The company’s upcoming 25th anniversary and a recent string of awards are solid validation of the pioneering concept on which Jerry Mills, founder and chief executive officer of Phoenix-based B2B CFO, founded his company. Back in the mid-1980s, while he was a manager with Arthur Andersen & Company, Mills came up with the idea of creating a company that would provide CFO … [More]
Candace D. Wiest, West Valley National Bank
Ever feel like the world’s economy continues to drag to the point the Earth has started revolving slower? There is no doubt the issues that caused this extraordinary recession have affected business. And it begins with the industry that businesses have relied upon since the Great Depression: my industry, community banking. Let me start out by saying I’m proud to be a … [More]
Jerry Colangelo, JDM Partners
Arizona is a unique place. And over the past 50 years, its capital city Phoenix has become one of the largest cities in America, known for its tourism and for its real estate opportunities. While the past three years have been tough on real estate as opportunities and jobs have diminished, our state has weathered this downturn well. Business has been the saving grace. We are … [More]
John Huppenthal, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction
Education is the foundation for our future in so many ways. Sadly, Arizona has not been a leader in years past. Yet, how well our work force is educated greatly impacts the economic picture of business and industry for the future of our State. Since becoming Superintendent of Public Instruction in January, I have focused the mission at the Arizona Department of Education on … [More]
Jos Anshell, Moses Anshell
Stop what, you say? Stop doing things the way you’ve always done them. Clean your closet — those bell bottoms aren’t coming back. And if they do, I guarantee you that you’ll have to buy new ones. The world has changed, and you’d better change with it or you’re going to get left behind — if you haven’t already. The Internet has changed everything — some for the good, some for … [More]
Don Brandt, Arizona Public Service Company
I was pleased to be asked to guest edit this month because this issue is focused on the power of doing business with local companies to energize and strengthen our economy. This is something we at APS see as a valuable tactic in many respects. APS has powered our state for 125 years, so we certainly qualify as a local business. We take seriously our responsibility to support … [More]
Howard Lein, RE/MAX Excalibur
There is no question that the communities which surround our businesses look to us, as business owners, to invest in local organizations, causes and our employees to better where we live and do business. I believe this is a responsibility of business owners Valleywide, and it is more and more clear that we, as a business community, are succeeding in this endeavor. In fact, … [More]
Ann Siner Gives First-Class Appeal to Second-Hand Shops
If there is one thing Ann Siner has learned in her almost-20 years as chief executive officer of My Sister’s Closet, it is to never rest on her laurels. “We can have a good year, and sales will be great, but we will not take it easy. I am always looking ahead,” says Siner, who founded the company that will celebrate its 20-year anniversary in August. My Sister’s Closet is a … [More]
Ángel Cabrera, Ph.D., Thunderbird School of Global Management
I am pleased to have been asked to be the guest editor for the Best Practices Issue of In Business Magazine. As you well know, the downturn in the economy has posed great challenges to the business community both locally and worldwide. But with those challenges come great opportunities for innovation and creative thinking that can positively impact our organizations, our … [More]
Derrick Hall, Arizona Diamondbacks
I am very pleased to introduce this March issue of In Business Magazine. March is a big month for us here in the Valley as it is the start of the baseball season. The D-backs and 14 other Major League teams will begin our preparation for the 2011 regular season during Spring Training this month. Valley cities such as Glendale, Goodyear, Mesa, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Surprise and … [More]
Prescription for Success
As John Musil, Pharm.D., founder, president and chief executive officer of The Apothecary Shops, has learned first-hand, the key to creating a successful company is positioning it in a unique niche in a crowded market. With that in mind, when Musil opened his company on May 1, 1996, he focused on one main goal: to provide his customers with knowledgeable and approachable … [More]
Victor F. Trastek, M.D., Mayo Clinic in Arizona
Arizona has certainly been in the news over these last several months and it is more apparent than ever that we are a community of people who are working to build a better life for ourselves and our neighbors. The issue of healthcare and where we find ourselves with recent recommendations to cut state healthcare budgets, comply with the federal legislation and bring costs down … [More]
Perseverance: How Sweet It Is
How do you get from selling a sweet herb called stevia out of your garage to being head of the leading U.S. manufacturer of stevia products? In a word: perseverance. James May, founder and president of Wisdom Natural Brands, maker of SweetLeaf Sweetener®, recalls being introduced to stevia, a naturally sweet herb from Paraguay, in 1982. He says a friend of a friend who had … [More]
Jim Pederson, Pederson Group, Inc.
The New Year always feels a bit like a refresher for us in business — the start of something new and a time to recharge. With where our economy has been, I can’t think of a time when ringing in the New Year was more welcome. As a businessman and someone who has been vested in Valley business and our public policy for many years, I am especially pleased to have been asked to … [More]
Making the Web Human: A Healthy Sense of Business
If anyone knows about silver linings, it’s Michelle King Robson. The vivacious entrepreneur is founder, chairperson and CEO of EmpowHER, a health media company for women. But it was less than a decade ago that this dynamo was physically ill enough to have moments so dark that she considered taking her own life. Still, she wouldn’t change the past. “I am so happy now that I … [More]
Rich A. Rector, Realty Executives Phoenix
We are in an era that is certainly changing business for all of us. Today’s dynamic real estate market spotlights how vital it is that we embrace this “new normal” and create from it opportunity. In residential real estate, it has become clear that the successful real estate agents are the individuals who seek this opportunity, particularly now when short sales and REOs have … [More]
Small but Mighty in Business
CaseTech, Inc., a distributor of reusable shipping cases, did the impossible during a recession: It increased its revenue by 311 percent in the past three years. This earned CaseTech the #11 spot among Arizona companies on Inc. Magazine’s 2010 Inc. 500 awards for fastest-growing private companies — 958th nationally. The woman-owned company of six people in a small office in … [More]
Don Smith, SCF Arizona
I was pleased to be asked to be the first guest editor of In Business Magazine because we at SCF Arizona work with so many wonderful Valley and statewide businesses and businesspeople. It is fitting that I have this outlet to address you and discuss the content of this first issue, since SCF Arizona touches nearly 40 percent of businesses in our state. All businesses have … [More]
