The Arizona Centennial Commission, the organization planning Arizona’s year-long statewide Centennial celebration in 2012, announces today that Pendleton Woolen

Mills was selected to design, weave and market the official Arizona Centennial commemorative blanket. These historic, limited edition custom blankets were woven in the company’s Pacific NW mill located in Pendleton, Oregon.

The custom blanket will be issued in a limited 150 “Governor’s Edition”, with each one numbered and individually signed by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer. An unnumbered open edition will also be available. A portion of the proceeds will go to support Arizona’s Centennial celebration.

Inspired by the Arizona flag, this custom blanket features a central copper star on a deep blue background. The five points of the star recall the five “C’s” of Arizona’s economy: copper, cotton, cattle, citrus and climate. The borders of the blanket are inspired by designs from Arizona’s rich and diverse Native American and Hispanic cultures and incorporate fifteen diamond shaped elements which symbolize the state’s fifteen counties: Apache, Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Navajo, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz, Yavapai and Yuma. The red and yellow pointed elements of the borders evoke the rays of the setting sun on the Arizona state flag.

Babbitt’s Wholesale, Inc. of Flagstaff, which has been a wholesale distributor of Pendleton blankets for more than 100 years, assisted with the project. Babbitt’s and Pendleton have a long history of collaboration on custom blanket design and production. The staff at Babbitt’s consulted with elected officials, historians, Native American tribal members, Hispanic community members as well as Arizona Centennial Commission members and staff in developing the official Centennial blanket design.“We are extremely proud to have been chosen to weave this blanket to help celebrate and raise funds for the Arizona Centennial Commission,” says Robert Christnacht of Pendleton Woolen Mills. “Partnering with our long standing friends and wholesalers, the Babbitt family, makes this celebratory blanket even more special for us.”

The Arizona Centennial blanket will be available in February at Old Town Scottsdale Pendleton, 7237 E. 1st Avenue, Scottsdale, AZ 85251, (480) 874-2655.

Babbitt’s Helps With AZ Centennial Blanket is a post from: Flagstaff Business & Online News | Northern Arizona Local Newspaper

Don Lewis has been named president of SCA’s Americas Business Unit, which has operations in the Flagstaff, Ariz., region. In this role he will be responsible for overseeing all of SCA’s businesses in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America and South America, and will serve as a member of the company’s global leadership team.

Lewis joined SCA in 2001 and was previously president of SCA’s North American away from home tissue division which manufactures and sells the Tork brand of towel, tissue, napkins and wipers used in professional settings such as office buildings, restaurants, schools, health care facilities and arenas.

SCA has nearly 260 employees at its mill in Flagstaff and converting plant in Bellemont. In addition to Arizona, SCA’s North American tissue division, which is headquartered in Philadelphia, has manufacturing facilities in Alabama, New York and Wisconsin, and employs more than 2,200 in the United States and Canada.

In his new role, Lewis will also be responsible for the Americas efforts for other SCA brands including TENA, the world’s leading incontinence care brand; Saba, the leading feminine care brand in Mexico and Central America; and a number of other consumer and business-to-business brands the company makes and sells throughout the Americas. Sales in 2010 for this part of SCA’s business totaled $2.2 billion.

“SCA is a strong company with tremendous potential. We have growing brands, exciting innovations driven by customer and consumer insights and a long history of strong sustainability practices globally and in the Americas. I am excited about this new challenge and look forward to working with my team to drive increased growth and profitability for SCA’s brands in the Americas,” says Lewis.

Lewis has nearly 25 years of experience in the paper industry and prior to joining SCA was with Encore Paper, which SCA later acquired, and Fort Howard Paper Company. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Youngstown University.

Joseph Russo has been promoted to vice president of sales and marketing, for SCA’s North American away from home professional hygiene business. In this new role Russo will take the lead for sales and marketing of the SCA’s away from home tissue business in the U.S. and Canada. Russo has been with SCA and its predecessors for 19 years and was previously vice president of sales distribution for U.S. and Canada for SCA’s North American tissue division. Russo earned an MBA in management from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Rutherford, N.J. and a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, N.J.

“Joe and I have worked side by side for two decades. I am confident that in his new expanded leadership role Joe will continue to propel the growth of the Tork brand,” said Lewis.

SCA’s Americas leadership team now boasts two additional professionals from the company’s North American Tork tissue business.

Michael Jansen takes on a promotion to the new role of vice president of product planning and logistics for SCA Americas. Jansen has been with SCA for 11 years and was previously vice president of finance and CFO and also vice president of supply chain for SCA’s North American away from home tissue division. Prior to joining SCA, Jansen held management roles at Schreiber Foods, Unilever and Wisconsin Tissue. He earned an MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

Fred Albrecht has been promoted into the new position of vice president, supply chain for SCA Americas. Albrecht has been with SCA for nearly 10 years and was previously vice president of manufacturing for SCA’s North American away from home tissue division. He has also worked with the company in the areas of sales, marketing, human resources and training and development. Prior to joining SCA, Albrecht was with Champion International Corporation, GlaxoSmithKline and Right Management Consultants. He earned a master’s degree in safety from the University of Wisconsin-Stout and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Va.

The remaining members of SCA’s Americas Leadership Team include Amy Bellcourt, vice president communications; Michael Casamento, vice president finance; Jaime Costa, senior advisor for Latin America; Pablo Fuentes, vice (more)
president of the Mexico and Central America division; Kevin Gorman, vice president legal; John O’Rourke, vice president human resources; Jan Schiavone, vice president of the South America division; and Bruno Zepeda, vice president of sales and marketing personal care in North America.

