We asked 20 professionals, "Is the Las Vegas economy improving?"
......
“When you look at the gaming or the housing side, things are still challenged, but, yes, I think it’s improving. I think we’ve come to bottom or close to bottom. It appears to me, getting out in the community, that it feels better.”
-Kevin Orrock, President of Summerlin
“How can I answer that? When things are good, people drink. When things are bad, people drink.”
-Eric Witt, sales consultant at Wirtz Beverage
“Not yet. The number of uninsured patients has been increasing for us.”
-Carole Fisher, president and CEO of Nathan Adelson Hospice
“I feel that a lot of people are more positive than they were a year ago. I don’t hear the doom and gloom anymore.”
-Craig Galati, principal at Lucchesi Galati
“I think the economy is improving. I was at Town Square, and it was packed. On the Strip, you can barely walk.”
-Andrea Woods, director of community relations for Foundation for Positively Kids
“Most of the people that I know here owe more than their house is worth.”
-Stuart Wiener, COO/treasurer of University of Southern Nevada
“There seems to be a tighter-knit community of businesses now. We can’t rely on the quality of the economy, but we can rely on each other.”
-Alex Raffi , creative director/partner at Imagine Marketing
“As a small business owner, I would say the improvement is marginal, and it hasn’t made its way down to me yet.”
-Michael Beardslee, president of IT Strategies International
“I have noticed the traffic pick up inside the casinos the past few months so I think the Las Vegas economy is improving, albeit slowly.”
-Steven Graham, professional poker player
“We’re seeing an increase of people moving back into the valley and not as many people moving out. That’s a really, really good sign.”
-Michael Bartok, president/broker at Henderson Valley Realty
“Our unemployment rate is dropping. Overall, people are spending more.”
-Jeremy Aguero, principal analyst, Applied Analysis
“We’re experiencing record sales activity—similar to 2008.”
-Maureen Crampton, director of marketing for The Forum Shops
“In the party-planning business, I’m starting to book parties a year to two years out. I haven’t done that since 2007. For what we do, I see a promising future.”
-Louis Abin, co-owner, Tao Group
“We’re seeing huge numbers of people coming in for résumé help.”
-Tom Fay, executive director for Henderson Libraries
“Currently, it appears we’ve reached bottom. But who the hell knows, right?”
-John Restrepo, principal at RCG Economics, LLC
“Gaming revenues are up a little bit. Tourism has been good. I’m on the gaming commission, and there is a very minor upward trend.”
-Joe W. Brown, senior partner at Jones Vargas
“We’re doing phenomenal.”
-Nick Palmeri, manager of Gaetano’s Ristorante
“The numbers are down, but there are people making money in this town. My business is definitely growing.”
-Mary Marriott, president of Just Ask Mary
“There are signs of life that I haven’t seen in awhile.”
-Gary Siroky, president of Core Construction
“Las Vegas has always been a town of optimists and a town of hope. We’ll continue to improve in the future.”
-Mark Hutchison, senior partner at Hutchison & Steffen