Greater Reno-Tahoe is the right place for your business, but don't take our word for it.
Hear from business leaders why they chose Greater Reno-Tahoe
The types of business that EDAWN seeks to recruit, grow, and retain are diverse in their products, services, and employment opportunities. Through innovative and creative partnerships between the public and private sectors, we strive to improve the overall quality of life in the Greater Reno-Tahoe area by facilitating economic growth.
Here are some cases of companies that both benefit from and contribute to the vibrant and diverse Greater Reno-Tahoe business community.
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Biotique Systems, Inc.
Biotique Systems, Inc., was founded five years ago in Emeryville, Calif. The company's mission: to enable scientists to analyze biological data in the most efficient and effective way possible.
In July 2005, Biotique moved its worldwide corporate headquarters to Reno, Nev., after looking at a number of western cities for relocation. The move was an opportunity for the company to enjoy northern Nevada's favorable tax benefits and pro-business philosophy.
"The business environment is great, and the city and state government champions this kind of business," said Biotique Systems Chairman and CEO Stephen Sanders. "The tax benefits add to the friendly business environment in Nevada."
The fact that Reno has access to some of the best outdoor activities in the world was icing on the cake, resulting in a location that offers a winning combination of fun and functionality.
Sanders looks forward to growing his business in Nevada and realizing the abundant tax benefits enjoyed by Nevada corporations. The fact that there is no corporate, franchise or personal income tax in Nevada was appealing to Biotique when choosing Reno as its home.
"Our employees have benefited from not paying a state income tax," Sanders said. "Their increased buying power trickles down and benefits everyone."
Charles River Labs
Committed to Staying and Growing in Reno
Named “Distinguished Business of the Year” at the 2006 Governor’s Industry Apprecia-tion Awards, Charles River Laboratories is home to stay in south Reno. The preclinical research facility has made a greater than $150 million commitment to the Greater Reno-Tahoe area by expanding its operations to a 465,000-square-foot lab, one of the largest of its kind in the world, says Greg Beattie, executive director of site operations.
With more than 80 facilities in 15 countries, the global provider of drug discovery and development products and services will grow to employ more than 900 people in its Reno facility.
“We had two main reasons for committing to stay in the area: demonstrated success of more than 15 years in a smaller lab in Sparks and a favorable business climate,” Beattie says. “EDAWN helped us make the decision by exploring tax incentives and other re-gional advantages that helped support our financial model.”
The University of Nevada, Reno also has proven to be fertile ground, he says. Over the last few years, Charles River has employed four Ph.D.s from the university.
“About half of Charles River’s local workforce has college degrees, and 10 percent have doctorates. Whether recruiting locally or nationally, once we get people here, they stay; this area has a great quality of life.” Beattie says.
City of Sparks
‘City of Promise’ takes mixed-use communities to next level
For much of the past century, the City of Sparks was considered to be a bedroom com-munity of its neighbor to the west, Reno. But that perception rapidly is changing because of the sound planning and forward thinking of local government, businesses and resi-dents.
“We’re looking to create a better balance of land uses,” says Armando Ornelas, the city’s redevelopment manager. “We’re conscious of where we are going and are en-couraging more balance and more commercial growth.”
Sparks created the state’s first redevelopment area in 1978. Its focus was on the revi-talization of downtown and the surrounding neighborhoods. Specifically, Victorian Square was targeted as a community gathering space, and over the years, the neighborhood became known as a venue for the city’s special events. However, city planners knew there were limitations to how far they could take the retail/entertainment concept.
“When we realized there would be large-scale retail projects coming to Spanish Springs and other suburban areas of the city to serve the shopping needs of those areas, we took a new look at what we were doing and hired a consultation team to prepare a new downtown plan,” Ornelas says.
That plan’s first phase is The District, a residential neighborhood developed by Trammell Crow. Phase two focuses on commercial, with a mixture of retail (60,000 square feet) and office space (150,000 square feet).
“When complete, instead of a high-rise downtown, Sparks will be more of an urban vil-lage — honoring the wishes of the residents,” Ornelas says.
The city also has identified an abundance of development opportunities near the Sparks Marina, the local manmade lake that offers swimming, picnicking and even sailing. The Legends project is intended to be a destination retail center, drawing tourists as well as locals to the neighborhood. Plans include 1.3 to 1.4 million square feet of retail space.
“We’re exploring many options for The Legends including the possibility of an indoor arena,” Ornelas says.