About SCA
SCA is a global hygiene and paper company that develops and produces personal-care products, tissue, packaging solutions, publication papers and solid-wood products. Sales are conducted in 100 countries. SCA has many well-known brands, and in the U.S. sells the TENA line of bladder control products and Tork brand napkins, paper towels, bath tissue and wipers. Global sales in 2010 were $15 billion. SCA has approximately 45,000 employees. SCA’s Americas headquarters is in the Cira Centre in Philadelphia. For more information visit, www.sca.com/us.

Photographed, Don Lewis- Center   Photo by Michael Bielecki

Don Lewis Named President of SCA–Americas is a post from: Flagstaff Business & Online News | Northern Arizona Local Newspaper

 The heart specialists at Northern Arizona Healthcare have moved into their new and improved space with plans to better serve patients throughout the region. The 11,000-square-foot Heart and Vascular Center of Northern Arizona (HVCNA) is located on the second floor of Flagstaff Medical Center’s west campus.

HVCNA is a partnership between Flagstaff Medical Center and the Verde Valley Medical Center, with offices in Winslow, Sedona, Camp Verde Cottonwood. Over the past several years, the center has attracted additional surgeons and cardiologists, each helping to expand services by offering different backgrounds and specialties. With heart disease maintaining its ranking as the number one killer in the United States, many Northern Arizonans have welcomed the increased services to the region.

During a recent open house highlighting the new facility, Dr. Eric Cohen shared his enthusiasm for bringing increased life-saving opportunities to Northern Arizona. “We’re creating a program designed to rapidly treat acute myocardial infraction, major myocardial infarction,” explained Cohen. Statistics show that so-called STEMI (St-segment elevation myocardial infarction) patients benefit from immediate treatment. “We learned in the 1990s to 2000s that the thing you wanted to do with a heart attack is stop it by opening blocked arteries in the Cath lab and restoring blood flow to heart muscle. And we learned that if you could do it expeditiously, typically 60-90 minutes from presentation to fix, you could take the mortality rate for heart attack to roughly 40 percent (as it was in the 1980s and ‘90s) to below 14 percent. This program does that,” Cohen said.

Dr. Cohen is an interventional cardiologist and the medical director of peripheral vascular intervention at the HVCNA. He seems optimistic about improved outcomes with additional services for Native Americans.

“Basically, one of our major constituencies is the far flung communities of Northern Arizona, from Navajo to Hopi to Shiprock, Window Rock and so forth,” said Cohen, referring to the vast Native American communities in the northern half of the state. When patients travel more than 200 miles to FMC, they can be seen by a physician, have necessary diagnostic procedures (including Echocardiograms, ultrasound, and stress tests,) and reconvene with the physician to immediately put a plan in place.

HVCNA has created a network similar to a trauma network to help people who are hours from an intervention facility. “A patient goes into their local ER, they are given medications designed to begin to treat the heart attack,” explained Dr. Cohen. Air transport is arranged and activated. “If the medicines they’ve received have stopped the heart attack, then you plan elective intervention,” he added, saying that works for about 60 percent of people. For the 40 percent whose heart attacks are evolving, they are taken straight to the catheterization laboratory for treatment.

These HVCNA developments for serving outlying communities are part of the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline.

Dr. Alice Jacobs is former president of the American Heart Association and a key volunteer with Mission Lifeline. She told Flagstaff Business News that the focus of Mission: Lifeline is to increase the number of STEMI patients who have timely access to intervention. Guidelines provide recommendations for treatments and intervention procedures, including patients being transported from remote areas. “By bringing together the constituents and system components involved in the delivery of care to STEMI patients, and with the use of Mission: Lifeline standardized protocols, treatment algorithms, toolkits, checklists, and comprehensive feedback and quality assurance, Mission: Lifeline has the potential to provide optimal care to all STEMI patients including those residing in rural communities and on Indian reservations,” said Dr. Jacobs.

Improvements in care mean many heart attack patients spend just a day or two in the hospital, instead of the longer hospital stays of the past.

When patients are on the mend, HVCNA facilitates outpatient procedures. Nurse Practitioner Leaf Edmondson manages discharge planning and continuity of care of patients. She has been joined by Wendy Hulett, a registered nurse who recently moved to Flagstaff from the Dakotas. She will facilitate the return of Native American patients to caregivers in their communities, communicating post procedural regimens and providing records and discharge summaries to the other practitioners.

FMC President Bill Bradel says it is all about better serving patients. “Our goal is to appropriately take care of patients so they don’t have to go to the U of A and Phoenix. Especially for the Native American culture, they want their family members taken care of as close as possible, and right now they’re going long distances.” Bradel says the HVCNA is continually working to enhance services to patients with cardiology concerns. FBN

Heart Care Becoming Available Locally is a post from: Flagstaff Business & Online News | Northern Arizona Local Newspaper

 Northern Arizona’s high-elevation winters have long been desert havens for snow sports like skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing and even dogsled racing. A growing number of visitors have been choosing Northern Arizona as their wintertime destination for more simple pleasures – enjoying local shops and restaurants and recreating at newly-opened snow play areas like Wing Mountain and Fort Tuthill.

