Nevada Briefs - May 2006

Nevada Briefs

Environmental Clean-up at BMI

The Basic Magnesium Inc. property will undergo environmental clean-up efforts as part of a consent agreement between the state and current and former BMI landowners and business operators. The clean-up will be performed on the common areas of the BMI Complex, located in both the city of Henderson and within unincorporated areas of Clark County. The settlement agreement marks the beginning of the physical remediation activities on the site. These areas were disposal areas used by current and former manufacturers, as well as other businesses and governmental operators. Henderson-based Basic Remediation Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Basic Management, Inc., will lead the clean-up effort and conduct all remaining site studies. All work will be performed under the supervision of the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, which will also establish the schedule and performance standards based on health and environmental goals.

Robust Job Market for Nevada

The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey stated 38 percent of the Nevada companies interviewed plan to hire more employees during the second quarter of 2006 without reducing payroll. Another 54 percent expect to maintain current staff levels. Of the 16,000 U.S. employers surveyed, 30 percent foresee an increase in hiring activity, while 6 percent expect to make a reduction in payroll. Fifty-eight percent report no change in hiring plans, and 6 percent have yet to determine future staffing needs.

Projected Staffing Changes	Increase	No Change	Decrease	Don’t know	NET Increase
Nevada	38 %	54%	3%	5%	35%
Las Vegas	33%	67%	0%	0%	33%
Reno	43%	40%	7%	10%	36%

National Flower Company Plants Roots

1-800-Flowers.com recently announced its West Coast expansion into Reno, which will serve as a distribution center for its Plow & Hearth catalog brand, specializing in gifts for the home, hearth, yard and garden. The company is leasing a 140,000-square-foot distribution center from DP Partners at the LogistiCenter on Waltham Way. The Reno distribution center will enhance Plow & Hearth’s shipping capabilities to its western regional customers. With this expansion, 1-800-Flowers.com will be hiring approximately 20 new employees. Additional seasonal hiring will also take place for the company’s peak holidays. Plow & Hearth product orders are also fulfilled through its Virginia and Ohio locations.

Habitat for Humanity Given Building Lots

The city of Las Vegas has awarded seven vacant residential lots in West Las Vegas to Habitat for Humanity, which responded to a request-for-proposal issued by the city’s Neighborhood Service Department. Habitat for Humanity plans to build seven single-family homes on the site at Lake Mead and Losee in the city’s fifth ward. Each three- or four-bedroom home will be awarded to a family who qualifies for the Habitat for Humanity Las Vegas program and whose household income is less than 60 percent of the area median income. Families are required to assist in the construction of their homes with at least 250 hours of volunteer labor from each adult in the household. Habitat for Humanity has built more than 33 homes in the Vegas Heights community over the past 15 years.