The city is flexing its northern and eastern edges with several master-planned, multi-use communities. Included in the SunCal Companies’ Copper Canyon project is 3.6 million square feet of office space and 24.5 acres of commercial space, as well as 2,100 homes.
At the master-planned community of Kiley Ranch, a new way of life is taking shape, ac-cording to Paul Curtis, CEO of Kiley Communities.
“This is a self-sufficient live/work/shop/play community,” he says. “Residents and those who work here will be connected in both social and technological fashions, with every-thing completely fiber-wired. It is, after all, a digital world.”
Curtis says Kiley Ranch will have a small-town feel, including both small and large re-tailers and a business park, as well as a variety of housing options.
“We’re also creating a wildlife preserve element and have plans for a community gar-den,” he says.
International Game Technology
International Game Technology (IGT) is Nevada’s largest manufacturer and has been headquartered in Reno since the company was incorporated as a business startup in 1952. The company’s impressive growth has made IGT the world’s leading supplier of gaming equipment and services.
IGT currently employs more than 5,000 people on six continents. Record corporate revenues for the fiscal year ended in September 2007 exceeded $2.6 billion. Their products and services are represented in every legal gaming jurisdiction worldwide. The company’s 1.2 million-square-foot Reno campus is located in the South Meadows Business Park and is home to 2,700 employees. Growing business operations in Las Vegas will soon be consolidated into a new 630,000-square-foot campus that will accommodate about 950 current employees and anticipated future growth. IGT’s annual impact to the northern Nevada regional economy includes an employee payroll that exceeds $200 million. Direct and indirect material purchases contribute another $175 million each year.
An important part of IGT’s investment in the future of northern Nevada includes its long-term partnerships within the academic community.
“Our close working relationships over the years with the public schools, with the University of Nevada, Reno, Truckee Meadows Community College, Career College of Northern Nevada, and other educational institutions have yielded many benefits to IGT,” says Tony Ciorciari, Executive Vice President of Global Operations. “Every aspect of our business has profited through our ability to locally recruit and hire well-educated employees.” Examples of local graduates routinely hired by IGT include accountants, engineers, logistics personnel, computer science professionals, administrative staff, assemblers and technicians.
Ciorciari says, “We’re very proud of our company’s contribution to the overall economic strength of the community. IGT’s success, from its initial startup to its current position as the world market leader in our industry, demonstrates the tangible benefits of the strong pro-business environment that promotes new and expanding businesses in the Greater Reno-Tahoe region.”
Intuit, Inc.
Intuit may be a local company, but its reach is practically universal.
Consider this: Anyone who has ever used Quicken, QuickBooks or TurboTax software has used an Intuit product. In fact, anyone who has ever received a paycheck has most likely been touched by Intuit's technologies.
Headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., Intuit opened its Outsourced Payroll Service Center in Reno's Sierra Corporate Center three years ago. Intuit's Reno-based payroll service provides essential tools to employers,including payroll and tax services. It currently has 650 employees in the Reno office.
Chad O’Meara, general manager of Reno's Intuit, Inc., finds the synergistic relationship between the company and the Reno community a "great fit."
"The dynamics of growing a business in an engaged community is rewarding," he said.
O'Meara named several reasons why Reno has been an advantageous business environment for Intuit. "This is an active community, the professional folks that we employ enjoy living here and we are a short plane ride away from our global headquarters in Mountain View."
O'Meara acknowledges that the demographics of Reno have changed and improved in the time Intuit has been operating here. "There are a growing number of professional people,and we also find excellent talent coming out of UNR," he said.
It's become much easier to attract talent to northern Nevada from other areas and to keep talent here, according to O'Meara, because, "It's such a nice place to raise a family and work."
Kiley Ranch Communities
The master-planned community of Kiley Ranch in Spanish Springs is an innovative project for northern Nevada. During the course of the next decade, 800 acres of ranchland will grow into the area's first livework-play community.
The planned mix of residential, commercial and even industrial development on a single tract of land is a shining example of the region's untapped potential for the visionary real-estate developer.
"Kiley Ranch is conceived as a concentrated community in a resource-conservative, pedestrian-oriented environment," said Paul Curtis, CEO of Kiley Ranch Communities. "It is more than just a commercial development. It is a live-work-shop-play community. Across the United States, that notion is catching on.
The concentration of business parks, retail centers and recreational venues interspersed with homes and community open spaces allows Kiley Ranch's developers to branch out from the traditional neighborhood concept and capitalize on an unfilled niche market that will be very attractive to local consumers.
Curtis said the stability of northern Nevada's population growth makes such diverse projects a viable option and is a distinct advantage for forward-thinking commercial developers.