The recent growth in Flagstaff’s wintertime tourism economy is no coincidence, according to Jacki Lenners, marketing manager at Flagstaff’s Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Our number one inbound market is Phoenix, and many of those from the Valley originally come from the Midwest and have that desire to reconnect with what they consider a real winter.”

Statistics show the Phoenix metropolitan area has represented a quickly growing winter recreation and tourism market for Northern Arizona. According to 2010 census data, Arizona recorded the second fastest population growth among states between 2000 and 2010, adding 1.2 million residents for a total of 6.3 million. Maricopa County represented approximately 59 percent of Arizona’s growth in the past 10 years.

Less than a three-hour drive away from the Valley, Flagstaff is a convenient and novel wintertime destination. “We’ve been fortunate this year – you can be sledding, snowboarding, skiing, or your kids can be building a snowman,” said Lenners. “Summer is our high season, but we try to keep that momentum going through the winter. We position ourselves as a destination for all seasons.”

According to data from the Arizona Office of Tourism, the growth of Coconino Country’s tourism industry roughly correlates with the rapid population growth of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Their 2010 year-end report shows total direct travel spending in Coconino County jumped from approximately $700 million in 2001 to $948 million in 2010.

Greater collaboration and marketing among Northern Arizona’s businesses, arts and cultural associations have been important to maintaining tourism revenue throughout the wintertime season. According to Lenners, February tends to be one of the year’s slower economic periods due to its placement between the winter holidays and spring break. That is where the annual Winterfest celebration comes in.

“Winterfest is great filler. It’s all about people working together to get that message out that Flagstaff is a great winter town,” said Lenners. “It’s not a frigid, bitter cold. We’re still Arizona, so we have 300-plus days of sunshine a year.”

Winterfest 2012

The Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce, Pepsi and Arizona Snowbowl have been organizing Flagstaff’s 26th annual Winterfest celebration taking place throughout February 2012. By organizing and marketing outdoor recreation activities with arts and cultural events, Winterfest broadens the High Country holiday message and provides a greater pull for visitors. This year’s Winterfest also coincides with Arizona’s Centennial celebration.

“Raising awareness of the delights of winter in Flagstaff is a great way to promote our community and bring new customers to local businesses,” said Chamber President/CEO Julie Pastrick.

Kicking off the month-long Winterfest celebration will be a live concert and debut of the Flagstaff Urban Ski & Snowboarding (FUSS) event on Feb. 4. The two-day FUSS event will transform a downtown Flagstaff Street by adding various props for grinding and jumping. Other events include the Robert Burns Supper, celebrating the noted Scottish poet; the 2012 Library Quilt Show; a keg-tapping of a limited-edition Winterfest Brew at Lumberyard Brewing Co. as well as various concerts and theatrical events.

Mushing 

One winter sport with a long history in Flagstaff, mushing, or dog sled racing, is a local favorite and has historically been a pull for visitors across Arizona during Winterfest.

Mushing includes competitions such as weight pulls, dog sled racing and skijoring. Gery Allen, vice president of the Arizona Mountain Mushers spoke with Flagstaff Business News about mushing’s unique contribution to Northern Arizona’s winter recreation community.

“Our club has been around more than 20 years – you’d have to consider it one of the many winter recreation activities. There are people who like to snowshoe, people who like to ski, and people who just like to be outdoors with their dogs.”

The Arizona Mountain Mushers have traditionally attempted a sled dog race, dog weight pull or both during Winterfest. According to Denise Richards, a 20-year veteran of the Arizona Mountain Mushers, past races have been a big hit.

“People love to watch it – back when we had our races off of Highway 180, thousands of people would show up. Parking was an issue, along with traffic. But most people love dogs, and to see them doing what they love to do, it’s a lot of fun.”

Recently, races have been moved to Mormon Lake and shorter winters have necessitated earlier January events while the snow is still packed. However, the weight pull has traditionally taken place during Winterfest. Shirley Hendricks, the club’s weight pull chair, said, “We’ve had dogs that have pulled as much as 1,200 pounds, and that’s conservative.”

Infrastructure Limitations 

The boom in Flagstaff’s wintertime tourism economy has resulted in other increases – most noticeably, weekend traffic in and out of town.

“There are some capacity restrictions, particularly on Highway 180, so expanding recreation opportunities in that corridor is problematic,” said David Wessel, of the Flagstaff Metropolitan Planning Organization. “Elsewhere, however, there may be plenty of opportunities. Part of it is balancing the supply of recreation opportunity with demand for access and roadway.”

According to Wessel, regular growth along the Highway 180 corridor has added to what is called “background traffic.”

“That background traffic eats up the capacity, and so it takes fewer cars every year to push us over capacity. Part of the challenge is also communications infrastructure – letting people know what is available and what is full. There are impacts to business if we’re turning people away,” said Wessel.

The Flagstaff Convention and Visitors Bureau has also been working to get the message out about the many different snow play locations around town, according to marketing manager Jacki Lenners. “In the past couple of years, we’ve been trying to push Fort Tuthill. They have built a smaller sledding hill especially for people with younger kids who have never seen snow. It’s also a great place to stop without having to deal with traffic.” FBN

The Arizona Mountain Mushers are putting on two back-to-back sled dog races Jan. 14-15 and 21-22. A full calendar of 2012 Winterfest events will be available at the end of January 2012 on the Chamber website, www.flagstaffchamber.com, and a printed calendar will also be distributed to dozens of hotels, restaurants and other venues. 

