Nevada Briefs - May 2002

Nevada Briefs

SBA Announces Award Winners for 2002

The U.S. Small Business Administration recently announced its small business winners for 2002. Ron Bishop, owner of Bishop Air Service in Henderson, was named the Small Business Person of the Year for the State of Nevada. Bishop Air Service provides heating, air conditioning and building automation systems and service to commercial and residential clients throughout Southern Nevada and has completed many large-scale projects for clients including the Las Vegas Convention Center, the MGM Grand Hotel and the Clark County School District. Also winning state recognition were:

1. Young Entrepreneur of the Year: Robb S. Smith, General Partner, Nevada Ventures, LP, Reno.

2. City of Las Vegas Small Business Persons of the Year: Craig Miller, Susan Miller and Christy Miller Jeppesen, Pictographics.

3. City of North Las Vegas Small Business Person of the Year: Cheryl Hickman, President, Hickman Telcom, LLC.

4. City of Henderson Small Business Person of the Year: David Chavez, CPA, Managing Shareholder, Chavez and Koch, CPAs, Ltd.

Bank Merger Planned

Bank of Nevada, based in Las Vegas, recently announced state approval for its merger with Mesquite State Bank. Mesquite State Bank opened in November 1996 and now has $52 million in assets and 16 employees. Bank of Nevada, founded in 2000, has $66.8 million in assets and $55 million in deposits. The two banks share a large percentage of common stock ownership. "It’s like putting together two organizations, where the stock is already owned by a number of the same people," said Ken Sanders, president/CEO of Mesquite State Bank. Although Bank of Nevada will be the surviving entity, Mesquite State Bank will keep its name, with the amendment of, "a division of Bank of Nevada." John Gaynor, president, CEO and vice chairman of the board of Bank of Nevada, stated, "By combining our resources and nearly doubling our experienced staff, we’ll be able to better serve our community, industry and customers."

Carlin Trend Reaches Production Milestone

The Nevada Mining Association celebrated Nevada Mining Week, April 15 to 21, by announcing that the Carlin Trend in Elko and Eureka Counties had produced its 50 millionth troy ounce of gold. This achievement makes it only the third location in the world to reach that milestone, after South Africa’s Witwatersrand and Uzbekistan’s Muruntau. The Carlin Trend, first discovered in 1962, produces nearly 4 million ounces of gold annually, contributing approximately $1.8 billion to the state’s economy, according to the Nevada Mining Association. Fifty million troy ounces of gold would be enough to create a cube approximately 14 feet 2 inches on a side, weighing 1,714 short tons.

Rural Conference Present Tourism Awards

The Nevada Commission on Tourism (NCOT) held its 12th annual Rural Roundup gathering in Ely from April 10 to 12. Tourism industry professionals and volunteers attended the conference to learn techniques to attract more visitors to the state’s rural communities. Attendees were also updated on the state’s new Adventure Travel campaign promoting Nevada as a destination for outdoor activities such as mountain biking, rock climbing and racing. Eight volunteers from rural areas received special awards for their energy, dedication and achievements in building Nevada’s tourism industry. Winners of the VolunTourism awards were:

1. Shar Peterson, executive director, Battle Mountain Chamber of Commerce.

2. Laura Rainey of Pahrump, owner of Smoke Signals Indian gift shop.

3. Jesse James of Las Vegas, recently retired from the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority.

4. Toni Jepson, manager of the Furnace Creek Inn Resort in Death Valley.

5. Wally Cuchine, director of the Eureka Opera House.

6. Steve Muniz, executive director of the Virginia City Convention & Tourism Authority.