The Aug. 15, 2011, cover of the Northern Nevada Business Weekly.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Each week in 2021, we will feature snippets of stories that published a decade ago to provide readers a 10-year perspective of business news in the region. This week’s stories first published in the Aug. 15, 2011, edition of the NNBW.
Low-profile bus tours important to casinosBus tours to casinos remain an important revenue stream for gaming properties, executives say, even though the number of visitors to Northern Nevada who arrive via tour bus declined drastically over the past decade.Tour buses loaded primarily with seniors from California once were a common sight at Reno-Sparks casino properties. However, widespread inception of tribal gaming throughout Northern California has curtailed the once-popular day trips to gamble in The Biggest Little City. Revenues from bus tours at Grand Sierra Resort declined by 66 percent after the property dropped the Hilton flag, says new General Manager Bill Wright.“It was a very viable business, but when the property went from the Hilton to the Grand Sierra, it appears to have changed its philosophy,” says Wright.— Page 1, by Rob Sabo
Cut-and-sew plan boosting Douglas bid to apparel firmsWith an eye on landing apparel-manufacturing operations that are headed back to the United States from overseas locations, Douglas County officials are moving closer to the launch of a cut-and-sew facility.The operation would serve as a contractor to makers of sports-oriented apparel, and several manufacturers have told economic development officials that they are ready to move work to Northern Nevada.Sportswear is one of the industries targeted by Ascent Douglas County, an effort to create a better economic base for the county, says Lisa Granahan, the county’s economic vitality manager.Northern Nevada Development Authority won a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to buy equipment to start up a cut-and- sew operation, and Bill Miles of Miles Construction in Carson City has donated space to get it started.The apparel factory could be ready to handle its first contracts within six months to a year, says Rob Hooper, executive director of NNDA.— Page 1, by John Seelmeyer
Dental supply company opens TRIC distribution centerThe success of an acquisition in Arizona in 2009 convinced executives of Benco Dental Supply to expand their West Coast presence to capture more market share in the region.Benco last week officially opened a 100,000-square-foot distribution facility at Tahoe Reno Industrial Center. When at capacity, the facility will stock more than 21,000 items, from toothbrushes and dental floss to dental drills, lighting systems and composite materials to make crowns.Two years ago, Benco purchased a small company in Arizona to act as a gateway into western markets, says Lou Mangino, vice president of operations for Pittston, Penn.-based Benco Dental. Sales throughout Arizona flourished, and Benco executives quickly began scouting western locations for a distribution facility that would further expand their reach.— Page 3, by Rob Sabo