Winterfest and Growing Winter Tourism and Recreation Economy is a post from: Flagstaff Business & Online News | Northern Arizona Local Newspaper

With the New Year upon us, resolutions abound. Topping the list each year is often a health, fitness or weight-loss related goal. For many, meeting this goal means signing up at a gym come January, the busiest month for fitness clubs. Gym memberships have been consistently growing over the past decade, reaching an overall number of more than 40 million in 2010, according to a recent IBISWorld report. With gym attendance at an all-time high, fitness professionals and their facilities must keep up-to-date with the latest industry developments in order to attract clientele and grow their business.

For a lot of gyms and training studios, staying current means perpetually reinventing their offerings – from adding the latest craze in group fitness classes to state-of-the-art workout equipment – and staying “fresh” can equate to more business.

Gary Steffensen, co-owner (with wife Tina) of Peak Results Fitness in Flagstaff, says their facility stays up-to-date by being an affiliate of a top ranking U.S. gym in Santa Clarita, Calif. In addition, Steffensen uses a variety of the latest-trend exercise equipment such as Kettlebells and the TRX suspension system in combination with more traditional equipment such as dumbbells and barbells when training clients. For the more tech savvy gym patrons, Peak Results Fitness offers daily tweets, a Facebook page and an option to sign up for classes through their website.

“We offer a broad range of class times throughout the day, starting at 6:00 a.m., to accommodate our clients’ busy schedules,” said Steffensen. “The online scheduling tool helps clients monitor their own accounts to stay current with payments, schedules and class happenings.”

The use of social media and the web is one of many trends predicted to increase business for gyms and clubs nationwide in the coming year, according to Radan Sturm, fitness director at Complete Body, a fitness and wellness company based in New York. Other trends gaining in popularity:

• Added-value wellness services: Increased offerings of additional services at clubs, such as nutritional counseling and spa services.

• Small group workouts: A way to socialize, cut costs and stay motivated.

• Youth-based fitness: More youth-focused classes as a way to help prevent childhood obesity.

• Corporate Wellness: Companies offering discounts or incentives to employees who join health clubs with the idea of encouraging healthier lifestyles among workers.

• Buddy System: Peer encouragement at the gym that provides motivational support.

“Fitness training trends are cyclical; the new ‘hot’ trends of the moment will give way to newer, more fashionable styles of training,” said Sturm. “The core understanding of physiology and anatomy stays consistent, but new ways of improving fitness are discovered.”

CrossFit, an intense exercise program in which dynamic exercises like plyometric jumps are executed while using non-traditional weightlifting equipment such as kettlebells or sand-bags, blends a few of these trends, according to co-owner of CrossFit Flagstaff, Lisa Ray.

Ray started CrossFit Flagstaff with her husband Mike in their garage as a hobby before growing it into the high performance gym it is today. She says CrossFit not only adheres more to the idea of small group workouts but also lends itself to the “buddy system” support practice.

“I think one of the main things that makes CrossFit so popular and works so well, is the community aspect of it,” said Ray. “You’re not on the treadmill or in the weight room, in your own little world, you are in a community of people working together and those people cheer you on, support you, coach you, encourage you, and hang out with you after the work is done. People are motivated by that and they stick with it and work harder because of it.”

Sturm, it would seem, speaks for many in the multi-billion dollar fitness industry when he says one of the best ways to keep trainers and clubs up to speed in this ever-changing trade is “ongoing education.” It is important to hold meetings, Sturm says, that “cover a range of topics designed to keep staff up-to-date and informed on the latest trends in the industry.” FBN

Mike and Lisa Ray, CrossFit, Flagstaff Photo by Michael Bielecki

Northern Arizonans Keeping it Fresh is a post from: Flagstaff Business & Online News | Northern Arizona Local Newspaper

 As we enter a new year, Arizona’s labor force and economy faces its steepest competition not only from international rivals who have been the recipients of the outsourcing trend of the last decade, but also from domestic large and mid-sized metropolitan areas that are using economic incentives and training grant programs for their benefit to lure businesses and encourage expansion.

One group serving as a valuable resource for Arizona in this competition is the Economic Incentives Advisory Group (EIAG), a consulting organization that helps its clients with qualifying for government sponsored business incentives, training grants, site selection and economic incentive research services. EIAG works with mid-size businesses, Fortune 500 companies and companies with as few as 30 employees. To make Arizona’s labor force more competitive, they have aligned with IBM to help facilitate and implement IBM’s Academic Initiatives partnership at community colleges across the Valley. They have also assisted IBM throughout the years with identifying government incentives related to job creation and skills advancement.

“Arizona does not face a ‘job shortage’ but a ‘deficiency in the right type of skill set shortage,’” says Bryant Colman, managing principal at EIAG. “We have lost the U.S. advantage, especially in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. These IBM educational initiatives do a phenomenal job educating our workers, which in turn makes Arizona a more attractive state for businesses.”

Both EIAG and IBM have been vocal in expressing ideas to the state and key officials in how to create incentive programs that will help existing businesses thrive and make Arizona a more attractive place for expansion. In fact, over the past 10 years, EIAG’s executive team has secured over $700 million in government grants, tax credits and other business incentives. By identifying and securing these government incentives for clients, EIAG is helping to create an environment of economic growth in Arizona.

The Academic Initiative covers a variety of areas and programs, including: business intelligence, business analytics, business process management, certifications, cloud computing, databases, enterprise hardware and predictive analysis. The resources IBM provides have no-charge to access their technology and tools–which include hundreds of software programs, course materials and curriculums.

