Nevada Briefs - June 2001

Nevada Briefs

Viking Freight Expands Reno/Sparks Center

Viking Freight, Inc., a leading LTL (less-than-truckload) carrier, has expanded its Reno service center to increase its freight capacity and keep up with growth of the Reno/Sparks area as a major distribution hub. Thirty doors have been added to the facility, bringing the new total to 74 doors. Viking, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp., handles about 1.2 million pounds of freight per day at the service center, which is located on an 11-acre site at 1750 Industrial Way in Sparks. The 74-door dock puts Reno in the top 10 of Viking’s largest service centers.

HCA Moving Regional Offices to Henderson

The company that owns Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center and MountainView Hospital is moving its regional office to Henderson. HCA – The Healthcare Co. — has leased 7,600 square feet of office space in the Las Vegas Sun Building, and is in the process of relocating 20 to 25 staff members from its current office in San Jose, Calif. Company officials said Southern Nevada offers easier access to HCA facilities in Nevada, California, Utah, Idaho, Washington and Alaska. Nashville-based HCA owns and operates about 200 hospitals and healthcare facilities in 24 states, England and Switzerland.

Export Assistance Center Opens in Las Vegas

The U. S. Commerce Department recently opened a Las Vegas Export Assistance Center to support the export of goods and services from Southern Nevada companies. The center, located at 400 Las Vegas Blvd. So., is one of over 100 similar offices nationally and in 80 countries. Center Manager Bill Cline will provide local businesses with market research, assistance with customs and duty regulations, counseling on foreign markets and help with finding overseas agents and distributors.

Reno Airport Installs Lifesaving Devices

Three Automatic External Defibrillators (AED’s) have been installed at the Reno/Tahoe International Airport to aid victims of sudden cardiac arrest. The equipment, donated by the Regional Emergency Medical Services Authority (REMSA) at a cost of $12,000, was strategically placed near the baggage claim area and in both the B and C terminals. Airport Authority fire department, police, administrators, airline employees and other employees are being trained to operate the AED, which can also be used by lay persons. The only treatment for sudden cardiac arrest, in which a person’s heart suddenly stops beating, is defibrillation, and time is a critical factor in survivability.

Nevada Receives Funding for Brownfields Cleanup

The state of Nevada and Mineral County have each received $1 million in federal funding to clean up abandoned industrial sites known as brownfields. The funding was awarded through the Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund pilot program. The funding will be used to provide low-interest loans to encourage the cleanup of compromised sites in Mineral County and in other areas of the state. According to U.S. Senator Harry Reid, Mineral County has already selected a 240-acre brownfield site, formerly a landfill, for cleanup. Proposed projects for the land include a golf course and a housing development. A bill providing additional funding for brownfields cleanup is currently being considered by Congress.

Las Vegas Perspective 2001 Releases Statistics

Governor Kenny Guinn and Sung Won Sohn, a nationally known economist, were keynote speakers at an event announcing the release of Las Vegas Perspective 2001, a publication containing statistical information about Southern Nevada’s demographics, economy and lifestyle. Las Vegas Perspective 2001, sponsored by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Nevada Development Authority, Nevada Power Company, the University of Nevada Las Vegas and Wells Fargo Bank, is produced by Metropolitan Research Association, a non-profit group. Copies of the publication may be obtained from the Nevada Development Authority.