“The Greater Phoenix Chamber’s economic development team talked to over 900 businesses last year with our partners and by far the biggest issue was workforce,” said Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Todd Sanders earlier this year, when discussing the Chamber’s legislative priorities for 2018. Filling the Talent Pool “Workforce” is sometimes referred to as … [More]
Dawn Grove, Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
Like a magnet to steel, Arizona is pulling in modern manufacturers and other high-paying job creators that anchor our economy, and Arizona’s talented workers are being drawn to these jobs. Manufacturers and businesses cite being allured not only by Arizona’s pro-business tax and regulatory environment, but also by its attractive workforce population. Arizona swept the top five … [More]
Make Internal Comms Fun
Most employees dread the “Company Update.” Newsletters and messages often gather dust in staff members’ inbox — unopened and unloved. When this happens, chances are the business has a case of boring comms. Gone are the days when internal communications were an afterthought, comprising a quick email sent to all staff — job done. Nowadays, internal communications are … [More]
Tariffs: Up and Down the Arizona Craft Brewing Supply Chain
It may be stating the obvious to say that a tariff on any commodity will have a repercussion all along the supply chain it touches. Yes, that includes our favorite locally brewed beers. In Business Magazine spoke with Rob Fuller, executive director of the Arizona Craft Brewers Guild, to learn how President Trump’s recent tariffs impact these businesses and the businesses … [More]
Tackle the Pain of Business Change
Forget what they say about love. It’s change that hurts. Corporate leaders say it is the biggest challenge they’re facing today. Constant change makes it difficult to remain relevant and to create value for customers. What is worse is that most people don’t know how to manage the changes they believe are essential for their business to thrive. Whether it’s introducing a … [More]
Ethical Data Mining
A recent data breach involving Cambridge Analytica, a political consulting firm, affected at least 87 million Facebook users. People’s data was unknowingly used for politically manipulative ads. While an extreme example of unethical data mining, the Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal challenges businesses and marketers to think about the ways they collect, use and … [More]
Jason R. Kaplan: Steering The Driver Provider’s Growth
Sometimes a business takes shape over time and the end result is very different from the initial model. In 1994, Jason Kaplan had just graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in marketing. Having worked as a nightclub bouncer through college, Kaplan recognized a need to improve the late-night taxi experience: After taking a taxi home, riders were left stranded … [More]
Serving Food Service
Opening a food station in Tempe’s Marina Heights complex, Foodworks brings to the metro Phoenix area its restaurant incubator concept. A newly formed division of Compass Group/Eurest Division, Foodworks establishes food stations in prime locations in office buildings and other Eurest-operated dining venues. It then partners with woman- and minority-owned businesses and … [More]
Hospitality Newcomer Aims for Disruption
Armed with three decades in real estate, his most recent role sourcing hotels for investment coupled with extensive worldwide travel, Peter Anadranistakis recognized a huge opportunity within the hospitality industry to be disruptive. Founding Oxygen Hospitality, he and co-founder Merv Chia immediately brought in Yaron Ashkenazi, an award-winning international hotelier, as … [More]
Can Teletherapy Help Your People and Your Bottom Line?
Mental health has been propelled into the national spotlight. As we overcome national tragedies and household names share their mental and emotional struggles, the sobering truth is that people from all walks of life and backgrounds are affected — and that access to the right care is critical. Employers are in a unique position to address behavioral and mental health care, … [More]
Rent Your Genetic Code
Seeking to incentivize individuals to share their genetic code information, Nebula Genomics and Longenesis have joined in an exclusive collaboration. Nebula Genomics is a San Francisco-based company co-founded by genomics pioneer George Church, Ph.D., that is using blockchain to build a marketplace for genomic and clinical data, and Longenesis is a Hong Kong-based partnership … [More]
Caregiving Service Benefits Employees, Employers
There’s a silent crisis affecting one of every five working adults across all genders, races and classes: the challenge of caring for an aging or sick loved one, such as a parent with dementia or child with autism. As employers provide programs to support employees bringing their best selves to work, the caregiving struggle is often overlooked. Wellthy provides modern, … [More]
Will Blockchain Uplevel the Arizona Real Estate Market?
Love it or hate it, blockchain is disrupting nearly every industry. And while most associate blockchain with Bitcoin or cryptocurrency, it really refers to its underlying technology — and that technology holds a tremendous amount of promise to a range of industries and uses, including real estate. What exactly is blockchain? In a nutshell, it’s a decentralized, distributed … [More]
Local Businesses Take to Podcasting
Podcasts have become a popular medium for businesses to connect with their customers and target market. Here’s a sampling from our local entrepreneurs. “Relentless Mentality” is a new podcast launched by Bayless Healthcare CEO and community leader Justin Bayless. It features conversations with change agents, leaders and individuals of achievement. Says Bayless, “My podcast … [More]
40 Years of Change – Where the Multihousing Industry Is Headed in the Valley
Starting out as a necessary form of housing in the Valley, the multihousing industry has evolved to be a go-to choice for residents, which has helped keep the health of this industry strong. There has always been demand for apartments, but demand has risen as a result of demographic changes and as the renters of choice have increased. Expect the market to remain strong; rent … [More]
Building Office in Perimeter Center, Scottsdale
A local partnership known as DBM Ventures has purchased 2.79 acres at 8399 E. Hartford Dr., within Perimeter Center in the dynamic Scottsdale Airpark submarket, with plans to develop a $9-million, 32,054-square-foot office building. Construction is slated to begin at the end of this year with occupancy scheduled for summer 2019. LGE Design Build will be handling both … [More]
Independent Living Apartments Planned
The Wolff Company — a Scottsdale-based private equity firm and developer — has purchased property in Scottsdale, Arizona, with plans to develop a refined senior community called Revel Scottsdale. The finished property will include a commercial kitchen, dining room and bistro, resort-style saltwater pool and spa, state-of-the-art fitness center, modern club room, and media … [More]
Urban Infill Development Potential
Combining a new inventory focused on vacant parcels located in central business districts (CBDs) with in-depth research on CBD construction activity as well as a 25-city survey that gauges what developments are most desirable to the local urban population, COMMERCIALCafé research shows that recent development efforts have failed to address the needs and wants of the citizens … [More]
