FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ava Coulter
Marketing and Communications Specialist
coulter@edawn.org, 775-343-6811
PanaVise Marks More Than Three Decades in Northern Nevada After Relocating to the Region in 1990
Reno, Nev. (April 14, 2026) – Northern Nevada has spent decades building a business environment where companies don’t just arrive, they stay. The Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN) points to PanaVise, a precision manufacturer operating in Reno since 1990, as one of the clearest examples of that commitment in action.
Founded in 1956, PanaVise will celebrate its 70th anniversary this September. The company, known for its precision vises and custom mounting solutions, relocated to Northern Nevada in 1990 with direct support from EDAWN and the Governor’s Office under then-Governor Bob Miller.
After exploring markets in Arizona, Oregon, and California, PanaVise owner Gary Richter found a different experience in Northern Nevada. State and regional partners coordinated every step of the process, connecting him with the right people, providing workforce data, and making sure no question went unanswered.
“They rolled out the red carpet,” Richter said. “They made it so easy for us to relocate here. Everybody we dealt with asked, ‘How else can I help you?’ and that made a real difference in our decision.”
At the time of the move, PanaVise had about 24 employees. All but two relocated with the company. Richter credited the region’s affordability as a major factor, noting that employees who could not afford to own a home in Southern California were able to buy one in Northern Nevada. Three of those original employees remain with PanaVise today.
Since relocating, the company has grown its product line and capabilities. In addition to its precision vises, PanaVise manufactures custom mounting solutions used across aviation, public safety, agriculture, transportation, and technology. Its products are sold to customers around the world, with manufacturing operations that have remained rooted in Northern Nevada.
Richter said the same environment that brought him here is the reason he has never left.
“It has always been the cooperative attitude toward business,” he said. “Back then, people went way beyond what we expected to help us move here, and that same attitude still exists today.”
“If the promises we make to companies considering Northern Nevada are not true for the companies already here, we have missed the mark,” said Taylor Adams, President and CEO of EDAWN. “PanaVise is proof that those promises have held. The same cooperative, business-minded environment that brought Gary here in 1990 is the reason Gary is still here today. That is what business retention looks like, and it is something we work hard to protect.”
Stories like PanaVise’s are a direct reflection of the work EDAWN’s Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) team does every day. Through regular company visits, workforce connections, and ongoing problem-solving, the BRE team ensures that the support companies receive when they first arrive continues long after. Whether it is connecting a manufacturer with university partners to fill engineering roles or helping navigate local regulatory processes, the goal is the same: make sure Northern Nevada keeps delivering on its commitments.
More than 35 years after its relocation, PanaVise remains a strong example of how business attraction, retention, and regional collaboration work together to support a vibrant and growing Northern Nevada economy.
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About EDAWN: The Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada is a 501(c)6 non-profit organization established in 1983 funded primarily by private investors with support from public partners, committed to supporting, growing, and maintaining a vibrant and sustainable economy in Northern Nevada. For more information, visit: www.edawn.org