Briefs

One of the teachers honored this year was Ms. Hallas, a first-grade teacher at Westpointe Elementary School in Surprise.

Suntec’s Philanthropy Benefits Community – and Employees

Suntec Concrete and its employees have been doing their part since 2008 to help vital members of the community: teachers. Again this year, Suntec, the largest commercial concrete contractor in the Southwest, delivered care packages to nearly 100 teachers across Arizona, Utah and Colorado as part of its Teacher Appreciation program.

Suntec adds a special touch to this philanthropic/appreciation effort by putting its employees also in the spotlight.

“For us, it’s all about ‘how do I help that tradesman be a hero in his home and his community?’” says Derek Wright, Suntec president and CEO. “That’s why we call it our ‘Heroes in Hardhats Campaign.’ For us, the more successful I can help them be in their home, the more successful we will be in the workplace.

“For years, we have encouraged them to be involved in their children’s education, specifically serving underprivileged communities and schools, and they do that in nominating teachers that are doing a phenomenal job for their children. We want to interview those teachers, and the principals of those schools, find out what the needs are and do our part to fulfill the needs inside the classroom.”

Suntec employees contribute to this program by nominating deserving teachers and writing a brief narrative on how that teacher has positively impacted their child’s life. An internal committee then evaluates the nominations for these teachers. Once selected, the teachers will have their wish list of needed items filled.

Then, Suntec employees make the deliveries to the classroom. For each, the Suntec employee who nominated the teacher is invited to come to the school that day and is honored as one of Suntec’s “Heroes in Hard Hats,” which shines a positive light on the employee in front of his or her child and the school.

“Imagine the power of a child seeing their parent in the classroom recognizing their teacher for the education they’re getting from that teacher, and the power and the vision of the potential of [what that gift can do] not only inside of the school but inside of their own home,” Wright says, noting the ripples from those stories go far beyond the classroom. “Employees tell me it was such a great experience to be able to be in the school and make a difference.” —RaeAnne Marsh

Suntec Concrete suntecconcrete.com DAILIES TOP STORIES

‘In Business Dailies’ Most Views Last 30 Days

Here are the stories with the most views over the past 30 days (prior to press time) that were features in our In Business Dailies. The In Business Dailies hit email inboxes twice each weekday — at 9:30 a.m. and updated at 4:30 p.m. Sign up today at www.inbusinessphx.com/dailies-signup

Achievements | inbusinessphx.com | August 16 2022

15 Valley Women Honored, Celebrating Giving Back to Our Community through Event Oct. 7

In Business Magazine will launch new weekly network TV show at event

inbusinessPHX.com In Business Magazine is, once again, bringing together top local women of achievement to share their stories and inspire Valley business leaders at the annual Women of Achievement event on Friday, October 7, 2022, in an inspiring in-person luncheon event. Fifteen Valley Women of Achievement are being celebrated for their achievements and service to our community.

Economy & Trends | Cover Story | August 2022

Sustaining Profits: The Environment and Its Challenges Are Driving Business Success

by RaeAnne Marsh From an overabundance of sun to an underabundance of water, the natural environment has become the elephant in the room for the business community. But many see it as big opportunity.

“Like many regions in the Southwest, Greater Phoenix is addressing environmental issues from water and drought to urban heat,” says Chris Camacho, president and CEO of Greater Phoenix Economic Council, following this dismal observation with the confident assessment, “However, proactive policies have given Greater Phoenix an advantageous position over cities like Reno, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Salt Lake City.”

HR & Management | Feature | August 2022

Tough Talks – How to Have Difficult Conversations with Employees

Getting past the hesitation and awkwardness

by Dr. Tricia Groff One of my clients, a business owner, reached out to me and said, “How do I tell this person that they need to keep their personal stressors from impacting everyone at work without sounding like a jerk?”

The situations may change, from telling employees they are underperforming to telling them their attitude is alienating everyone around them to telling them they are being fired.

