Tag: ECONA

ECoNA — Thornager’s Opens Up Kitchen to Food Entrepreneurs

by Community Contributor • January 7, 2021 • Comments Off

A commercial kitchen that until recently was the catering arm of Thornager’s on Kiltie Lane is finding a new life as an affordable testing ground for food entrepreneurs who do not have access to a fully-stocked professional cookery.

After 30-plus years in catering, including three decades as the owner of Thornager’s, Karen Sorensen was ready to hang up her apron. She even toyed with the idea of selling the Equestrian Estates event venue, but ultimately decided to shut down the catering portion of the her business while continuing to rent out the clubhouse.

ECoNA Moonshot ‘Makers & Shakers’ Celebrates Entrepreneurs

by Community Contributor • December 3, 2020 • Comments Off

Moonshot at NACET, the entrepreneurship program based in northern Arizona, is celebrating the spirit of startups during its inaugural Makers & Shakers Week, a series of online workshops, presentations and live Q&A’s with entrepreneurs.

The free week-long virtual event honors current businesses and showcases Moonshot innovators, mentors and instructors. The goal is to educate and inspire viewers who might be considering starting their own businesses, according to Moonshot President & CEO Scott Hathcock.

ECoNA — 4FRI Contractor Acquires Former SCA Facility

by Community Contributor • November 20, 2020 • Comments Off

Good news on the forest front: NewLife Forest Products has acquired the former SCA Tissue facility in Bellemont, allowing it to scale up operations as the largest contractor in the Four Forest Restoration Initiative, or 4FRI.

The move into the 425,000-square-foot warehouse will allow the company to hire 200 local workers and move forward with its charge to thin roughly 300,000 acres of forest land over the next several years.

ECoNA Virtual ‘Open Houses’ on Milton Road and US 180 Next Week

by Community Contributor • November 13, 2020 • Comments Off

The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) will be holding two virtual “open houses” next week to discuss the future of two major traffic corridors in Flagstaff that often suffer from congestion, particularly during the summer and winter months when tourists come to escape the heat and play in the snow.

The focus of the two online meetings will be Milton Road and the U.S. 180 corridor, primarily Fort Valley Road and Humphreys Street. Often gridlocked at the best of times, these roadways need improvements to keep up with university, population and visitation growth.

ECoNA Camp Navajo Moves Closer to Economic Development

by Community Contributor • October 29, 2020 • Comments Off

As we get ready to close out our celebration of Manufacturing Month, we set our sights on Bellemont, which may soon be primed for significant economic development.

Provisions in both the U.S. House and Senate versions of the National Defense Authorization Act 2021 (NDAA) would transfer about 3,000 acres – almost 5 square miles – of land at Camp Navajo to the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs. That move would allow businesses to more easily locate in and around the military base.

ECoNA Virtual Startup Weekend Starts Oct. 23

by Community Contributor • October 16, 2020 • Comments Off

As we continue to celebrate manufacturing month, we wanted to let you know about an upcoming virtual event designed to cultivate tomorrow’s entrepreneurs, including those in the advanced manufacturing sector.

ECoNA is very pleased to announce that we are a launch partner for Arizona’s first-ever, statewide, online Techstars Startup Weekend, which will kick off on Friday, Oct. 23.

[ECoNA] 2020 Not Slowing Down Food & Beverage Manufacturers

by Community Contributor • October 9, 2020 • Comments Off

When you ask local manufacturers to describe 2020, the words that keep popping up are things like unexpected, rollercoaster and whirlwind. For the food and beverage sector, one more word could be added to the list: expanding.

Despite the challenges of this year, several local manufacturers of food and drink have taken the plunge with plans to expand current facilities or move growing companies into new locations. Some pivoted their businesses to produce other items needed because of COVID-19. Still others found themselves scrambling to meet exploding demand.

ECoNA — Happy Manufacturing Month

by Community Contributor • October 1, 2020 • Comments Off

Welcome to Manufacturing Month!

Nationwide, the industry uses the month of October to showcase the potential of modern manufacturing and generate interest in manufacturing careers. According to the Manufacturing Institute, the sector will be looking to fill 4.6 million high-skill and high-paying jobs over the next decade.

Northern Arizona has a wide range of manufacturing businesses in the region, from the area’s largest private employer, W.L. Gore, to smaller companies producing everything from defense products to spices.