"It's not the runaway growth you've seen elsewhere, but a constant, steady, almost predictable increase in population that's very attractive," Curtis said.
Microsoft Licensing, GP
A Global Company Giving Back to the Community
Bill Gates is known as one of the world’s most generous philanthropists. In Reno, Mi-crosoft Licensing, GP, the product licensing subsidiary of the Fortune 100 company, is following Gates’ lead in providing year-round support for local causes and charities in-cluding education, minority advancement, aid to the disadvantaged or disabled, and promotion of health and wellness.
“We like to take an active role in the communities in which we live and work,” says Microsoft Licensing General Manager Mary Ellen Smith.
Ongoing contributions and volunteerism from more than 250 employees benefit non-profit, school-based organizations among others.
“A highlight of the year is our annual Community Action Week,” Smith says. “Last year, employees accrued 1,400 hours of community service in a single week during business hours.”
Microsoft Licensing’s commitment to the community and to education is expressed through scholarships awarded to five area high school graduates to attend Truckee Meadows Community College.
The company also has strong ties to the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). “We do have a fair share of UNR graduates among our staff,” says Smith, praising Reno as a great fit for Microsoft. “Some started their career with Microsoft through our intern program and have advanced internally.”
The educational opportunities inherent to the region — complemented by other busi-ness advantages — convinced company leaders 10 years ago that the Greater Reno-Tahoe area was the perfect location for the operation. The company has recently un-dergone a significant expansion this past year illustrating its continued investment in the community, its people and its customers.
“Reno was chosen for many reasons, including overall business climate, excellent infra-structure and quality of life,” she says.
Ormat Technologies
In 1984, ORMAT Technologies was looking for a new home. The company found its previous location of Los Angeles — with its characteristically long commute times — a difficult place to work. Vice President Dan Schochet contacted EDAWN, who introduced him to then-Governor Richard Bryan.
"Governor Bryan convinced me we should be here in Nevada," Schochet said.
He took the Governor's advice — and never looked back. Today, the company, which operates in three states and more than 15 countries, has its worldwide headquarters in Reno.
It was founded in Israel in 1966 and is tasked with developing, constructing and operating geothermal plants-locations that use the earth's heat to generate electricity.
The plants produce zero emissions and use renewable resources. In addition, the company builds generators that recover industrial waste heat, which it uses to produce electricity.
ORMAT's latest accomplishment: It will provide equipment for three new geothermal plants in Indonesia and will have a minority stake in the project. It will be the largest geothermal facility in the world.
ORMAT has eight power plants in Nevada — with two more under construction — that have a total capacity of 100 megawatts of electricity, enough to supply 100,000 homes with power around the clock. The company sells its electricity to Sierra Pacific Power Company, its sole customer in Nevada.
In 2005, ORMAT was awarded EDAWN's "Distinguished Business of the Year" award.
"It’s been a wonderful place to live and a great place to do business," Schochet said.
Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority
Krys Bart runs a small city. But she is not a mayor; she is the executive director of the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority.
Encompassing two airports — Reno-Tahoe International and the Reno-Stead Airport — 5,000 employees and its own police force and fire department, the Airport Authority is part metropolis, part business.The 58th busiest airport in the nation, its economic impact on the region is far-reaching.
By creating jobs and tax revenue, as well as bringing tourists and business travelers to the area, the Airport Authority has an annual $3.25-billion impact on the northern Nevada economy.
"We are the key gateway to bring passengers into the community or cargo that sustains the growth of the community," Bart said.
Created in 1978 by the Nevada State Legislature, the Airport Authority is a quasi-governmental authority and receives no tax revenue. Its entire $43-million operating budget is generated from the two airports.
"We are the only quasi-public entity in the state operated solely on revenue generated here and not by tax dollars," Bart said.
Bart credits the Airport Authority with contributing to Reno's growth. The Reno-Tahoe International Airport is served by 11 passenger airlines, four major cargo airlines and sees 5.1 million passengers walk through its doors annually.
"Any successful community has a successful airport," Bart said. "The region wouldn't be what it is today without this airport."
Schneider Logistics
Delivering Resources and Expertise
Greater Reno-Tahoe can consider itself a major national transportation hub, alongside such cities as Chicago, Dallas and Atlanta. When transportation and supply chain specialist Schneider Logistics looked for a regional hub for the 11 Western states, EDAWN helped build an attractive case for the Greater Reno-Tahoe area, says Greg Sanders, Schneider’s vice president and general manager for its West Logistics Center.
