Nevada Briefs - September 2005

Nevada Briefs

BankWest Inks Monorail Deal

BankWest of Nevada recently announced it has signed a $1 million, three-year deal with the Las Vegas Monorail Company to install Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) at every monorail station and to be the first local company to purchase the rights to all of the available advertising space on one of the monorail’s nine trains. At a VIP unveiling event the bank introduced: an ATM system that enables users to win cash; a city-wide billboard advertising campaign featuring the new BankWest of Nevada train; and a bank-wide consumer sweepstakes campaign to win free lifetime monorail passes. The red Bank West of Nevada monorail train has been named the "Moneyrail."

Nevada’s China Campaign Wins Award

The Nevada Commission on Tourism (NCOT) has won a national award for its marketing campaign in China, where the agency operates the first U.S. tourism office licensed to do business there. NCOT was among 10 travel industry organizations to win a coveted 2005 Odyssey Award from the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA), the nation’s largest tourism and travel trade organization. The awards cover 10 categories and NCOT won for International Travel Marketing. "When NCOT embarked on our mission to develop tourism in the huge China market, we did not emulate any models or forerunners because there were none," NCOT Director Bruce Bommarito said. "We created our China marketing program and office from the ground up." During a recent tourism-building mission in Chin to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the tourism office, NCOT officials signed a friendship agreement with their counterpart agency in Shanghai to develop and promote tourism and cultural understanding between the state and Shanghai, one of China’s largest cities.

Metl-Span Opens Manufacturing Facility 

Metl-Span recently opened a new manufacturing facility in North Las Vegas for the company’s line of polyurethane insulated panels for roof and wall applications. The new plant is located at 4700 Engineers Way in the Golden Triangle Industrial Park. Metl-Span also operates production facilities in Richmond, Va. and at its headquarters near Dallas, Texas. The 165,000-square-foot plant will employ approximately 45 people. Metl-Span is a subsidiary of Grupo IMSA, a multi-national conglomerate with a significant international presence in steel, aluminum and construction products.

Nevada Companies Recognized for Safety

The Safety Consultation and Training Section (SCATS) of the state of Nevada’s Division of Industrial Relations recognized three Nevada companies this summer for successful completion of the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP). The companies honored were: Mr. Gasket Performance Group, based in Carson City, which manufactures aftermarket and professional racing products; Tamarack Junction Casino and Restaurant in Reno; and the Bonanza Casino, also in Reno. The no-cost SHARP program is designed to help small employers (those with less than 250 employees) develop and implement effective safety and health programs. SCATS consultants assist employers in identifying potential workplace hazards and help them develop and implement safety programs.