The critical need for these needed skills was on display when Dell Computers received 10,000 applications for 100 jobs at their distribution center but could only find a handful of qualified applicants for their software engineer positions.

“U.S. students are not accepting the challenge and majoring in math, science and technology fields like other countries where H1-B employees are being recruited to fill positions that are in demand in this country. And today we are seeing the results during this international labor competition. Our skills are lacking. Corporate America simply cannot meet their demand in finding technology workers, and this is a gap we need to bridge,” says Colman. “There are too many jobs we cannot fill in the U.S., and it will take consultants like EIAG, cooperation from state officials, educational institutions and businesses like IBM to work together to successfully address the problem.”

About Economics Incentives Advisory Group:

Economic Incentives Advisory Group is a national firm specializing in identifying, securing and managing tax credits, government grants and related programs for national and international companies. Over past 10 years, the EIAG executive team has secured over $700 million in government grants, tax credits and other business incentives. EIAG leads the state of Arizona in grant projects completed. The executive team assists organizations of all sizes, ranging from Fortune 50 companies to small businesses, obtain and manage millions of dollars in government incentive programs. EIAG provides companies with the research, tools and management expertise needed to obtain the maximum benefit in the most efficient manner.

Group Aiming to Strengthen AZ Workforce is a post from: Flagstaff Business & Online News | Northern Arizona Local Newspaper

Craig Van Slyke, associate dean for Academic Programs at the John Cook School of Business at Saint Louis University, has been selected as the dean of The W.A. Franke College of Business at Northern Arizona University, effective July 1.

Van Slyke said NAU’s focus on increasing access to undergraduate education and the potential for growth within The W.A. Franke College of Business attracted him to the role.

“As a first generation college student myself, I know the impact that a university like NAU can have on someone’s life,” Van Slyke said. “I want to be part of that.”

Van Slyke said he sees opportunities to build on the college’s existing strengths including enhancements to technology.

During his tenure at Saint Louis University, Van Slyke was involved with implementing technological advancements, including an initiative that allowed all classrooms to become virtual computer labs.

“I am a big believer in active learning, and improving access to technology opens up those opportunities,” he said.

Liz Grobsmith, provost and vice president for academic affairs, said Van Slyke “brings both outstanding vision and skills to the position.”

Van Slyke has served as an associate dean at Saint Louis University since 2008, where he also worked as a department chair and associate professor. Prior to joining Saint Louis University, he was as an associate professor at the University of Central Florida and an assistant professor at Ohio University. Van Slyke has more than 17 years experience in higher education and more than 10 years experience in the private sector.

Van Slyke earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Central Florida, a master’s degree in business administration from Appalachian State University and a doctorate in information systems from the University of South Florida.

The search for a dean began in the summer, with Mason Gerety, vice president of Advancement and former dean of the college, appointed as interim dean in July.

NAU Getting New Dean for Business College is a post from: Flagstaff Business & Online News | Northern Arizona Local Newspaper

The Old Town Shops, located in downtown Flagstaff, presented the Cancer Centers of Northern ArizonaHealthcare – Flagstaff with a check for more than $1,800. P.J. Chilcottage and Mix on the Square donated a portion of their sale proceeds from October, which is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, to help support local women battling breast cancer.

“This is the third year we have joined forces with the community and the Cancer Center at Flagstaff Medical Center to help women who are fighting breast cancer,” said Lisa Brink, P.J. Chilcottage. “We are honored to help support these women and we look forward to doing even more in the years to come.”

                According to Jeff Axtell, director of the Cancer Centers of Northern Arizona Healthcare (CCNAH), the funds will be used to directly benefit local cancer patients through the Breast Cancer Resource Center. The Breast Cancer Resource Center provides education, resources and support services for women undergoing treatment. Services include a one-on-one breast surgery preparation class; post-op garments, breast prosthesis and mastectomy bras; and a comprehensive library with computer access and personalized assistance.

The Cancer Center also supports breast cancer patients through its nurse navigator program. Specially trained and certified oncology nurses are available to help women and their families “navigate” through their cancer journey.

The Cancer Centers of Northern Arizona Healthcare (CCNAH), located in Flagstaff and Sedona, are devoted to the prevention, early diagnosis and overall improvements in cancer care through advanced technology and individualized care. For more information on services and treatments offered at the Cancer Centers of Northern Arizona Healthcare visit CCNAH.com or call 800 854-7744 or 928 773-2261.

Old Town Shops Joining Forces with CCNAH is a post from: Flagstaff Business & Online News | Northern Arizona Local Newspaper

For years, Flagstaff and Williams have billed themselves as the gateways to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon – the conduits through which tourists must stop, rest, eat and, most importantly for local businesses, spend money. However, as the tiny town of Tusayan gears up for a big residential and commercial development that will place hotels and restaurants mere minutes away from the park, those roles may be set to change.

Stilo Development Group USA, an Italian real estate firm, has attempted to get approval from Coconino County to build near what was then the unincorporated settlement. Zachary Smith, a regent’s professor at NAU specializing in Arizona state and local politics, says this initial setback prompted the community to incorporate Tusayan into a town within the county.

“They wanted to have a development similar [to what they are building now], but the difference was that because they were an unincorporated city, they had to get approval from the county,” Smith said. “That meant there had to be a vote on it, and they lost that. Subsequently, they’ve incorporated, and now that they’re incorporated, they don’t have to get the county’s approval.”

