by Terri Jo Neff | Jan 26, 2022 | Economy, News
By Terri Jo Neff |
Gilbert-based Horne Auto Group has added another automotive dealership to its list of holdings.
Last month, the family-owned and operated company completed its purchase of Sonora Nissan in Yuma. The dealership, which has been rebranded as Horne Nissan Yuma, is the company’s second Nissan dealership.
The acquisition brings roughly 34 more employees under the Horne Auto Group umbrella, for an all-location employee total of 474.
Horne Auto Group’s other dealerships are Champion Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram of Nogales, Horne Auto Center Featuring Chevrolet in Show Low, Horne Cadillac in Show Low, Horne Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Globe, Horne Ford of Nogales, Horne Freedom Ford in Thatcher, Horne Genesis of Apache Junction and Mesa, Horne Kia in Gilbert, Horne Lincoln of Nogales, Horne Mazda in Tempe, Horne Subaru in Show Low, Robert Horne Ford in Apache Junction, Horne Hyundai in Apache Junction, and Horne Nissan in Globe.
The company also owns Horne Collision Center of Show Low, Horne Motors in Mesa, and Horne Motors in Show Low.
The Horne family has been in Arizona for over 140 years, when Henry James Horne settled in Mesa in 1880. His grandson, Gail B. Horne, co-founded the Henry and Horne CPA Firm in 1957, which was later joined by Gail’s son Robert C. Horne.
In 1991, Robert C. Horne purchased a small Chevrolet dealership in Show Low. From that small start, he and sons Aaron, Adam, Andrew, Michael and son-in-law Martin P. Jones have grown the company into what is now Horne Auto Group.
by Terri Jo Neff | Jan 22, 2022 | Economy, News
By Terri Jo Neff |
Several state lawmakers spent last Wednesday afternoon attending the 2022 Arizona Farm Bureau AgFest on the lawn of the House of Representatives.
The Arizona Farm Bureau is the state’s largest farm and ranch organization, and serves as the industry’s voice. The Jan. 19 event showcased the state’s $23.3 billion agriculture industry to legislators.
Among those attending was Sen. Sine Kerr, who chairs the Senate Committee on Natural Resources, Energy, and Water.
Kerr is no stranger to the Ag business. She grew up in rural Buckeye and with her husband now owns a large dairy farm.
“Agriculture is essential to Arizona’s prosperity,” Kerr said at the event. “We all depend on the work our ranchers and farmer are doing for our state and country, and I will do my absolute best to always advocate for them at the state legislature.”
Some of the other lawmakers who attended AgFest were House Speaker Pro Tempore Travis Grantham, as well as Reps. Leo Biasiucci, Frank Carroll, David Cook, and Joel John. Senate President Karen Fann was also on hand, as well as Sen. TJ Shope.
Members of the University of Arizona Collegiate Young Farmers and Ranchers, which has its own Arizona Farm Bureau chapter, also took part in the event.
In other Arizona Farm Bureau news, it was announced earlier this month that the organization earned the American Farm Bureau Federation’s New Horizon Award, which honors the most innovative new state Farm Bureau programs.
The New Horizon Award recognized the Arizona Farm Bureau’s partnership with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service last year to launch a conservation agriculture mentoring program. Stefanie Smallhouse, president of Arizona Farm Bureau, accepted the award during the Federation’s annual convention in Georgia.
Arizona Farm Bureau also won in all four Awards of Excellence categories for demonstrating outstanding achievements in Advocacy, Coalitions & Partnerships, Engagement & Outreach, and Leadership & Business Development.
by Terri Jo Neff | Jan 19, 2022 | Economy, News
By Terri Jo Neff |
One of the riskiest business plans for U.S. business owners is entering a new global market or contracting with an international trade partner. But the process does not have to be fraught with stress if you know what to look for, which is where the U.S. Commercial Service comes in.
The U.S. Commercial Service (USCS) is the promotion arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration. The agency has trade professionals in more than 100 U.S. cities, including Phoenix and Tucson, as well as U.S. embassies and consulates to help American companies get started in exporting and to support other companies hoping to increase global sales.
