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Rob Sabo

Stories by Rob

Luxury in demand: ZLINE expands Reno operation with success of appliances

With about one-third of its revenue coming from western regional sales, luxury kitchen and bath appliance manufacturer ZLINE Kitchen and Bath recently opened an additional 52,000 square-foot warehouse on Parr Circle in Reno to continue growing its western footprint.

Nevada Chapter of Associated General Contractors makes pitch to younger workers

The Nevada Chapter of Associated General Contractors has decided to take the offensive in the fight for headcount.

EDAWN introduces new CEO Taylor Adams

Taylor Adams was chosen to take over for outgoing EDAWN CEO and President Mike Kazmierski

Multifamily apartment market slows

Valuations, interest rates making impact on 2023 deals

Northern Nevada’s multifamily apartment market has seen few sales transactions in 2023 as investors balk at taking out high-interest-rate loans and sellers eschew some significant price valuations for their properties.

Corwin Auto Group building new Ford dealership in south Reno

Corwin Auto Group recently broke ground on a new Ford dealership in south Reno that not only positions the Fargo, N.D., company to increase its share of new Ford sales in Northern Nevada but also significantly boost its service capabilities, a Corwin Auto Group executive said.

Battle Born Broncs helps Churchill County’s tourism effort

The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association event features 60 of the nation’s top saddle bronc and bareback rodeo cowboys.

New class A industrial space coming to west Reno, north Sparks

Dermody Properties plans to construct approximately 813,000 square feet of new class A industrial space in the coveted west Reno and north Sparks submarkets.

Pyramid Highway expansion part of six-phase plan to ease congestion

Back in the 1970s, Pyramid Highway was a sleepy little roadway that began at Queen Way and was primarily used by the few thousand residents who lived out that way and weekend sun seekers headed for Pyramid Lake.

‘Pretty aggressive expansion plan’

Aqua Metals hopes to have first leg lithium-ion recycling facility online in 2024

Northern Nevada’s emergence as the nation’s premier hub for lithium battery manufacturing and recycling will take another step forward when Aqua Metals brings the first leg of its new lithium-ion recycling facility online in 2024.

Tax credits key to affordable housing project

The Ridge at Sun Valley will consist of 195 units spread across 11 three-story walkup buildings, including a clubhouse.

Record amount of industrial development underway in region

There’s a good reason why industrial developers haven’t pumped the brakes on the construction pipeline throughout greater Reno-Sparks.

From outdated to destination: Northern Nevada repurposing big box spaces into thriving facilities

Perhaps nowhere is the growing national trend of repurposing outdated and empty big box retail spaces into thriving retail and social destinations more evident than in Northern Nevada, where several high-profile conversions in Reno and Sparks are bringing shoppers back to once-shuttered spaces.

‘Diamond in the rough’ New owners foresee huge expansion for Port of Subs

John Larsen grew the Port of Subs franchise from a single sandwich shop on Rock Boulevard in Sparks to a respected regional chain with more than 135 locations in seven states. The next stage of Port of Subs growth, however, could see the number of franchise locations explode on a national and global scale.

Industrial hub: Completion of Red Rock Business Park expected this year

Panattoni, Alston combine on 136,000-square-foot project for the final piece of Red Rock Business Park.

Junkee taking another chance

Schneider moving Junkee Clothing Exchange to Reno Public Market; opening Uncle Junkee

Jessica Schneider always dreamed of owning the building that houses Junkee Clothing Exchange at 960 S. Virginia St. in Midtown Reno. So much so that she used to leave Post-It notes throughout the building that said as much.

American Battery ready for ‘recycling at a large scale’

A move into a 137,000-square-foot facility at Tahoe Reno Industrial Center will likely prove transformative for the battery recycling company.

Creating the pipeline of local talent: ITS Logistics, UNR create supply chain program

Scott Pruneau, chief executive officer at Reno-based ITS Logistics, has spent his entire career working in the supply chain industry.

Baking up expansion: Roundabout Catering acquires Franco Baking Co.

