, the Nvision report identified two areas of development specific to the rural counties, says Weisinger. One is health and wellness; the other is tourism and hospitality.

Plans to boost tourism are the bailiwick of a regional marketing committee that includes economic development authorities, tourism authorities and Reno-Tahoe International Airport.

Retirees to the rural counties will drive growth of health care business, says Weisinger.

"About 10 years after retirement, traveling an hour to urban medical care gets to be a real chore," he says. When the demand for rural health care arises, he says, young professionals aged 25 to 44 will provide those services.

The state Legislature has appropriated $500,000 to implement Northern Nvision.

To appropriate that money, the authority formed two workgroups.

Health and Wellness is headed by Rob Hooper at Vitamin Research Products. Tourism and Hospitality chair is Kathy Halbardier at Tahoe Ridge Winery.

Nvision also pointed to a need for cooperation between economic development agencies and chambers of commerce throughout the rural counties.

"Chambers are starting to help each other," says Weisinger. They are attending joint educational lectures and workshops.

Late next year, "AngelouEconomics will be asked to return to see if we're moving in right direction," says Weisinger. Funds for the follow-up study will be sought from Nevada Commission on Economic Development.

AngelouEconomics Project Manager Ben Loftsgarden says, "Success is measured on a five- to 10-year period. It takes time to get the community aligned.

"Economic development is all about understanding what your assets are and taking advantage of that."