LOOKING GOOD

Local Standouts Recognized for Achievements and Philanthropy

ACHIEVEMENTS

Local Inc. 5000 Honorees

The recently released 2022 Inc. 5000 included several businesses in our community. Among those named in this most prestigious annual ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America are: 72SOLD — at No. 260 overall, recognized as the Inc. 5000 No. 1 fastest-growing real estate firm in Arizona, and among the top 10 fastest-growing real estate firms in America. 72sold.com

Sawyer Aviation — a full-service aviation company with operations out of Scottsdale and Van Nuys airports that has experienced 490% revenue growth since 2019 and placed No. 1,336 on the Inc. 5000 list. sawyeraviation.com evolvedMD — a leader in behavioral health integration in modern primary care, joins the 2022 Inc. 5000 list at No. 1,522, ranked by percentage revenue growth over four years through 2021, and in the top 100 in Health Services. evolvedmd.com

PXG – Parsons Xtreme Golf — a research and development company dedicated to creating the world’s finest golf clubs and apparel, is No. 2,308 on the annual Inc. 5000 list and has grown its footprint to have global influence. pxg.com

Muscular Moving Men & Storage — ranks No. 3,447 on its second appearance on the Inc. 5000 Annual List, a threeyear revenue growth of 151%. muscularmovingmen.com

Vincit USA — a custom software development and design agency on the list a second year in a row, showed a 47.8% growth rate since the beginning of the year and earned a spot at No. 4,067. vincit.com

PHILANTHROPY

Larry H. Miller Dealerships Holds ‘Food Fuels Learning’ Campaign

Larry H. Miller Dealerships, continuing to give back to their local communities even after being acquired by Asbury Automotive Group, held their second-annual, month-long “Food Fuels Learning” campaign last month to support the afterschool and weekend food programs at St. Mary’s Food Bank in Phoenix and the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona in Tucson. lhmauto.com

Lerner & Rowe’s School Backpack Giveaway Helps Disadvantaged Children

Lerner & Rowe Injury Attorneys helped 1000 disadvantaged school-aged children in Metro Phoenix get a good start on their school year with its giveaway this past July of backpacks filled with school supplies. lernerandrowe.com

Baskin-Robbins Targets Phoenix for Expansion

Baskin-Robbins has remained an American staple for decades and has been recognized as the country’s most popular dining chain across the industry. To maintain its top spot in the quick service restaurants (QSR) segment, the brand recently went through a full rebrand that included new, reimagined flavors, logos, packaging, uniforms, merch and marketing that accompanied its “Seize the Yay” tagline. Now, with more than 7,800 locations across the globe, Baskin-Robbins is targeting Phoenix for further expansion, due to the influx of residents and the rising demand for ice cream and frozen treats.

Baskin-Robbins has spent more than 75 years building equity, trust and familiarity amongst customers, providing each guest a satisfactory, personalized experience. The brand has remained true to its core values while strategically updating its menu items, rolling out new marketing initiatives and improving operational efficiency to contribute to its ongoing success and popularity. As the ice cream industry continues to see an upward tick, Baskin-Robbins is leveraging its experience and influence on the industry to offer prospective franchisees throughout Phoenix the chance to capitalize on this trend. Baskin-Robbins has franchise opportunities available across the Greater Phoenix metropolitan area.

Since being acquired by Inspire Brands in 2020, the brand has leveraged the multi-brand platform’s robust operational support and other resources and knowledge needed to thrive within each target market. Being a member of the Inspire Brands family, Baskin-Robbins can now offer attractive investments and exclusive development opportunities to prospective franchisees. A wide variety of real estate options, ranging from traditional freestanding restaurants to end-cap shops and other non-traditional locations, helps give Baskin-Robbins’ operators an edge amongst competitors. —Grant Benson, SVP of franchise development at Inspire Brands, parent company of Baskin-Robbins (www.baskinrobbinsfranchising.com)

Workers Looking for More Money or New Job This Year

Labor data shows hiring remains strong in Phoenix. With 11.3 million job openings in May, workers are leveraging the robust job market and continued talent shortage to their advantage. Workers continue quitting in search for better pay, better career opportunities and remote work options. Our recent survey of more than 2,400 U.S. workers shows 4 in 10 (41%) workers are considering a job change in the second half of 2022. In Phoenix, that number was a bit lower, at 29%.

The top motivators Phoenix workers noted for wanting to jump ship were more pay (55% of Phoenix workers want more money); greater opportunities for advancement (35%); feeling burnout with current role (28%); 9 in 10 Phoenix workers (89%) feeling confident about their skill set and marketability; and Phoenix workers seeking fully remote jobs first (52%), but are open to hybrid roles (45%).

According to our research, the top reasons for launching a job search vary across groups and cities. Phoenix ranked higher than the national average on workers feeling confident about their skill set, which shows just how confident Phoenix workers are on their marketability. While money is a top motivator for making a career move, some professionals prioritize other things, like career advancement opportunities and remote work flexibility, which Phoenix employers must consider when implementing recruiting and retention strategies.

This includes providing fair and competitive wages, investing in employees, offering career development and training, and fostering a culture of flexibility. —Travis Laird, senior regional director for global talent solutions and business consulting firm Robert Half (www.roberthalf.com)