The owners of Roundabout Catering continue to build their growing regional food-service empire. MaryBeth and Colin Smith in 2022 opened the 12,148-square-foot The Meadows Event Venue in Fernley and also acquired the former Campo location at the Truckee River in downtown Reno and rebranded the space as a new restaurant concept, Smith and River. Their most recent acquisition is Franco Baking Co., on Glendale Avenue in Sparks.

Retail development following Victory Logistics District in Fernley

13-acre Fernley Promenade project underway

The largest retail shopping center to be built in more than a decade in Fernley is underway.

Capstone Advisors starts master-planned community in Lemmon Valley

Capstone Advisors first residential project in Northern Nevada is a master-planned community on just over 112 acres in Lemmon Valley. The real estate investment and development company headquartered at Carlsbad, Calif., purchased the bulk of its land holdings in 2017 and constructed the fully leased 11,000-square-foot SkyVista Village on Vista Knoll Parkway adjacent to Walmart, said Mark Hayden, vice president of development for Capstone Advisors.

Dragonfly Energy continues breakthroughs in lithium-ion batteries

Dragonfly Energy’s roots are in providing lithium-ion battery storage systems for the RV industry.

Multifamily project in progress at Kiley Ranch in Sparks

Robert Lewis has spent a lifetime reading regional real estate markets. In an interview with NNBW last week, Lewis, president of the Nevada Division of the Lewis Group of Companies, said multifamily properties remain in high demand as the cost of goods and interest rates have skyrocketed. It’s one of the primary reasons that Lewis Apartment Communities broke ground on a 306-unit multifamily project at Kiley Ranch in Sparks.

Majestic Realty is making the ‘play’ in Reno’s market

A few years ago, when Majestic Realty was scouting new markets to add inventory to its more than 83 million-square-foot portfolio, it didn’t take the strategic team long to decide to make a play in Reno.

Residential and rental real estate expected to slow

Home sales declined, and home prices and rental rates fell.

Dickson Realty acquires RCM Realty Group

Veteran real estate agent Elizabeth Quinn hasn’t wasted any time making her presence felt at Dickson Realty. Quinn joined Dickson Realty in early December, and in just her third day on the job, she reached out to Heidi McFadden, co-owner of RCM Realty Group, to discuss an acquisition. RCM Realty Group was acquired by Dickson Realty in the fourth quarter. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

‘Growth in market is just phenomenal’

Mohr Capital plans projects in North Valleys and Fernley in the first quarter of 2023

Rising interest rates, increased borrowing costs, and the threat of a national recession did little to slow Mohr Capital’s first speculative industrial building in Northern Nevada.

Sage Financial Advisors acquired

Brian Loy, president and founder of Sage Financial Advisors, has spent more than 40 years helping Northern Nevada clients and businesses grow their wealth.

West Coast Salmon plans Atlantic salmon operation near Winnemucca

The high desert of Nevada may soon become the West Coast’s largest supplier of farm-raised Atlantic salmon.

Armando & Sons Butcher Shop opens in Village at Rancharrah

The November opening of Armando & Sons Butcher Shop in the Village at Rancharrah is the culmination of a 20-year long dream of having a retail location for owners Chris and Joanne Flocchini.

Against the odds, Sierra-at-Tahoe ready to reopen

Caldor Fire nearly wiped out resort in 2021

Due to the extent of the damage, some people thought the resort would never reopen.

Miles Construction stumbles into indoor farming

A new business segment that could account for as much as 30 percent of Miles Construction’s annual revenue came about entirely by happenstance. Cary Richardson, president of Miles Construction, told NNBW last week that the company’s work constructing large cultivation facilities for the cannabis industry provided a foundation for ongoing work in the indoor farming industry. Building horizontal and vertical greenhouses adds a crucial source of revenue for Miles Construction that could act as a buffer against cyclical slowdowns in the construction industry, Richardson said.

Renown expands South Meadows facility

South Reno’s rapidly growing population is the impetus behind a new medical facility being built at Renown South Meadows Medical Center.

New industrial site going up next to Reno airport

The former subdivision has been vacant since the 1980s.