Smith says businesses throughout Northern Arizona fought the original push to develop next to the Grand Canyon.

“I know, if not now, at the time, the development was very much opposed by the business community all over Northern Arizona,” Smith said. “I suspect it still is.”

In the Planned Community District Zoning Submittal delivered by Stilo USA to the town, the company plans to develop Tusayan into a tourist-driven economy.

“This development proposal is designed to help promote a healthy tourist economy in Tusayan by providing high-level support services to accommodate both [the Grand Canyon National Park] and Forest visitors,” the submittal said.

In a speech delivered to the Tusayan Town Council on Oct. 26, 2011, Grand Canyon National Park Superintendant David Uberuaga said the large-scale development would radically change the town.

“We do know, from their proposal, that there is potential for up to 2,400 residential unites, over three million feet of commercial and hospitality space, and a possible increase in the residential population from 500 to as many as 8,000 residents in Tusayan,” Uberuaga said.

At the same meeting, the town council took public comments. While most comments either reflected ecological concerns or expressed support for the economic benefits of the plan, some spoke about the fiscal implications on the rest of Northern Arizona. During this input period, Cindy Iniguez, who identified herself as a resident of Flagstaff, was quoted in the meeting minutes as having said she is concerned about the impacts on other Northern Arizona cities.

“As a resident of Flagstaff, I am very concerned about the development proposed,” Iniguez said. “Tusayan is not ready for something of this size, as well as something commercial. I feel that there has not been an economic impact study as to what it will do to your ‘sister cities,’ as well as your neighbors that support your town.”

While he says he understands the fears of hotel and restaurant owners in Williams and Flagstaff over the prospect of competition so close to the Grand Canyon, Smith says he is optimistic that the long-term consequences of the Tusayan development on the entirety of Northern Arizona will be either a draw or a net benefit.

“Most businesspeople think that it will have a negative impact, and I suspect that will be true, initially,” Smith said. “On the other hand, I believe, overall, the development will probably contribute to greater traffic to the South Rim – to the point where, in the long-run, it will work to the advantage of Flagstaff and Williams businesspeople. It might draw some hotel stays when those hotels go in, but if it draws more people here, that just means more people coming through Flagstaff – spending money in restaurants and staying in hotels here.”

Smith also notes that any allure for tourists featured on the South Rim would bring visitors through Flagstaff and Williams, as opposed to the North Rim, where much traffic comes from Las Vegas.

Yet, the development is currently facing a major hurdle: water. At the meeting, Uberuaga said the National Park Service is uncertain if Tusayan’s plans meet with water realities.

“One resource in particular, water, is of great concern,” Uberuaga said. “Future development, especially development with intensive uses such as restaurants, hotels and residential communities, will be dependant on an adequate water supply.”

In the zoning submittal, Stilo said the company is open to having discussions over water supplies in the future.

“While changes to the historical water supply and delivery systems in Tusayan are anticipated, and the applicant is open to participating in any reasonable collaborative effort that ensures a reliable water supply in the area, it is not clear how and when these changes will manifest themselves at this time,” the submittal said.

Smith says the inclusion of hotel and commercial zoning in the development plan may require extra attention be paid to water supplies.

“There is separate zoning for all of those things,” Smith said. “And there are additional impacts to be had on more condensed development, like a hotel.”

Smith expects the development to move forward.

“If the question is whether or not this can be stopped, I suspect – in the long-term – the answer is ‘no,’” Smith said. “Although that doesn’t mean that there might not be organizations that try to throw up roadblocks in the interim.” FBN

Arizonans Concerned About Tusayan Developments is a post from: Flagstaff Business & Online News | Northern Arizona Local Newspaper

This week SBE Council issued “Top Policy Highlights and Lowlights for Small Business in 2011,” a list of significant policy developments this past year for the nation’s small business owners and entrepreneurs. SBE Council President & CEO Karen Kerrigan said the list includes a range of issues that will impact the economic and business climate for 2012 and beyond.

Small business owners and entrepreneurs played a key role in helping to advance constructive policies on the list. It also includes other developments where the passage, failure to advance, or results of certain policies will continue to affect business conditions and the political debate for the foreseeable future.

“The past year was a rollercoaster ride when it came to the economy and government policies. While entrepreneurs can claim some policy victories in 2011, Washington came up woefully short on the types of policies needed to boost business confidence and strong economic growth.  Unfortunately, it looks like similar conditions will prevail in 2012,” observed Kerrigan.

“2011′s Top Policy Highlights and Lowlights for Small Business” include: 

Burdensome 1099 Reporting Requirement in ObamaCare Repealed.  One of the many misguided provisions included within the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” was a mandate requiring small business owners to file a 1099-MISC form with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for all payments made to vendors totaling $600 or more in a tax year. This also meant that firms would have to collect W-9 information from every vendor they purchase more than $600 worth of goods or services from each year. This unreasonable reporting mandate would have vastly increased costs and the paperwork burden on small business owners. On April 14, President Obama signed H.R. 4, the “Small Business Paperwork Elimination Act,” which repealed the 1099 mandate.

3% Withholding Tax Mandate Repealed. Since its inclusion as a “pay for” in the “Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005,” SBE Council and other business groups warned about the costly and unintended consequences of the 3% withholding mandate on government contractors. Set to kick in January 1, 2013, SBE Council argued that new government and private sector costs associated with the mandate would far exceed anticipated revenue gains. Small firms would become less able to compete for government contracts due to new cash flow constraints and costs spawned by the mandate, and taxpayer costs would also increase. Repeal legislation (H.R. 674) passed the House and Senate unanimously, and the President signed the bill into law on November 21.  

