Business Delegation to Visit Guadalajara

 The Chamber is participating in a Trade Mission to Guadalajara July 20-24.

The Chamber invite all members that would like to introduce their companies to the following groups to contact the Business Development Department for more information.

Key Agencies and contacts in Guadalajara

·                     Secretaria Promocion Economica de Estado de Jalisco (SEPROE) – Guillermo Martinez

·                     Municipalities (Guadalajara, etc.)

·                     AMCHAM -  Jamie Rabago Jimenez

·                     Jaltrade – Alejandro Allera Mercadillo

·                     ProMexico

·                     Mexican airline representatives (Alma)

·                     Autonomous University of Guadalajara – Rafael Vazquez

·                     Tenologico de Monterrey

·                     Trade Associations (CADELEC)

·                     US Consulate General in Guadalajara – Edward Ramatowski

·                     Association of Industrial Parks in the State of Jalisco (APIEJ)

Contact John Brown at JBrown@TucsonChamber.org.

New ZIP Code established in Tucson

With Tucson’s growth, the Postal Service is adding numbers to the map.

Beginning July 1, the 85706 ZIP code in Tucson was split and the 85756 ZIP code was introduced.

The new ZIP code will cover the approximate area bounded by Valencia Road to the north, Nogales Highway to the west, Wilmot Road area to the east and Pima Mine Road to the south. This area includes Tucson International Airport and Raytheon Missile Systems.

Mail addressed to the 85706 ZIP in this area will still be delivered for several months, with the full transition being completed by June 30, 2009.

TAA acquires 8 acres, releases annual report

The Tucson Airport Authority board of directors approved the purchase of an eight-acre land parcel at the intersection of South Plumer Avenue and East Sears Blvd. for $1.7 million.

The parcel was identified in the Tucson International Airport Master Plan Update to help the airport address Runway Protection Zone requirements for its crosswind runway. Funding for the deal is provided from Arizona Department of Transportation grants.

In other news, the TAA Comprehensive Annual Financial Report is now available for review. The report includes financial information about TIA and Ryan Airfield, passenger traffic, air carrier market share and airline operations.

The report is available online at www.tucsonairport.org or by calling the TAA Information Department at (520) 573-4868.

Covad expands broadband service

© Arizona Daily Star

San Jose-based Covad Communications said this week it was expanding its broadband Internet services for Tucson small businesses.The expansion, part of an agreement with Vancouver, Wash.-based New Edge Networks, gives more small businesses access to its T1 data services.

The company said demands for videoconferencing and corporate Web services soak up bandwidth on broadband connections not built for business use.

Getting there: Towns fight fuel costs by buying bulk

© East Valley Tribune

Gilbert and Queen Creek officials say they are buying fuel in bulk to help stem the effects of soaring gas prices.

Queen Creek officials recently approved a plan to build a temporary municipal fueling center to save money.

The idea is to buy gasoline at wholesale prices and avoid paying sales tax.

The town plans to spend about $146,000 on the fueling center that should be completed by the end of summer. But that’s less than half of what the town expects to spend on gas in the next fiscal year.

For now, Queen Creek employees fill up town vehicles at two local Circle K gas stations and pay regular retail prices. The change is expected to save taxpayers about 55 cents a gallon on diesel and 41 cents a gallon on unleaded gas.

Gilbert officials say price was one reason they built their fueling station near Lindsay and Juniper roads. Assistant Town Manager Tami Ryall said the idea is to save money and guarantee a gasoline supply for the town.

Officials in that town don’t know exactly how much they’re saving, but said Friday they’re looking into it.

Workshop teaches lean manufacturing

©The Daily Courier
The Special/Light Manufacturer’s Association of the Yavapai Region (SLIM) is teaming up with the Arizona Manufacturing Extension Partnership to offer the “Principles of Lean Manufacturing” class at Yavapai College campuses in Clarkdale and Prescott.
This hands-on, one-day workshop will count toward Lean Certification.
Participants will learn to identify and eliminate non-value- added activities, or waste, thereby improving efficiency in use of resources, decreasing production lead time, increase product quality and decrease operating costs at the workshop.

Cell use while driving in Calif. will cost you

SACRAMENTO - Those who are planning vacations that involve driving in California, make sure you have a designated phone-talker.

The California State Assembly passed a law recently making it a violation to use a handheld cell phone while driving. Motorists are allowed to use a hands-free device. Drivers under age 18, however, are prohibited from using a cell phone in any fashion. Exceptions are given when the phone is being used in an emergency to contact law enforcement, medical provider, fire department or other emergency services agency. The ban also applies to those with “push-to-talk” features or walkie-talkie capabilities.

Use of a cell phone while driving is a primary infraction that may alone result in being pulled over by officers. Fines range from $76 for a first offense to $190 for repeated offenses.

Beer, candy most immune to recession, study says

© The Arizona Republic

Recession or not, we won’t give up beer and candy, but we might give up cigarettes, the Nielsen Co. reported in Phoenix recently.
The New York company calculated that based on sales in previous recessions, certain consumer goods are most immune and most vulnerable in a recession.
The most recession-proof items are seafood, dry pasta, candy, beer and pasta sauces.
The most recession-vulnerable items are carbonated beverages, eggs, cups and plates, food preparation and storage products, and tobacco.
Nielsen released its findings at a Consumer 360 Conference that attracted about 1,000 people in the consumer-packaged-goods industries to the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa.

Verizon Wireless to buy Alltel for $28B

NEW YORK (AP) — Verizon Wireless has agreed to buy Alltel Corp. for $5.9 billion, which would make it by far the largest cellular carrier in the U.S.

Verizon Wireless would also assume $22.2 billion in debt in the deal, making the value $28.1 billion.

The deal comes just seven months after Alltel was taken private by TPG Capital and a unit of Goldman Sachs Group. It paid $24.7 billion for the stock and took on $2.7 billion in debt, bringing the value of that deal to $27.4 billion.

Alltel has 13.2 million subscribers in 34 states, mainly in rural areas away from the coasts. Added to Verizon’s 67.2 million subscribers, the size of the new company would surpass the current U.S. cellular leader AT&T Inc., with 71.4 million subscribers.

Both carriers serve Tucson and parts of southern Arizona.

The parties expect the deal to close by the end of the year, pending regulatory approvals. The deal is likely to face scrutiny by the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission, but analysts expect it to pass.