Greater Nevada Credit Union expands banking support for cannabis-related businesses

When Chief Martin Brody, Roy Scheider’s character in the 1975 movie Jaws, first lays eyes on the massive shark while spreading chum at sea, he utters one of cinema’s most enduring and iconic lines: “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” It’s kind of the same for banking executives at Greater Nevada Credit Union after expanding a 2020 pilot program that provided banking services to cannabis-related businesses in the Silver State. After taking more than 40 clients since the program's inception, GNCU realized it needed to invest in larger counting machines to handle the heavy volume of cash generated from its CRB customers.

Keystone, Plumb Lane and Virginia Street developments ongoing

Two new retail openings at West End Commons at Fifth Street and Keystone Avenue will further solidify the retail resurgence happening along the Keystone corridor.

Reno’s Boomtown to open new dining-gaming option

Construction is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Two new affordable housing projects planned

One local and one out-of-state multifamily development company announced that they will bring two new affordable housing projects to Northern Nevada.

Bobcat opens North Valleys facility to improve shipping times

Since 1998 Bobcat has served the entire U.S. from its flagship aftermarket parts distribution facility in Woodridge, Ill.

Industrial park under development at TRIC

The park could add as much as 9 million square feet of new Class A inventory

Keeping the talent in Northern Nevada

UNR School of Medicine, Renown Health partnership to allow med students to complete their pediatric residency requirements in Northern Nevada

When Shilpi Garg needed to complete a pediatric residency program as part of her medical studies, she left Reno and headed to California’s Central Valley to enroll in the University of San Francisco-Fresno pediatrics scholars program. Garg grew up in Northern Nevada and still has family here. She knew she would return to the Biggest Little City after completing her pediatrics residency and a fellowship in pediatric cardiology at Oregon Health & Sciences University in Portland.

‘Made in America’ bet pays off for Reno firm

EE Technologies' renewed focus on Made in America products has lifted the company to new heights.

Moment Skis, largest ski manufacturer based in the U.S. settling into new Reno facility

It took years to complete, but Moment Skis’ acquisition of its new headquarters facility on Bible Way in Reno was a crucial step in the company’s ongoing expansion efforts. Moment Skis Chief Executive Officer Luke Jacobson told NNBW in an interview last week that the company was bursting at the seams in its old 7,500-square-foot location on Marietta Way in Sparks. Moment’s new 20,000-square-foot building, acquired near the end of last year, was gutted and retrofitted to meet the company’s manufacturing needs, Jacobson said.

Chewy opens Reno ecommerce fulfillment center

The 795,000-square-foot facility is the 13th fulfillment center for the online pet food and pet products retailer.

NVO Construction seeks to change the construction process from stick-built to prefabricated homes

Serial entrepreneur Cheryl Lewis, founder of NVO Construction in Stead, wants to disrupt the way homes are built in Northern Nevada.

Ioneer hopes to have Rhyolite Ridge in production by 2025

The Rhyolite Ridge lithium-boron project also would deliver roughly $100 million annually in boron.

Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe, Palisades Tahoe getting capital improvements

Two big construction projects underway at regional ski resorts will likely transform daily operations.

‘Slight shift’ to buyers’ market seen in Northern Nevada

The sudden surge in mortgage interest rates has created a much-needed buffer for prospective homebuyers scouting the market for suitable properties.

Panasonic, TMCC partnering on training center

The training center in Reno will be owned by Panasonic and will be equipped by Truckee Meadows Community College and staffed with college instructors.

Industrial project planned near Bordertown

Panattoni Development plans to construct about 1.6 million square feet of new industrial space across four or five buildings for its 395 North project.

Authority announces redevelopment plans to modernize Reno-Tahoe International Airport

The Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority recently announced a multi-year development plan to upgrade and modernize key aspects of the airport to meet growing demand. The multi-year plan includes expansion of the ticketing hall that’s expected to begin this year, followed by large-scale changes to rental car operations in 2023, and capped off by redevelopment of the airport’s concourses in 2024.