U.S. Supreme Court to Consider Constitutionality of Individual Mandate in ObamaCare.  On November 14, the U.S. Supreme Court granted certiorari to hear arguments regarding the constitutionality of several aspects of the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” (PPACA).  Approximately 14.5 million self-employed Americans have an immense stake in the outcome of the Court’s decision regarding the constitutionality of the individual mandate in PPACA.  The mandate requires that individuals purchase a government-approved health insurance plan, or pay a tax if they refuse to buy coverage or cannot afford it.  The court will hear five hours of arguments on several partitions: whether Congress exceeded its authority under Article I of the Constitution in passing the individual mandate; whether the suits challenging the new law should be barred by the Anti-Injunction Act; whether the individual mandate can be severed from the rest of the law; and lastly, the federalism issue as it pertains to Medicaid expansion in PPACA.  Already, the number of self-employed Americans is dramatically decreasing due to policy uncertainties on tax, health care and other issues, as well as a general lack of confidence in the future of the U.S. economy.  SBE Council agrees that individuals should not be forced by the federal government to buy a product or service. Oral arguments are expected to begin this March.

Small Business Health Care Tax Credit a Flop.  ObamaCare supporters touted the inclusion of the small business health care tax credit in PPACA as an argument for advancing the legislation. They continued to hype the tax credit well after passage even though SBE Council communicated it would not work. The tax credit is temporary, not robust enough, and too restrictive in its eligibility criteria. It has little practical utility for most small businesses, and this was confirmed by a June 2011 ”Economy and Entrepreneurs Outlook Survey” released by SBE Council. Only 7 percent of small businesses said they used the new small business health care tax credit, according to the survey. A House Ways and Means hearing on November 15, 2011 uncovered similar findings. A U.S. Treasury Department Inspector General report found that of mid-October 2011, only 309,000 small business taxpayers had claimed the credit. The IRS had earlier communicated that 4.4 million taxpayers would be eligible. Unfortunately, many small business owners have no effective tools to help them deal with ever-increasing health coverage costs, and many owners and their employees remain uninsured due to the high costs of insurance. With the passage of PPACA nothing much has changed for small business, except for higher costs and more uncertainty, which means “affordable health coverage” and ObamaCare is set to be a major campaign issue in 2012.

States Cut Taxes More than They Increased Them. According to the National Council of State Legislatures (NCSL), for the first time in ten years states experienced a net state tax reduction. While the NCSL reports that we should not draw “hasty conclusions” from this data being the aggregate cut came from a handful of larger states cutting and raising taxes, SBE Council believes the overall trend is generally a good one. Most state officials have come to understand that a low tax environment is critical to attracting businesses and investment, which is a great trend for entrepreneurs.

Tax Uncertainty Embedded for 2012. Small business owners and entrepreneurs hoping for clarity on federal taxes in 2012 will be disappointed. The year ended with a minor skirmish over extending the payroll tax holiday and unemployment benefits for two months. Businesses preferred some certainty with a one-year extension of the payroll tax cut. But now Congress will be back fighting over how to pay for (read: proposed tax increases on small business owners and investors) a full-year extension as soon as they return in January. Moreover, Congress left town without extending the R&D tax credit, the AMT patch, the state and local sales tax deduction and a host of other provisions expiring on December 31, 2011. Meanwhile, Section 179 expensing drops to $125,000 from $500,000 in 2012, and falls to $25,000 in 2013.  Adding more uncertainty in the mix is the December 31, 2012 expiration of lower individual tax rates, capital gains and dividend taxes and the whole host of tax cuts and credits that were included in the 2001, 2003 and 2006 tax cut packages. Looks like 2012 will be a rewrite of 2011 – that is, along with a lackluster economy, tax policy uncertainties will continue to weigh on small business confidence.

Transformational Access to Capital Bills Sweep Through U.S. House. Access to capital remains a key challenge for entrepreneurs. Costly regulations from Dodd-Frank and economic uncertainty are making it increasingly difficult to secure capital or raise funds to support business growth and investment.  By a vote of 407-17 on November 3, legislation passed the House (H.R. 2930, the “Entrepreneurs Access to Capital Act”) to modernize outdated Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules and allow for crowdfund investing.  President Obama supported the legislation. This approach is being used with great success in other parts of the world, and the gift-based platforms in the U.S. (Kick Starter, Indie Go Go and many other sites) prove their workability.  Crowdfund investing would provide entrepreneurs access to sources of capital they currently cannot tap into without triggering complex SEC rules.  The U.S. Senate is considering two bills — S.1791 and S. 1970 – but with distinct approaches to allow for crowdfund investing. The former is more workable than the latter.  Also on November 3, H.R. 2940, the “Access to Capital for Job Creators Act” passed by a vote of 263-112, which would also widen the universe of potential investors for small businesses allowed under the Securities Act of 1933 without subjecting these businesses to the onerous costs of registration with the SEC. This bill has been introduced in the Senate (S.1831). Strong bipartisan support for these bills in 2011 sets the stage for action in 2012.