ECoNA — Senator McSally Meets with Advisory Council

by Community Contributor • September 17, 2020 • Comments Off

Last week, members of the ECoNA Board and Advisory Council met via teleconference with U.S. Senator Martha McSally to talk about the state of our recovery, chances for a new stimulus package and the resurgence of manufacturing in Arizona.

The lunchtime discussion was just one day before a major vote on the Republicans proposed “slimmed” down relief package, a $500 billion plan that ultimately was blocked by Senate Democrats the following day.

ECoNA — County Fair & SciFest at a Screen Near You

by Community Contributor • September 3, 2020 • Comments Off

As we head into this holiday weekend, I want to congratulate the organizers of two of the biggest events on the Flagstaff calendar for their ingenuity in bringing us virtual versions of these annual celebrations.

For fans of the Coconino County Fair, it’s not easy to capture the sounds, smells and thrills of the Fair, but the folks at Coconino County Parks & Recreation have done their best to bring the experience into your home.

Would you like to see the 4-H Livestock Show? How about 7-plus hours of steers, pigs, goats and lambs right here. (They’ll also be hosting the auction over these next three days online).

ECoNA Flagstaff Welcomes New Retail & Service Businesses

by Community Contributor • August 6, 2020 • Comments Off

Even before the coronavirus, brick-and-mortar retailers and service providers faced challenges. E-commerce has put pressure on the sector for years. The pandemic, along with its related economic fallout, just accelerated the issue for many traditional stores. The result is that many have gone into Chapter 11 and may not be coming back.

Which is why it’s been rewarding to see a series of new businesses opening their doors this summer in Flagstaff. Their arrival here is the result of concerted recruitment efforts, sometimes over a period of several years, by the City of Flagstaff’s Economic Vitality team and the Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona.

ECoNA COVID-19 Bulletin #11: Historic GDP & HEALS vs HEROES

by Community Contributor • July 31, 2020 • Comments Off

This was a week of eye-popping numbers at the federal level, from the release of the Republicans long-awaited stimulus proposal to the data dropped yesterday by the U.S. Commerce Department that showed how coronavirus has impacted gross domestic product (GDP).

#1. Exactly how much did the GDP lose? Let’s take that last one first, because there is some confusion about the numbers released by Commerce. In fact, you might have seen two vastly different headlines – one saying the economy contracted by 9.5% during the past quarter and one saying it was 32.9%.

ECoNA — COVID-19 and the Arts

by Community Contributor • July 23, 2020 • Comments Off

While everyone has been hard hit by COVID-19, it has been particularly difficult for the arts sector, where finding social-distancing workarounds can be challenging. Coronavirus has temporarily put an end to First Friday Artwalks, crowded summer festivals, and attending concerts and theater productions.

Not to say that the arts in our region have come to a full stop. The Museum of Northern Arizona reopened recently on a limited basis, with patrons having to purchase tickets and schedule their visit in advance so the museum can spread out visitors. Masks are required and multiple other measures have been taken to prevent COVID-19 spread.

ECONA — What Does ‘Back to School’ Look Like?

by Community Contributor • July 10, 2020 • Comments Off

It’s been an interesting week for educators nationwide as they look for the safest ways to implement back to school plans for their students.

That planning has been complicated by a daily tug-of-war between the White House administration, which is pushing for “fully” opened schools, and local health and education officials who are mostly pursuing hybrid plans that blend in-person with remote or digital learning.

[ECONA] COVID-19 Bulletin #10: Hitting the ‘Rewind’ Button

by Community Contributor • July 2, 2020 • Comments Off

It’s been more than a month since our last bulletin on how coronavirus is affecting the regional economic landscape. Since that time, we’ve gone from cautious reopening to reversals as COVID-19 cases spiked in Arizona. Here’s the latest:

#1. Governor Doug Ducey hits the ‘rewind’ button on reopening with select business closures until at least July 27. Back in early May, the governor accelerated the state’s reopening, citing positive trends in coronavirus infection rates. By mid-May, the statewide stay-at-home order expired and within days of that, cases of COVID-19 began to spike.

ECoNA — Restaurants & the ‘Slow & Stressful’ Road to Recovery

by Community Contributor • June 25, 2020 • Comments Off

Flagstaff’s dining establishments quite literally give “flavor” to our community. They play important roles as employers and are vital not only to our tourism sector, but as a part of the everyday quality of life we enjoy here as residents.

