Cover page of the Dec. 19, 2011, Northern Nevada Business Weekly.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Each week, we 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 Dec. 19, 2011, edition of the NNBW.
After merger, Reno credit union sees opportunities in Las Vegas
The merger of Southwest Gas Federal Credit Union into Reno’s Sierra Pacific Federal Credit Union further opens the door for Sierra Pacific to build its business in Las Vegas. The merger — a cash combination of the two nonprofit institutions in which no cash was exchange — cleared its final regulatory hurdles last week after more than a year of work.
Jim Hunting, president and CEO of Sierra Pacific Federal Credit Union, described the combination as “a friendly merger between two healthy, well-capitalized institutions.”
He said smaller organizations like Southwest Gas Federal Credit Union — it has $20 million in assets and about 2,600 members — struggle to deal with growing costs, including regulatory requirements. Sierra Pacific, which has about 5,300 members, carries assets of $74 million.— Page 1, by John Seelmeyer
‘Why I Love Reno’ draws attention from YouTube viewers
For a couple years, Tim Ruffin thought it would be great if somebody produced a video that told out-of-towners about all the reasons life is good in Reno. But when somebody turned out to be nobody, Ruffin, managing partner of the Colliers International office in Reno, took on the job himself.
A 10-minute video produced by Ruffin out of his own pocket launched on YouTube about 10 days ago, and copies are on their way to be shown on the in-room television systems of hotel-resorts and other venues around town.
Hosted by Joe Hart of KRNV News 4, the professionally produced video blends interviews with Reno residents with images ranging from the Truckee River as it flows through downtown to golf courses nestled against snow-covered mountains.
By the middle of last week, the video had drawn nearly 5,000 views on YouTube, and the number was growing by about 1,000 a day.
—Page 1, by John Seelmeyer
Henderson company prepares for opening of Audi Reno Tahoe
When John Coats, sales and used car manager for Audi Henderson, was asked to attend a coffee meeting by his boss earlier this year, his first thought was, “Man, what did I do?”
“I went there thinking I was in trouble,” Coats says.
Instead, Coats was asked to move to Reno to open and run Audi Reno Tahoe, scheduled to open in early January at 9190 S. Virginia St.
Coats, 40, will be the general manager of the Audi Reno Tahoe, part of Findlay Auto Group of Henderson. Findlay purchased the building in South Reno out of foreclosure. It formerly housed the Audi and Mitsubishi dealerships formerly owned by Allison Automotive Group.
Although it’s the first Northern Nevada dealership for Findlay Auto Group, the dealership has 25 locations throughout Southern Nevada, Arizona, Idaho and Utah.
— Page 3, by Rob Sabo
