CEO Update

Finally – Yes Google is coming here 😉

After years of speculation and countless questions, we can finally say yes to this on-again off-again rumor.  Unfortunately, that is all we can say until Google decides to reveal the specifics and authorizes all involved to say any more. This partial announcement just reinforces the exciting new growth in the region and will help to define our new economy and the future of Reno-Sparks, and yes, Storey County. View the Google Article Here.

Housing Crunch Threatens Reno’s Tech Boom

The recent WSJ article reported on what we already (or should already know), that we have a housing, especially affordable/workforce housing, problem. While the article highlighted some of the constraints to increased building, there are initiatives underway to streamline the process and reduce bottlenecks.  Mayor Schieve and Vice Mayor Jardon are personally leading a task force to address the issue. Many other government and elected officials in the region have acknowledged this issue and are working to improve the process.  Here is the WSJ article.

Reno Sparks and Sparkles as it Pops Up on Hot Markets Radar

According to Builder Online, “The problem is that the pace of permitting could be subduing what may be a real run at a new boom. Housing’s labor woes radiate outward. Apart from building trade sub contractor shortages, there’s another whole ecosystem of workers related to housing–including municipal planning, zoning, environmental, and building inspection officials–who just aren’t there to do the work that needs doing.” The article also refers to a Metrostudy that highlights Nevada as one of the top relocation destinations. Here is the article.

WCSD continues to excel- According to Superintendent Davis

In her “Friday Minute”, she highlighted the District’s recent success in Signature Academies and CTE programs. “These programs prepare students for success in careers and college; integrate rigorous academics with 21st Century and technical skills; provide opportunities for internships, service learning, and college credit; and align with high-growth college and career fields.”  A WCSD student engineering team earned second place at the NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge in Huntsville, Alabama. The team competed against 100 teams from high schools and colleges from around the world. View the Friday Minute Here.

Be part of the Washoe County Health District’s health needs assessment 

 The online survey is important to help identify health priorities for Washoe County. Please take a few minutes to take the survey. It is available in both the English and Spanish versions.

Help!!  Taxi-Tops are still available! 

We need your help to clean up our taxi-tops so p
lease consider adding taxi-top advertising to your marketing plan now and in the years ahead. We have 25 taxi-tops available and if we cannot keep the taxi-tops filled with family friendly messages, they will revert to those that are less reflective of the “new” Reno-Sparks. Just $1,000 for the entire year! Contact Tamera Pitts at 775.829.3700 or email pitts@edawn.org.

The EPIC Report with Actual Numbers updated.

Now over two years into the five year EPIC report projections of over 52,400 new jobs, we are still on track as Tesla, Panasonic and Switch start to ramp up their hiring efforts. Here are the Actual Numbers Graphs.

Prior EDAWN articles, published in the RGJ, are stored on our website.

Here is the link to the library.

Business Development Update

 

The Business Development team will represent three companies for incentives at the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) Board Meeting in May.

An estimated 470 new jobs in the Greater Reno-Sparks are expected to be created by these companies over the next 5 years.
Stay tuned for several new company announcements that will be made this month.
Site visits hosted 6 companies in the month of April.
New leads and projects were added to the pipeline in April 2017
Stan Thomas attended the Industrial Asset Management Conference in FL and met with 13 site selectors and a number of company executives from several national, industrial firms in the U.S.

Major Investor of The Week

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Business Development