This open-arms attitude is underscored in part by the creation of more than 4,000 new jobs in 1997-1998 alone, brought about specifically by companies that located in northern Nevada. But it's not just the newly relocated executives who are impressed with northern Nevada. Industry Week magazine ranked Reno first of 310 cities nationwide for manufacturing employment growth, with a 36.6 percent growth rate. The magazine also ranked Reno third overall in a recent census of manufacturers for growth in manufacturing based on three outcomes: productivity, manufacturing specialization and manufacturing growth.

This western Nevada region promises businesses and the employees who work for those businesses a multitude of rewards. And as many companies have found, we're making good on those promises, each and every day.

"We evaluated several areas based on real estate costs, availability of labor, transportation costs and business climate," said Jerry Fisher of Alcon's move. "We chose Reno because it got high marks in all categories."