That’s evident by the loyalty our community and local leaders have shown to restaurants during COVID-19. You could find long lines for takeout at many establishments and increased requests for deliveries.

But even with that support, the road to recovery for this sector has been, as one restaurateur put it, “slow and stressful.”

ECoNA —Highgate Senior Living Poised to Hire 80+ Workers

by Community Contributor • June 4, 2020 • Comments Off

As our region tentatively enters into its economic recovery, it is encouraging to know a new enterprise is coming to Flagstaff and planning to hire more than 80 workers.

Highgate Senior Living, a new assisted living facility under construction on 3.3 acres of McMillan Mesa, is starting to fill positions in advance of its grand opening next spring.

ECoNA COVID-19 Bulletin #9: Rapid Employment Training Grants

by Community Contributor • May 28, 2020 • Comments Off

As we gradually move from crisis response to economic recovery, our region’s businesses are poised to reopen and a variety of entities are working to make sure that shift is both safe and successful.

To that end, here are some of the resources you may wish to consult during this time of transition.

ECoNA — COVID-19 Bulletin #6: Round 2 of PPP Opens Today

by Community Contributor • April 27, 2020 • Comments Off

Round 2 of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) begins this morning, as the Small Business Administration accepts new applications for the potentially forgivable federal loans.

However, businesses with employees, sole proprietors and independent contractors need to act now if they hope to tap into the new $310 billion pool of funding, according to Bruce Nordstrom of Nordstrom & Associates P.C. in Flagstaff.

ECoNA COVID-19 Bulletin #4: Paycheck Protection Program

by Community Contributor • April 9, 2020 • Comments Off

Probably the biggest economic news right now is the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the pool of almost $350 billion in forgivable small business loans that is one of the main components of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Today’s bulletin will be a little different as we do a deeper dive on this one topic – what the PPP is supposed to do, the hurdles and hiccups it has faced in its first week, and how the government and financial institutions are responding.

ECoNA — COVID-19 Bulletin #3: Gov. Ducey Town Hall Tonight

by Community Contributor • April 2, 2020 • Comments Off

As government response to the coronavirus outbreak increases, there’s news to report on many levels that affects northern Arizonans and our business community, so let’s dive in.

ECoNA — COVID-19 Bulletin #2: Flagstaff Local Urges ‘Carry-Out and Settle In’

by Community Contributor • March 26, 2020 • Comments Off

Dear Friend, Hope this email finds you and yours healthy and safe. We have more local economic news to share ranging from a local video (that hopefully will make you smile) to new services at the county, state and federal level as…

ECoNA — TGen Developes COVID-19 Test

by Community Contributor • March 12, 2020 • Comments Off

Dear Friend, TGen North, the Flagstaff-based division of the Translational Genomics Research Institute, has developed a test for the coronavirus and anticipates being able to deploy it in the near future. “This is part of our role as a…

ECoNA — Flagstaff Bioscience Roadmap Luncheon

by Community Contributor • March 5, 2020 • Comments Off

Dear Friend, The Flinn Foundation will be hosting its annual luncheon in Flagstaff next month to discuss progress made on the Arizona Bioscience Roadmap, the long-term strategic plan to make the state competitive and a national leader in select areas of…

ECoNA — W.L. Gore Makes ‘Top 100’ List Again

by Community Contributor • February 27, 2020 • Comments Off

Dear Friend, W.L. Gore & Associates has been making an impact on Flagstaff as the city’s largest corporate employer and a committed community member for the past half century. For 21 of those years, the company also has been named as…

ECoNA — Promoting Our Region to Attract Companies

by Community Contributor • February 13, 2020 • Comments Off

Click here for more information on ECoNA Dear Friend, Greetings from Anaheim, California, and Medical Design & Manufacturing (MD&M) West – the world’s largest trade show for MD&M companies. More than 20,000 bioscience professionals are here, including representatives from W.L. Gore, POBA…

[ECONA] Looking to the Future for ECoNA

by Community Contributor • January 9, 2020 • Comments Off

Dear Frank, I am very excited to be serving as the Interim President and CEO of the Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona (ECoNA) and wanted to take this opportunity to share with you some of the experience I bring to this…

ECoNA — Saying Goodbye/Changes at ECoNA

by Community Contributor • November 20, 2019 • Comments Off

Dear Friend, As many of you know, I’m entering into my last few weeks as head of the Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona and, indeed, as a resident of this great state. Nov. 30th will be my official last day,…

