Nevada Briefs - April 2002

Nevada Briefs

Manufacturing Facility Planned for Moundhouse

Niotan Incorporated plans to open a manufacturing plant in an existing 84,000-square-foot facility in Moundhouse in Lyon County. It will import pure salts containing tantulum ore and refine them into high-grade tantulum powder, which is used in capacitors for electronic equipment, principally cellular phones. The company, a division of Pacific Ores, Metals & Chemicals of Vallejo, Calif., will employ a staff of more than 60 at the plant, which is expected to begin production early next year.

College of Pharmacy Opens

The first college of pharmacy to form in Nevada has opened its doors at a temporary site in Las Vegas. The Nevada College of Pharmacy has leased a 27,000-square-foot space at 5740 S. Eastern Ave. for use as an interim campus. The facility, which includes three main classrooms and administrative offices, can accommodate up to 300 students. It currently has 119 students and a faculty of 23. School administrators hope the school will help lessen the serious shortage of pharmacists in Nevada. The private college, the first free-standing college of pharmacy to be developed in the U.S. in more than 50 years, offers a three-year professional program that requires a minimum of two years of pre-pharmacy education. Judi Woodyard of Commercial Associates, who brokered the college’s 36-month sublease, said the school is currently in negotiations for a permanent campus location.

Bakery Planned for Henderson

Interstate Brands Inc., which owns more than 60 bakeries throughout the U.S., recently announced the purchase of a Henderson building, which it will convert into one of the West’s largest bakeries. The firm, based in Kansas City, Mo., bought a 320,000-square-foot facility previously owned by the Levi Strauss Co. It is expected to open as a bakery next spring, after modifications have been completed and $20 million worth of equipment has been installed. It will employ an estimated 200 people.

Encouraging Signs for Nevada Employment

A poll of Nevada businesses conducted by Manpower Inc. shows employers voicing cautious optimism about the second quarter of 2002. The Employment Outlook Survey, based on telephone interviews with public and private employers, showed the following answers to questions about plans to change the size of the current workforce:

For the similar period last year, staffing activity was robust, as 30 percent forecast adding staff and only 2 percent predicted personnel reductions. Three months ago, 12 percent projected more hires, 13 percent indicated employment levels would decrease and 7 percent were undecided.