On Feb. 2, the USCS is hosting a free webinar about the ABCs of export due diligence. The no-obligation event will provide useful tools which business owners can utilize to quickly and confidently screen prospective international partners.
Then in late March, the U.S. Commercial Service is hosting a Central America Trade Mission & Business Conference in Guatemala for American businesses ready to expand into -or ramp up- business far south of the border.
The conference will explore markets in Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama, and will include region-specific sessions, market entry strategies, export compliance, legal, logistics, disaster resilience and recovery, and trade financing resources.
Attendees can also prearrange one-on-one consultations with officials of the U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service or the U.S. Department of State with expertise in commercial markets throughout the region. More information on the Central America Trade Mission is available at https://www.trade.gov/central-america-trade-mission
In May, USCS is hosting Trade Americas – Business Opportunities in the South America Conference held in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The conference offers U.S. companies the opportunity to explore eleven South American markets: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, and Uruguay.
According to USCS, the South America region’s nearly 400 million potential customers make the area a natural commercial partner for U.S. companies due to its close proximity and closely-tied history and culture. In addition, several trade agreements between the U.S. and various South America countries aim to enhance cooperation on trade and investment.
Information about the May conference is available at https://www.trade.gov/south-america-trade-mission
The USCS office in Phoenix recently added a new member to its team of trade professionals. Colin Hudson joins USCS following several years with FedEx, where he held multiple roles in international business development.
Hudson, who is originally from England, has lived and worked in Asia-Pacific and Latin America. He relocated to Arizona from Florida, and brings experience to USCS in assisting clients from different sized companies and industries in managing and growing their global presence. In his most recent position as a FedEx Worldwide Account manager, Hudson helped companies open new markets in diverse locations such as India and Poland.
Personalized assistance is available to Arizona companies engaged in global trade or considering an expansion into an international market. The USCS staff is assigned based on industry or location:
Leandro Solorzano (Director) Industries: General Services, Franchising, Travel and Tourism. Leandro.Solorzano@trade.gov
Christina Parisi (Tucson office) All Industries in Southern Arizona Christina.Parisi@trade.gov
Fernando Jimenez Industries: Aerospace & Defense, Safety & Security, Sporting Goods, Textile, Chemicals, Advanced Manufacturing, Automotive, Transportation Fernando.Jimenez@trade.gov
Ruth Soberanes Industries: Education, Energy, Environmental Technology, Information & Communication Technology, Marine Technology Ruth.Soberanes@trade.gov
Colin Hudson Industries: Architecture / Engineering / Infrastructure, Design and Construction, Processed Foods, Agribusiness/ Processed Foods, Cosmetics, Healthcare, Consumer Goods, Mining Colin.Hudson@trade.gov
by Terri Jo Neff | Jan 18, 2022 | Economy, News
By Terri Jo Neff |
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking comments about eight emerging technology areas: Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things in Manufacturing, Quantum Computing, Blockchain Technology, New and Advanced Materials, Unmanned Delivery Services, Internet of Things, and Three-dimensional Printing, to assist in the preparation of a report to Congress.
A Request for Information (RFI) was announced in the Federal Register under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, who is directed to coordinate with the Federal Trade Commission and other federal agencies to complete a study of the eight emerging technology areas.
The RFI seeks comments about public and private sector marketplace trends, supply chain risks, legislative, policy, and the future investment needs of the technology areas to help identify, understand, refine, and guide the development of the eight emerging technologies. Those eight areas are, more specifically:
- Artificial Intelligence—on the state of the artificial intelligence industry and the impact of such industry on the United States economy,
- Internet of Things in Manufacturing—on the use of internet-connected devices and internet-connected solutions in manufacturing in the United States,
- Quantum Computing—on the state of the quantum computing industry and the impact of such industry on the United States economy,
- Blockchain Technology—on the state of the blockchain technology industry and the impact of such industry on the United States economy,
- New and Advanced Materials—on the state of the new and advanced materials industry, including synthetically derived materials or those with enhanced natural properties, and the impact of such industry on the United States economy,
- Unmanned Delivery Services (air or ground)—on the impact of unmanned delivery services on businesses conducting interstate commerce and the impact of such industry on the United States economy, rules and regulations,
- Internet of Things—on the state of the internet-connected devices industry and the impact of such industry on the United States economy, and
- Three-dimensional Printing—on the state of the three-dimensional printing industry and the impact of such industry on the United States economy.
