VEGAS INC Magazine - Latest Las Vegas business news, features and commentaries about gaming, tourism, real estate and more
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/207843
N O V E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 3 / Y O U R b u s i n e s s - t o - b u s i n e s s w e e k ly SPECIAL FOCUS TECHNOLOGY AT WORK This month, VEGAS INC examines the local tech industry and its impact on the economy. vandal causes $100,000 in damage at lv linen company By Ed Komenda staff writer THE FUTURE OF FLYING: Ikhana the Predator drone waits for a mission at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base. RICHARD N. VELOTTA WILL DRONES MAKE STATE ECONOMY SOAR? Nevada is in the running to be a national drone test site By Richard N. Velotta senior staff writer T see LINENS,page 16 he Federal Aviation Administration is weeks away from announcing where it will test unmanned aerial systems – drones capable of flying in situations that are too danger- INSIDE TODAY ous or mundane for manned aircraft. ¶ Nevada is on the short list of 25 applicants MORE FEES COMING? | P. 6 from 24 states. Six test sites will be chosen, the next step to opening the nation's air- space to civilian drones. ¶ Nevada is a strong contender. The state is home to hundreds of square miles of airspace far from population centers and already houses a military command center for unmanned aerial vehicles used by Creech Air Force Base. Nevada has experienced drone pilots and support companies that work with unmanned aerial systems. And the state has a variety of terrain and weather that make flying conditions ideal more than 300 days a year. see DRONES, page 14 | 11 NOVEMBER 2013 20131111_VI01_F.indd 1 For three months, someone has been dropping dye bombs into Marty Martin's dirty laundry. Martin is the guy in charge of laundering thousands of pounds of sheets and towels soiled in Strip hotels. The culprit's identity remains a mystery, but the message is clear. Martin says the vandalism is payback for his success. His company has taken a significant amount of business away from competitors. It's the kind of corporate sabotage one might expect in a casino or nightclub. But insiders say such treachery has played out in Las Vegas laundry rooms for years. "It's a dirty business," said Martin, executive vice president of Apex Linen. "No pun intended." The trouble began in mid-July, when Martin, a longtime laundry equipment executive, got a frantic call from the crew inside his company's $25 million laundry facility. Something was wrong with the company's 12-foot-high, 60-foot- | Southwest CEO says airline could charge baggage fees in the future CONFIDENT FOR RECOVERY | P. 7 North Las Vegas mayor says the worst has passed for the struggling city DATA AND RECORDS | P. 20 Bankruptcies, bid opportunities, brokered transactions and permits THE LIST | P. 22 Banks, ranked by deposits 1 11/7/13 12:08:40 PM