Cover page of the Jan. 16, 2012, 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 Jan. 16, 2012, edition of the NNBW.
Survey: Economic, employment outlook brightens
Employers in Northern Nevada see signs of improvement in 2012, including modest increases in sales, the likelihood of some additional hiring and even the possibility of raises for some employees.
A survey that included responses from 146 employers in Nevada — most in Northern Nevada — by Employer Associations of America found executives in the region clearly are convinced the recovery is moving forward.
More than 35 percent of the Northern Nevada companies said they expect the economy in 2012 will be stronger than a year earlier, and 53 percent said they expect little change. Only 11 percent said they expect the economy to worsen this year. Meanwhile, nearly 16 percent in Northern Nevada expect a significant increase in sales this year, and 44.5 percent said they expect a slight uptick in revenue during 2012.
— Page 1, by John Seelmeyer
Light truck sales remain in strong demand at region’s dealerships
Northern Nevada has long been truck country, and the region remains in the forefront of stronger truck sales nationally. New-vehicle dealerships in the region say sales of pickup trucks are on the rise or continue to be their top-selling vehicles.
Nowhere is that truer than in Elko, where mining companies and mining service providers have kept fleet sales brisk, as have well-paid mine site workers who enjoy the comforts of a 4-by-4 truck.
Mike Gallagher, owner of Gallagher Ford Lincoln Mercury, says fleet and retail sales in 2011 rose nearly 20 percent from the prior year. The Ford F-150 is the hottest-selling truck in Elko, followed by heavier-duty pickups such as the Ford F-250 and F-350. Sales of the F-150 light-duty pickup in 2011 rose almost 30 percent from 2010, Gallagher says.
“The market is great,” says Gallagher, who predicts another 10 percent rise in sales for 2012. “There is some new product that came out, the eco-boost engine, and that is a really hot seller in the F-150.”
— Page 1, by Rob Sabo
No snow? Recreation firms shift their focus
Nimble operators of firms that rent recreational equipment around Lake Tahoe are doing just fine despite a nearly snow-free winter, operating as if summer never came to an end.
Instead of renting winter gear such as skis, snowboards, snowshoes or snowmobiles, rental businesses say they are still renting summer equipment — kayaks, mountain bikes and powerboats — as residents and visitors take advantage of the unseasonably warm weather.Harry King, owner of Tahoe Eco Sports, says kayak tours and kayak rentals compose about 90 percent of his business this winter, a radical shift from last year, when they accounted for just 10 percent of revenues due to record snowfall.
“Last year was such a good ski season not nearly as many people were looking to get out there,” King says. “It is way different this year.”
— Page 1, by Rob Sabo