New Trade Agreements Penned with Panama, Columbia and South Korea. Small and mid-size U.S. businesses overwhelmingly dominate the trade landscape, but the U.S. has dramatically slowed its work in cutting and finalizing new trade agreements. Our major competitors have outpaced the U.S. with regard to signing new trade accords, putting U.S. businesses at a competitive disadvantage across the globe. On October 21, President Obama finally signed trade agreements with Panama, Columbia and South Korea, which have been in the works for many years. The accords will eliminate tariffs on most U.S. exports to these countries and open service markets to American businesses. It is expected that U.S. exports will increase by $11 billion as a result of the South Korea pact alone. These agreements also include strong IP protections for American businesses. Increasingly, U.S. entrepreneurs are looking overseas for growth opportunities. A survey released by the Financial Services Forum and SBE Council in November 2011 found that 21 percent of small businesses will pursue overseas expansion as part of their growth strategy for the next five years. The signing of these three trade accords should fuel momentum for finalizing other important agreements that will open new markets for U.S. good and services, benefitting the economy, small businesses and workers alike.

America Invents Act Signed into Law: Long Overdue Patent Reform Helps U.S. Entrepreneurs.  President Obama signed the Leahy-Smith “America Invents Act” (H.R. 1249) into law on September 16.  This important legislation updates the U.S. patent system, bringing certainty, simplicity and savings to U.S. entrepreneurs. Strong IP protection is critical for small businesses looking to expand and attract investment. The new law effectively enables such protection by modernizing key aspects of the patent process, aligning the U.S. system to the rest of the world. The first-inventor-to-file approach will reduce legal costs and improve transparency. Fast-track examination will cut costs in half for small businesses, and other fee reductions are available for qualifying small firms. Implementation of the law’s provisions will bring the U.S. patent system into the 21^st century, help spur American innovation and improve U.S. competitiveness.  As a side note, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office awarded patent number 8 million to a California-based small business on September 8. Second Sight Medical Products, a firm with 85 employees, received the patent for a “visual prosthesis apparatus.”

The Debt Ceiling and Failure of the “Super Committee.”  For the first time in history, Congress tied conditions to the approval of an increase in the debt ceiling. SBE Council agreed that it was a good thing to tie spending reductions to a rise in the debt ceiling. Congress assigned a “super committee” to address the challenge.  The committee, however, could not reach an agreement, which means automatic spending cuts will occur with the 2013 budget. Small business owners have a major stake in getting the nation’s fiscal house in order. The future of entrepreneurship, robust economic growth, stable tax rates and access to affordable capital all rest on getting spending and debt under control. Out-of-control spending will continue to consume more and more private sector resources suffocating growth, pushing capital abroad and killing U.S. competitiveness.  According to the Financial Services Forum and SBE Council survey noted above, small business owners said the number one thing Washington could do to help the economy was to develop a credible plan to get the nation’s fiscal situation under control. The failure of the super committee, the lack of leadership from the White House in supporting even certain elements of the Bowles-Simpson plan, and the fact that the Senate has not passed a budget in over 900 days will continue to drive uncertainty casting a long shadow over the economy. Such conditions will continue to hurt small businesses in 2012 and beyond if not addressed by Washington.

Decision Time for President Obama on Keystone XL.  The rise in fuel prices had a significant impact on small businesses this past year. According to a June 2011 “Entrepreneurs and Economy Survey” released by SBE Council, 74 percent of small business owners reported that higher prices were having an impact on their firms — 41 percent raised their prices because of higher fuel costs, 26 percent had to cut employees or their hours worked, and 47 percent said higher prices were affecting their plans to hire. A staggering 38 percent of small business owners said if gas prices remain high or increase further their business will not survive.  Fuel prices are on the rise again, and with instability mounting in the Mideast along with Iran threatening to close off the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. needs to get serious about domestic production. The payroll tax extension bill agreed to by Congress includes a provision allowing the Keystone XL project to move forward unless President Obama determines within 60 days of enactment that the project is not in the national interest. Even without threatening rhetoric from Iran – or if fuel prices were lower – this project should have been approved.  More than three years worth of risk assessment has already been conducted, and numerous government agencies have affirmed that the pipeline poses no significant environmental risk. The $13 billion project would create more than 13,000 construction jobs, 7,000 manufacturing jobs, and more importantly a stable and secure supply of oil for the U.S.  That means more affordable energy for small businesses.     

What happened to Policies Supporting Broadband for Everyone?  Unfortunately, many small business owners and individuals are still without broadband access. That means their economic opportunities are limited. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a National Broadband Plan in March of 2010, and as recently as April 2011 said that increasing broadband deployment “is one of the great infrastructure challenges of our time.”  Unfortunately, the federal government and FCC are hindering private sector initiatives that would accelerate broadband deployment and keep investment flowing into wireless technologies.  For one, the FCC’s unprecedented bias and backward view of competition in reviewing the AT&T/T-Mobile merger (and the DoJ’s decision to sue to stop the deal) killed an important development that would have brought high speed wireless access (and jobs!) to many areas of the country. Despite overwhelming support from unions, entrepreneurs, politicians from all levels of government and the technology sector, the FCC listened to hard leftists, proving it does not grasp how markets and business work. On September 23, the FCC also moved forward with “net neutrality” regulations, even though it lacks the authority to regulate broadband markets. This regulatory overreach and the uncertainty that comes with it serve as real disincentives for investing in broadband innovations and service. That is bad news for small businesses that have benefited so much from the expansion of and innovations in broadband networks as consumers, content providers and telecommunications players.

Top 2011 Small Business Policy Developments is a post from: Flagstaff Business & Online News | Northern Arizona Local Newspaper