“The driving force is simple. We believe you must give back to the communities where you make a living,” says Howard Fleischmann, who, with his wife, Pat, owns Community Tire Pros & Auto Repair. They believe this is everyone’s responsibility and are among many business leaders in our community who put that belief into action. “Our actions help support our company beliefs … [More]
Patrick J. Armstrong, Canal Partners
I have been fortunate to serve as the board chair for Social Venture Partners of Arizona for the past two years, and have been a partner with the organization for 10 years. My wife, Amy Armstrong, and I have witnessed firsthand how business leaders (and future leaders) are able to lend their time and talent to nonprofit organizations through serving on a board of directors, … [More]
Differentiating the Gen Y/Z Market
With each new generation, a different set of rules presents itself for marketers. And, with five generations of consumers currently represented in the United States, it can be somewhat complex to differentiate between newer generations that, at first glance, appear to be very similar. But to say that generations Y and Z are the same, or could be marketed to using the same … [More]
Fear and Consequences
The all-hands meeting was called abruptly on a Friday afternoon and the entire staff shuffled into the largest conference room. Ten chairs for 30 employees. No one knew what was happening but all had a concerned look on their face. For the nine months prior, everyone in the company had worked harder than they ever had before in their career. They believed in the company’s … [More]
Age and Workforce: Valuing Experienced Workers
The demographics of an aging population are well-known, although you might not remember the numbers. The Census Bureau forecasts that individuals 65 years and older will account for more than 21 percent of the U.S. population in 2030, up from 15 percent in 2016. Census also expects that the number of people over 65 years of age will outnumber children under age 18 for the first … [More]
Business Buyers & Sellers Beware in 2019
A word of caution as you scan the business horizon for 2019. Depending on which side of a judgment you land on, it’s either a significant asset or obligation. Like a statute of limitations for filing a lawsuit, judgments in Arizona have a lifespan during which they can be enforced. When the enforcement period runs out, a judgment expires and is forevermore unenforceable — … [More]
Measuring Success
Tracking success is at the core of creating a culture of evaluation within a nonprofit organization, where program decisions are made based on facts rather than impressions, hopes and wishes. When a philanthropic foundation reviews the performance of its investment portfolio, it looks at its financial return on investment, the calculation of which is dollar-based and clear … [More]
Ryan Hibbert: Causing a Riot in Hospitality
Ryan Hibbert knows what it takes to be successful in the hospitality industry. It was in 2010 when the Arizona native co-founded Riot Hospitality Group, a Scottsdale-based hospitality management company dedicated to evolving the typical restaurant landscape into one that provides unique and meaningful experiences. Nearly a decade and 12 venues later, Hibbert and his team … [More]
Voice Assistants Are Redefining the Way Americans Shop
Voice assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri have ushered in a new era of customer interactions with technology. Individuals can use voice assistants on a range of smart devices (e.g., smart speakers, smart phones, etc.) to carry out a multitude of tasks. From asking for directions to shopping, voice assistants have enabled consumers to acquire information and make … [More]
All-Natural CBD Products for Pets
A little more than a year ago, CompanionCBD launched with its line of easy-to-administer and cost-effective soft chew cannabidiol (CBD) products for pets. “CBD is a plant-derived compound which comes from the hemp plant and mimics the action of chemicals that are essential for normal functioning of the brain and body,” says CEO Brad Malin. A 2018 study from Surgical Neurology … [More]
Mixed-Use Bringing Big Change to Downtown Phoenix
Much touted since its planned arrival was announced many months ago, the Fry’s store that will finally bring a grocery to serve all the residential housing in Downtown Phoenix is within sight on the calendar. On January 22, RED Development, Fry’s Food Stores and StreetLights Residential held a “topping off” ceremony to commemorate the completion of vertical construction on the … [More]
FENDI Private Residences to Make Arizona Debut
A boutique collection of 41 custom FENDI Private Residences will break ground later this year as this internationally recognized homebuilder opens its first ground-up residential enclave in North America at The Palmeraie, a master-planned community on the border of Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. FENDI Private Residences is an expression of FENDI as a complete lifestyle. … [More]
Car Condos Completed
LGE Design Build has completed construction on Toy Barn Scottsdale, a three-building, 27,000-square-foot, $7.5 million luxury garage concept just north of the Scottsdale Airport. Toy Barn specializes in sleek, privately-owned, expertly-designed vehicular “condos” — a storage solution for cars, boats, motorcycles, RVs and other valuable property in a climate-controlled … [More]
New Med School Augments Phoenix’s ‘MedTown’ Triangle
On what has been part of the parking lot for Park Central, the mid-town Phoenix mall on Central Avenue, Creighton University will be building a two-story, 180,000-square-foot medical school and student residences. The four-year health sciences campus is part of the adaptive reuse of the Southwest’s first enclosed shopping mall; Creighton is taking the southeast corner of the … [More]
Disrupting Traditional Rx
SpotRx, a next-gen pharmacy, may help do to the traditional pharmacy model what Netflix did to Blockbuster. With the goal to be the “everywhere, anytime” pharmacy, SpotRx is a medical “vending machine” where individuals can consult an e-doctor/pharmacist, transfer a prescription and pickup (or opt for delivery of) their medications. The company currently has a stand-alone kiosk … [More]
App Helps People with Food Allergies Eat Out
AllergySafe is a new app that takes the guesswork out of eating out by providing food allergy sufferers with a list of safe foods at their favorite restaurants. The app was created by 16-year-old Akshat Gautam, after he realized he was not alone in facing this difficulty. In the United States, food allergies are the sixth leading cause of chronic illness; every three minutes, a … [More]
Walmart Launches Cutting-Edge Innovations
2018 saw Walmart — which has 127 retail units throughout Arizona — roll out and expand several in-store and online innovations for shoppers as well as increase support for its more than 34,000 Arizona associates through increased training, new handheld apps, robotics and other technology designed to make their daily tasks easier. Customer-focused innovations launched or … [More]
SRP Is Leading the Charge for Electric Vehicles
Electric vehicle ownership has increased dramatically in the last seven years, according to Salt River Project, which has seen the numbers grow from four electric vehicles registered in Arizona in 2010 to more than 14,000 as of July 2018. In fact, after leveling out from 2014 to 2015, the adoption rate increased over the next three years by about 8,000. And now, as more drivers … [More]
