Big Things Happening in Reno

Big things are happening in Reno! In just the last week, two companies have announced they will call Reno home, totally over 1 million square feet of industrial space.

S&S Activewear, a distributor of imprintable apparel, will open an 800,000 square foot distribution center in Panattoni’s North Valleys Commerce Center in north Reno. The company distributes clothing for brands like Adidas, Calvin Klein, Oakley, and more. This expansion has made S&S the largest tenant ever to be signed to a speculative project in the state of Nevada.

The center will create approximately 350 jobs, and construction is projected to be completed by the end of 2018, with the center opening on March 1, 2019.

"It's great," Doug Roberts of Panattoni Development Company said in an interview with the NNBV. "It talks about the vibrancy of the economy and the distribution market within Reno itself. We're in the middle of 11 western states, so from a distribution pattern, Reno is right in the middle of it. So companies that take this kind of space in a market like this, (it) really speaks volumes to how good of a location we're in."

Jim Shannon, president of S&S Activewear, said that's exactly why the company was drawn to Reno. With the completion of its Reno warehouse, S&S will have a national footprint of over 3.5 million square feet.

"The facility is especially important to S&S in that it will allow us to add much more products and provide faster delivery times," said Shannon, referring to the company's ability to reach most of the West Coast with one-day ship times. "This facility will greatly improve our service level and round out our distribution strategy for our vendors."

Not to be shadowed by this large industrial deal, Reno-Sparks is welcoming another Bay Area transplant to the region. Medical device firm, New Deantronics announced that it is moving its US operations from Walnut Creek, California to Norther Nevada. The company, which was founded in San Francisco in 1985, manufactures medical devices used in operating rooms, most of which employ radio frequency-related technology. The devices are used in procedures for general surgery, cardiology, neurosurgery and orthopedics.

“We’ve been looking (to move) for the last six years and we looked at several places including Texas and Salt Lake City,” CEO Jane Liu said. “We see a lot of potential here, especially with the university … and all the training programs offered so we think it’s a good choice for us to relocate.”

The company is breaking ground on a 200,000 square foot facility at Spanish Springs Business Center, which is anticipated to complete construction in early 2020. New Deantronics plans to invest more than $40 million on construction its new building, which will include an research and development center as well as operations for manufacturing, distribution, return for repair and capital equipment exchanges.

New Deantronics is looking to fill more than 200 positions at the facility in the next few years. These include mechanical, electrical, and quality-control engineers, technicians who specialize in automation, and accountants as well.

The company is exactly the kind of firm that the state needs as it eyes to continue its transition into a more diversified economy, said Gov. Brian Sandoval. It's important for Nevada to have the kind of new economy jobs that New Deantronics brings to the fray, especially for the state's students and younger members of its workforce.