Arizona has a long and illustrious history as a filming destination. With increased collaboration among film partners statewide, Arizona is poised to once again become a premier filming destination. As outlined in this month’s cover story, the economic impact of film and digital media on Arizona is substantial. The Arizona Film & Digital Media Program (the State’s Film … [More]
Advancing Enterprise: How Big Business Is Working to Empower Small Business
As much as business can be a cutthroat world with individual companies fighting for their space in it, it’s also true that it’s an interconnected world in which “a rising tide lifts all boats,” to use the phrase made popular by President John F. Kennedy. This month, In Business Magazine sought out some of the major businesses and organizations in our community to highlight … [More]
July 2024 Guest Editor: Rick McCartney, InMedia Company
Big on Small Business
Arizona always ranks high as a state strong for startups and small to mid-size businesses. While credit for the success so many startups and SMBs achieve must of course be given to the can-do western spirit of the individuals, credit must also be shared with the major companies that make it part of their business model to support SMBs. So many big companies in the Valley know … [More]
Legal-Ease: Your Lawyer as Your Business Consultant
Navigating challenges and identifying opportunity
Attorneys can offer far more benefit to businesses than retroactively putting out fires from businesses’ missteps and other problems. With their expertise in specific practice areas, they can not only help businesses avoid problems but even identify potential opportunity that business executives focused on day-to-day operations may not otherwise have considered. With Burch … [More]
June 2024 Guest Editor: Susie Ingold, Burch & Cracchiolo
With the Law on Your Side
In many cases, reaching out to an attorney is a common response when businesses run into problems in various aspects of their operations. But seeking out their expertise may not only help the business avert problems but even strengthen and grow. I believe a proactive approach to consulting with my clients often avoids problems and creates opportunities for growth and … [More]
The Real Deal: On the Ground with Commercial Real Estate
Arizona’s real estate market has had a yo-yo cyclical nature for decades. Are we entering a time of more stability? In Business Magazine has asked leading professionals in this market to share insights on what is happening now in the four real estate sectors of industrial, retail, office and multifamily plus how real estate is supporting the important economic sector of … [More]
May 2024 Guest Editor: Suzanne Kinney, NAIOP Arizona
Business Builds on CRE
Commercial real estate serves as a mirror to the multitude of social changes we’ve experienced since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This economic sector has long been known for its cyclical market, but we may be seeing much longer-term trends. Greater Phoenix continues to be a hot spot for industrial development despite more challenging market conditions. Reshoring … [More]
Capital Ideas: How Different Types of Funding Can Grow Business
Part I: Loans, Grants and Investment
Prominently visible on buildings around town are names that demonstrate the strength and depth of the financial sector here — serving a business community equally strong and varied. We connected with select members of that sector to present an overview of funding types and opportunity. Notes Ken Bauer, chief lending officer at OneAZ Credit Union, “In order to grow or improve a … [More]
April 2024 Guest Editor RaeAnne Marsh, In Business Magazine
Capital Connections
Capital is recognized as the essential foundation of business. But even more basic is access to capital. And to knowledgeable counsel on achieving that access and making the most of financial opportunity that goes with it. This month’s cover story looks at sources of capital from several different angles — including types of funding programs and financial institutions as … [More]
It’s Lonely at the Top: Empowering CEOs to Be Their Best
It’s not only lonely at the top, it’s precarious — as good leaders live up to President Harry Truman’s famous statement acknowledging the responsibility that comes with authority: “The buck stops here.” Even experienced CEOs running major corporations may not be managing themselves well; focused on managing the company, they’re neglecting some basic aspects of self-care, best … [More]
Tim O’Neal, Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona
Leadership That Matters
“Continuous improvement” is the mantra for business success. While the phrase usually refers to business operations, it’s also applicable to those organizations’ leadership as well. As CEO for one of the fastest-growing nonprofit organizations in the country, we have been impacted by the same market trends, supply chain challenges, labor shortages and lack of affordable … [More]
The 7 Wonders of Greater Phoenix: Economic Game-Changers for Our Metropolitan Area
Inspired by the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, In Business Magazine has identified seven game-changing projects and events that add to the dynamic vitality of Greater Phoenix and contribute to the continued growth of this fifth-largest metropolitan area in the nation. Seven Wonders: Mayo’s Discovery Oasis In late 2021, Mayo Clinic announced it would develop a … [More]
February Guest Editor: Jerry Colangelo, JDM Partners
The Wonder of Phoenix
Phoenix is the fifth largest metropolitan area in the United States, and it boasts numerous game-changers in its history. These range from the concept of food banks and the Make-A-Wish Foundation to the most popular tournament on the PGA tour — what’s now known as the Waste Management Phoenix Open — to the uniquely welcoming business environment driven by an unusual … [More]
Chips, Climate, Culture, College, Construction: The New ‘5 C’s’ of Our Economy
Arizona’s early economy was based on the strength of what it famously called the “5 C’s”: Climate, Cattle, Copper, Cotton and Citrus. Some of those continue to infuse strength to the state’s economy, some have morphed into a broader category, and some have had their elite spot usurped by a newcomer. In Business Magazine offers a 2024 take on the 5 C’s economy for Arizona … [More]
January Guest Editor: Rick McCartney, InMedia Company
The Changing C’s – It Is More Than a Case of ‘Then and Now’
Arizona’s economy was once known for Copper, Cattle, Cotton, Citrus and Climate — or the “5 C’s,” as they were known. Our economy has transformed in recent decades to one dependent on cycles. Thanks to a concerted, collaborative effort among economic development agencies and the business community, we now again have a diversified economy — and one based on components that … [More]
19 Top Leaders of 2023: Our list of Valley leaders who are making a real difference!
Each year, we select top leaders who have had great success over the preceding year. This year, we selected 19 leaders in varied established sectors within our business community. We asked hard-hitting questions of these leaders to get a sense of what they see for 2024. Each of them is truly entrenched in growing their companies and our economy, in developing policy, managing … [More]
Pam Kehaly, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona
Leadership 2024
Arizona in general and Metro Phoenix are among the hottest growth spots in the country. Numerous factors are touted to explain this, but certainly notable is the exceptional business leadership that characterizes our business community. So, we have a responsibility ... We are fortunate to live in a growth state with so many influential business leaders making decisions every … [More]
Trading Places: How Are We Fostering International Business?
“Arizona and Greater Phoenix’s emergence as a top national market has coincided with the growth of its international trade,” states Chris Camacho, president and CEO of Greater Phoenix Economic Council. He notes that, from 2012–2022, Arizona’s world trade increased by more than 60%, which was well above the national average of about 39% and was part of a surge in recent years, … [More]
