Where I Stand — Somer Hollingsworth: A unique place to live

Friday, Aug. 10, 2001 | 10:04 a.m.

Editor's note: In August Where I Stand is written by guest columnists. Today's writer, Somer Hollingsworth, is president of the Nevada Development Authority.

SOUTHERN NEVADA is paranoid. We continually reanalyze the economic condition of our great valley. We compare our growth patterns to other markets and we check to make sure we aren't overdeveloping or underexporting. Then, when we are done examining ourselves under a microscope, we do it all over again.

I agree that it's healthy to periodically evaluate the economic climate of our community, but why do we keep trying to pour ourselves into cookie cutter equations that don't take into account or understand the unique nature of Southern Nevada's economy. It's time we accept that our city is unlike any other in the world. We are matchless, and we are new. Las Vegas will never be a New York City or San Francisco and frankly, who cares. We cannot measure our valley's successes using the standards that are set for Anytown, U.S.A. We are a modern-day boomtown and post exception to all the rules of a "normal" marketplace.

"Ordinary" just doesn't describe our valley. We are residents of the fastest-growing metropolitan area in the United States with an estimated 60,000 people moving to Southern Nevada each year. It isn't "typical" for a city to build 12 new schools a year or have 1,800 new home starts in just one month. And by no means is it "common" to export the product of gaming and, as a result, import money. Only in Las Vegas can you find such activity.

Since the beginning, gaming has been the lifeblood of our community and, thus, the main ingredient of Southern Nevada's inimitable framework. With an estimated 35.8 million visitors each year, it is clear gaming will always lead our economic output. But Vegas has become much more than a profitable resort town.

Our valley has begun to diversify. We are no longer thought of as a one-dimensional market. We have expanded into an exciting cross-section of businesses. New industries, such as manufacturing, real estate development and high-tech, have increased our local sales tax base and created a support system for potential fluctuations in tourism. Southern Nevada's new dynamic has created a cushion of nongaming dollars and a new avenue for diversified growth.

While gaming is obviously the dominant commerce in Southern Nevada, our boom has much to do with the vitality of new and expanding industries. Three years ago Southern Nevada couldn't even spell technology. Today there are several hundred technology-based companies operating here. And because our valley has matured simultaneously with communication technology, our local infrastructure has benefited. Older economies must integrate technology into existing business models. Southern Nevada, on the other hand, has had the opportunity to build-in telecommunication and fiber optic systems into real estate development, creating a premier business climate benefiting all industries.

With all the great movements in Southern Nevada's diversity, we are still struggling to balance education and business. Our valley is the latest scenario of the chicken and the egg. Local businesses worry there is no educated workforce to support their growing needs, and our education institutions feel the majority of their graduates would have to leave to find an applicable job for their degrees. These components cannot happen at the same time. They must work together to support and complement the others' needs. The future of our nongaming workforce is beginning to build, and our valley must be patient during the transition.

Fifty-five years ago no one could have predicted our present reality. The fastest, the biggest, the best. Southern Nevada has transformed itself into more than a tourist attraction, it's become home to 1.5 million people. And we are only beginning to realize the scope of our future and the type of activity about to take place in our own back yard.

We are at the epicenter of growth. Over the next five to 10 years, our valley's momentum will continue to build. Valley residents will continue to benefit from the growth and feel the quality of our business climate. Our marketplace has matured and we should give ourselves credit. If we can all understand and accept the unique nature of Southern Nevada's economy, we will finally free ourselves from paranoia.

It used to be "look out America, here we come" for Vegas, but today it's "look out America, try and catch us."