For each emerging technology area, NIST needs input useful to the fostering of economic growth and competitiveness across the United States for benefit all Americans.
As a result, the NIST is inviting stakeholders throughout the scientific research, standards, advocacy, industry, and non-scientific communities, as well as the general public, to provide comments. From the comments, a Congressional report will be developed “in a manner consistent with its mission to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness,” according to the RFI.
Comments must be received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on Jan. 31. To submit comments electronically, go to www.regulations.gov and enter NIST-2021-0007 in the search field. Click on the “Comment Now” icon and complete the required fields, and then enter or attach your comments.
More information about the RFI is available at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/11/22/2021-25428/study-to-advance-a-more-productive-tech-economy
by Terri Jo Neff | Jan 17, 2022 | Economy, News
By Terri Jo Neff |
Only two weeks are left to apply to the Economic Development Administration (EDA) for grant funding under the American Rescue Plan Act for Travel, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation.
The EDA aims to assist communities and regions in recovery from the coronavirus pandemic’s significant negative impact on the travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation sectors. The grant program is designed to provide a wide-range of financial assistance to communities and regions to rebuild and strengthen their travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation industry through various infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects.
EDA, which is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, has already issued $510 million in tourism grants directly to states, including nearly $6 million to Arizona. Another $240 million is set aside for EDA Competitive Tourism Grants to at least 150 applicants.
According to EDA, eligible entities are a public or private non-profit organization or association acting in cooperation with a general purpose political subdivision of a State; an institution of higher education or a consortium of institutions of higher education; a State, county, city, or other political subdivision of a State, or a consortium of political subdivisions; an Indian Tribe or a consortium of Indian Tribes; or a District Organization of an EDA-designated Economic Development District.
Eligible applicants for EDA’s Competitive Tourism Grants are advised to apply no later than Jan. 31, so the agency can review and process the application in time to get a potential award in place prior to deadlines imposed by Congress. Any award is subject to the availability of funds.
Additional information is available at https://eda.gov/arpa/travel-tourism/faq/
by Terri Jo Neff | Jan 9, 2022 | Economy, News
By Terri Jo Neff |
When all of the investment income earned by Maricopa County residents is combined, the county ranks #13 in the United States with an Investment Index of 26.48. By comparison, Pima County ranked 79th in the nation with an Investment Index of 4.93.
That’s the findings of SmartAsset, which used data sourced from the Internal Revenue Service’s Statistics of Income County Data to compare the 3,006 counties in the U.S. on three metrics: Net Capital Gains, Ordinary Dividends, and Qualified Dividends*. The rankings are based on countywide totals without a per capita adjustment.
“We calculated an Investment Index for all U.S. counties based on a combination of these three statistics and ranked them accordingly to provide a holistic view of what areas of the U.S. are generating the most investment income,” SmartAsset announced Friday.
The Top 10 counties by Investment Income are:
New York County (NY), Investment Index of 100.00
Los Angeles County (CA), Investment Index of 80.03
Cook County (IL), Investment Index of 57.25
Palm Beach County (FL), Investment Index of 45.24
Santa Clara County (CA), Investment Index of 44.64
King County (WA), Investment Index of 41.81
Harris County (TX), Investment Index of 34.25
San Francisco County (CA), Investment Index of 31.78
Miami-Dade County (FL), Investment Index of 30.17
Orange County (CA), Investment Index of 30.11
*Ordinary Dividends are payments made by a company to their shareholders and are taxed as regular income, whereas Qualified Dividends are dividends that meet certain requirements set by the IRS and are taxed at a lower capital gains tax rate. Net Capital Gains refers to the amount an asset has increased or decreased in value realized when the asset is sold.
A nationwide map is available at https://smartasset.com/investing/capital-gains-tax-calculator?year=2021#us
