Landfill reduction is a hot topic in sustainability circles these days. But reducing landfill waste may be difficult for many small businesses. Cecilia Chavez and husband Terry Calvo have teamed up with Frank Garcia and Jenny Zamora-Garcia to provide Flagstaff businesses with an easy way to reduce waste by recycling inkjet and toner cartridges. The woman-owned, minority business, Ink Envey, offers a $2 credit for each used ink or toner cartridge, typically slated for the trashcan. “Two … [Read more...] about Business Reducing Landfill Waste
Downtown Vacancies Trending with Nation
Lights remain out in many storefront locations in Flagstaff’s historic downtown district. “In one square block area between Leroux, Aspen, San Francisco and Route 66, there are about 10 vacancies. I’ve been in downtown for 20 years, and we’ve never had that many vacancies,” said David DeGraff, owner of Main Street Catering. DeGraff sold his downtown restaurant, Main Street Restaurant and Grill, in October and moved the kitchen to run his catering business out of the historic area. Steve … [Read more...] about Downtown Vacancies Trending with Nation
Flagstaff Sno-Park Proposing Sustainable Business
Two Flagstaff natives are working with the City of Flagstaff to open a snow-play park within the city limits. John Crowley and T.J. Dana promise a first-class tubing park that will offer activities for all ages – if they can get a lease agreement and approval from the city. Plans for Flagstaff Sno-Park include gentle slopes for youngsters and “ripping fast adrenaline pumping runs” for teenagers and adults. Dana and Crowley worked with the City of Flagstaff to determine the best location for … [Read more...] about Flagstaff Sno-Park Proposing Sustainable Business
Real Estate Professionals Point to Silver Lining
The Northern Arizona Association of Realtors (NAAR) recently released annual home sales figures for 2011. Comparisons of 2011 real estate home sales (including Flagstaff, Williams and Winslow) to the previous year revealed some good news for Northern Arizona. “There were lots of positives last year,” said realtor Jeff Ross of Realty Executives Flagstaff pointing to the report. “More homes were sold in 2011 than the previous year.” The number of total homes sold was up 10.6 percent over 2010. … [Read more...] about Real Estate Professionals Point to Silver Lining
Snowbowl Improving Visitor Experience
When Arizona Snowbowl opened for the 2011-2012 season last month, visitors found improvements to their skiing and snowboarding experiences. Despite waylays caused by lawsuits over snowmaking, the resort continues to work towards the proposed plan that was assembled by Arizona Snowbowl and the Forest Service. Some of the planned improvements were made last summer. Four new beginner and intermediate glade runs – including one named Route 66 – and an advanced run were part of the terrain … [Read more...] about Snowbowl Improving Visitor Experience
What are Northern Arizonans Predicting for 2012?
January always brings customary predictions for what the New Year will hold. While some laugh at Doomsday prophesies based on Mayan calendars, others are concerned about the election year, the economy or business opportunities. One thing is for sure, 2012 offers an abundance of events ripe for prognostication. Flagstaff Business News asked Northern Arizonans what was on their minds as they pondered the coming year. “There will be more Biomedical Engineers living and working in … [Read more...] about What are Northern Arizonans Predicting for 2012?
Leveling the Tax Break Playing Field
Should municipal governments offer tax breaks to some? Recently, the Flagstaff City Council turned down a tax incentive proposal for a local car dealer. Scott Baugh, who owns Planet Nissan Subaru Jeep, would have received a four-year tax rebate in exchange for bringing a Chrysler-Dodge dealership back to Flagstaff. Flagstaff Business News asked some experts to address the controversial issue of tax incentives and the role of municipal governments. “Local government does not have a vast … [Read more...] about Leveling the Tax Break Playing Field
Unique Downtown Transportation Model
“We saw it in July when we were in Wisconsin. Our jaws just dropped and I asked my husband, ‘What IS that thing?’” said Heidi Mierendorf of Flagstaff. “That thing” turned out to be the Milwaukee Pedal Pub – part bicycle and part truck-sized party-shack that carried revelers around town. Brett and Heidi Mierendorf used smartphones to snap pictures of the 15-passenger bike, but didn’t get a chance to take a ride while they visited family in Milwaukee. They experienced their first pedal-powered … [Read more...] about Unique Downtown Transportation Model
Flagstaff Real Estate Boom on Horizon
Business Insider tagged Flagstaff as one of the best housing markets for the next five years. According to the article, Flagstaff is in the top ten appreciating housing markets in the nation. In the report, the news magazine cited recent Fiserv Case Shiller Indexes that measure average change in home prices. The Flagstaff housing market is expected to appreciate at the rate of 10.9 percent annually between 2011 and 2016. That is compared to the 3.7 percent national average for annual … [Read more...] about Flagstaff Real Estate Boom on Horizon
Sedona Company Helping Prepare Future Accountants
When looking to attract businesses to Northern Arizona, economic development experts should consider a new secret weapon: grandchildren. It was grandchildren that attracted Edward (Ted) Foley to Sedona. “When I retired from a career in business in the Cleveland area, I had married kids living in Sedona. I came to retire – but shortly after, I got involved with a fellow who was creating a CPA exam review course. He was looking to raise capital,” said the former vice president of planning and … [Read more...] about Sedona Company Helping Prepare Future Accountants