ECoNA — Deadline Nears to Register for NAU Economic Outlook Conference

by Community Contributor • October 30, 2019 • Comments Off

Dear Friend, Dr. Jennifer Golbeck, a computer scientist who is an expert in social networks, social media, privacy and security on the web, will be the keynote speaker at the 44th Annual Economic Outlook Conference next month at Northern Arizona…

ECoNA — Q&A with Chris Verrill of Theatrikos

by Community Contributor • October 11, 2019 • Comments Off

Since the start of the year, four of northern Arizona’s major arts organizations have undergone a change in leadership. With the arts being one of the our region’s major economic drivers, we wanted to check in with these new executives…

ECoNA — Q&A with Flagstaff Art Council’s Jonathan Stone

by Community Contributor • September 5, 2019 • Comments Off

Click here for the entire e-newsletter Since the start of the year, four of northern Arizona’s major arts organizations have undergone a change in leadership. With the arts being one of the our region’s major economic drivers, we wanted to check…

ECoNA — NAU Internships Provide Experience and Employee Pipeline

by Community Contributor • August 8, 2019 • Comments Off

As Northern Arizona University students return for the fall term later this month, many will be looking for the chance to use what they’ve learned so far through internships. Some are working for course credit, some are meeting…

ECoNA update for July 11 — Educators Learning to Beat the Odds

by Community Contributor • July 11, 2019 • Comments Off

School may be out for summer, but a group of 23 educators in Flagstaff recently embarked on a 14-month program designed to foster strong learning environments and provide executive leadership training to current administrators and aspiring educational leaders. The first unit of the…

ECoNA update for June 18 — Discover Flagstaff Promoting Our Lunar Legacy

by Community Contributor • June 18, 2019 • Comments Off

Discover Flagstaff, formerly the city’s Convention & Visitor Bureau, has always known how to leverage Northern Arizona’s assets to draw tourists – and their dollars – to our region. From skiing and snowplay in winter to food, beer and music festivals…

ECoNA update for May 31 — Harkins – A Blockbuster in Flagstaff

by Community Contributor • May 31, 2019 • Comments Off

Warmer weather means blockbuster movies in the theaters and this year is no exception. Avengers: Endgame is closing in on $3 billion (yes, that’s a “b”) in worldwide ticket sales after being out a month. Meanwhile, a lot…

ECoNA update for May 16 — A Different Way of Looking at NAU Impact

by Community Contributor • May 16, 2019 • Comments Off

With graduation weekend just behind us, we read with interest a report from Northern Arizona University that included some unique statistics about NAU’s positive impact in the community. Typically when we get these reports, the takeaways are the…

ECoNA update for April 30 — Bioscience Roadmap Highlights in NAZ

by Community Contributor • April 30, 2019 • Comments Off

Click here for more information Each year, the Flinn Foundation provides an update on the state’s Bioscience Roadmap, a collaborative plan that will continue until 2025 to make Arizona a leader in select bioscience fields. Earlier this month,…

ECoNA update for April 17 — ACA Job Training Grants Application Open

by Community Contributor • April 17, 2019 • Comments Off

Hello, There’s some good news for our small businesses in northern Arizona and around the state that I’m pleased to share with you today. The Arizona Commerce Authority is offering to reimburse businesses up to 75 percent of…

ECoNA update for March 28 — Goodwill Expanding its Services, locations

by Community Contributor • March 28, 2019 • Comments Off

, It’s been almost two years since Goodwill Industries of Northern Arizona (GINA) merged with its sister to the south, the Phoenix-based Goodwill of Central Arizona. We wanted to check in to see how the nonprofit is continuing its unique…

ECoNA update for March 14 — Arizona Snowbowl’s Record Season

by Community Contributor • March 14, 2019 • Comments Off

Arizona Snowbowl is breaking records faster than Bode Miller skiing downhill. On the heels of an exceptionally busy two-week holiday season at the end of last year, the ski resort saw 80,000 visitors in January and another 64,000…

ECoNA update for Jan. 22 — NAU Innovations Seeking Community Partnerships

by Community Contributor • January 22, 2019 • Comments Off

At last week’s ECoNA Advisory Council, dozens of our partners in economic growth heard from NAU Innovations, which is on a quest to increase community partnerships to accelerate commercialization of research being done at the university now and in…