Headquartered in Green Bay, Wis., Schneider has a proven track record of providing expert transportation and logistics solutions for more than two-thirds of Fortune 500 companies.
“Over the past couple of years, we have been building our regional logistics center model to get closer to our regional customer base,” Sanders says. “We have served the Reno-Tahoe market for many years, and we knew it had the logistics infrastructure and central geo-graphic location to serve the Western marketplace. What we didn’t know was how rich the talent base of young professionals was in the region.”
Sanders says that a strong, well-prepared workforce is an important logistical factor.
“First and foremost, we want to build our model around young professionals,” he says. “Secondly, the University of Nevada’s Top Ten logistics program produces great talent, and many graduates want to stay in the area. Third, Reno-Tahoe is simply a great place to live, and from a recruiting standpoint, this makes the region an attractive place to set up shop.”
Sanders says that he is impressed by EDAWN’s vision for the region.
“With advanced logistics being one of EDAWN’s six targeted industries to recruit and expand in the area, and with Schneider being a world-class logistics provider, we are a great match for the region,” he says.
Sierra Pacific Power Company
Plugging Into the Power of Education
Nationwide, utilities are trying to provide alternative, sustainable energy solutions. In Nevada, Sierra Pacific Power Company already taps into geothermal, solar and wind to keep the lights on. Additionally, the company has hooked up to the power of higher education.
“To be a leader in renewable power and attract manufacturers of clean energy, you must have education in place,” says Sierra Pacific Economic Development Manager Grant Sims.
Sierra Pacific’s latest effort established an industry-education partnership with the Uni-versity of Nevada, Reno’s College of Engineering. Together with Ormat Technologies, Inc., a company with more than four decades of experience developing environmentally sound power solutions, the partners have developed an undergraduate program in sus-tainable engineering, which started at the University’s Redfield Campus in the fall of 2007.
“Industries like to have a university partnership,” says Sims. “Our efforts to fund UNR programs are supporting EDAWN’s goals of attracting clean-energy companies to the region.”
Sustainable energy, a sustainable economy and education go hand-in-hand, according to Sims. “This new program provides an educational backbone and makes the Greater Reno-Tahoe region even more attractive,” he says.
Skagen Designs
All it took was one visit to the Reno/Lake Tahoe area — with its 300-plus days of sunshine each year — for Skagen Designs owners and Denmark natives Charlotte and Henrik Jorst to move their watch design business from New York to Nevada in 1993.
The physical climate and business climate proved to be an unbeatable combination for the then-small design firm.
It started as a business modest enough to operate from the Jorsts' Incline Village home, but it quickly evolved into one of the most-recognized and best-selling watch brands in the United States and abroad. Skagen's world headquarters are in Reno, and the European headquarters are in Copenhagen, Denmark. Department stores in the United States that carry the Skagen brand include Macy’s and Nordstrom's as well as more than 3,000 specialty stores.
"Reno is evolving," said Skagen Designs President Scott Szybala. "It's the job of companies that have already discovered the rewards of being located in Reno to help other businesses understand and connect to this community."
Skagen Designs is emotionally vested in the community that has been supportive of the company, and Szybala hopes to see even more companies with that same committed community spirit call Reno their home.
The Davidson Academy
Attracting Profoundly Gifted Students
For some profoundly gifted children enrolled in regular public school, the traditional cur-riculum is entirely too easy and the school day entirely too long. Not so at The Davidson Academy, the first free public university-level school of its kind in the nation. The school accepts gifted children from throughout the United States and internationally at its loca-tion on the campus of the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR).
“Our mission is to offer appropriately challenging educational opportunities,” says Jan Davidson, the school’s co-founder. “Many academy students were not challenged in their previous schooling environments.”
The school promises a better life — but not just for its students.
“We believe that supporting profoundly gifted students also supports our future,” says Bob Davidson, the school’s other co-founder. “Our nation needs talented individuals to compete in the global economy and to continue to provide our citizens the quality of life they currently enjoy.”
Based on beliefs expressed in their book “Genius Denied: How to Stop Wasting our Brightest Young Minds,” Incline Village philanthropists Jan and Bob Davidson founded the Davidson Institute for Talent Development, a non-profit foundation that provides as-sistance to profoundly gifted students.
“When we opened The Davidson Academy, we wanted to offer a wide range of courses and learning options, including university honors courses, independent study and re-search opportunities,” says Bob Davidson. “Thanks in large part to the faculty and staff at UNR and Truckee Meadows Community College, we have been able to successfully offer academy students many opportunities to learn at a much higher level.”