ECoNA update for Jan. 10 — Telecommuting’s Impact Continues to Grow

by Community Contributor • January 10, 2019 • Comments Off

Click here for more information A recent report on the state of telecommuting shows that it’s continuing to have an outsized impact on the American workforce. According to the 2017 State of Telecommuting Report, regular telecommuting grew…

ECoNA update for Jan. 2 — Armando Bernasconi of QCoffice

by Community Contributor • January 2, 2019 • Comments Off

D For a while, I’ve been wanting to write about one of the most impressive local companies that I have the pleasure to do business with. It’s a social enterprise program called QCoffice, and I suspect many of you…

ECoNA update — SEDI’s Dollars for Dreams business micro-loan program

by Community Contributor • November 1, 2018 • Comments Off

Our friends at the Sustainable Economic Development Initiative (SEDI) have a great program to assist small businesses. For more than four years, SEDI’s Dollars for Dreamsbusiness micro-loan program has been helping entrepreneurs make their dreams come true and created new jobs…

ECoNA update for Oct. 9 — Film on Oct. 17 illustrates teaching challenge in AZ

by Community Contributor • October 9, 2018 • Comments Off

For many years, Arizona has been in the grips of a severe teacher shortage. A recent survey of school personnel administrators shows that 1 in 4 teaching vacancies remain unfilled. Meanwhile, an August report in the Arizona Republic noted that since…

ECoNA update for Sept. 25

by Community Contributor • September 25, 2018 • Comments Off

Click here for more information In recent years, Flagstaff has made a name for itself as a pioneer of responsible, earth-friendly building practices, particularly the construction of large-scale “green” projects designed to ensure energy efficiency. One of the leaders…

ECoNA update for Sept. 4

by Community Contributor • September 4, 2018 • Comments Off

Click here for more information The Town of Tusayan would be the perfect place to call home for those who work at the Grand Canyon National Park or the many tourism enterprises in the area. It’s in a picturesque…

ECoNA update for July 31

by Community Contributor • July 31, 2018 • Comments Off

Click here for more information One of the many ways ECoNA measures the state of our regional economy is looking at amounts of jobs in the annual wage survey from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for our area. Digging into…

ECoNA update for July 19

by Community Contributor • July 19, 2018 • Comments Off

Click here for more information Barbara Goodrich was named Interim City Manager of Flagstaff earlier this year. She came to City Hall in 2000 as the Finance Director, was promoted to Management Services Director in 2009 and then Assistant City…

ECoNA update for June 28

by Community Contributor • June 28, 2018 • Comments Off

One of the recommendations of last year’s housing report commissioned by ECoNA was that a local entity should consider creating a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that could ultimately help with home loans and products, such as down payment assistance…

ECoNA update for May 18

by Community Contributor • May 18, 2018 • Comments Off

Click here for more information Coconino County Supervisor Art Babbott came to Flagstaff about 20 years ago, attracted to the region’s natural beauty and diverse community. After six years on the Flagstaff City Council, he was elected in 2012 to…

ECoNA update for March 29

by Community Contributor • March 29, 2018 • Comments Off

Often forgotten in our community discussion about the lack of affordable workforce housing in Flagstaff is the role this plays in the lives of renters. That’s why the work being done by representatives in the public and private sectors to…

ECoNA update for March 7

by Community Contributor • March 7, 2018 • Comments Off

Click here for more news from ECoNA A guiding principle of LAUNCH Flagstaff is that the education consortium’s interests are not limited to the years when students are in primary and secondary schools, but stretch from cradle to career. That…

ECoNA update for Feb. 6

by Community Contributor • February 6, 2018 • Comments Off

Dear Subscriber, A new study released by the Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona recently shows that Flagstaff is in the midst of a workforce housing crisis. That is not a statement I write lightly, or with the intention of being…

ECoNA Q&A with NAU President Dr. Rita Cheng

by Community Contributor • January 25, 2018 • Comments Off

Dr. Rita Hartung Cheng became the 16th president of Northern Arizona University more than three years ago. Almost immediately, she made her mark in the community, taking several leadership roles in the community, including a seat on the ECoNA Executive Board.…

ECoNA update for Jan. 4

by Community Contributor • January 4, 2018 • Comments Off

Recently, ECoNA Executive Board member and Coconino Community College President Dr. Colleen A. Smith was appointed to the Arizona Commission for Post-Secondary Education by Gov. Doug Ducey. We caught up with her to talk about what brought her to Flagstaff,…

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