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Mesa family on front lines of CBD industry
TRIBUNE NEWS STAFF
When Chad and April Olshavsky say their Herbal Risings CBD Dispensary is a family-run business, they’re not exaggerating.
Their two children, Hailee and Michael, take just as active a role in keeping their east Mesa business growing as it marks its sixth anniversary. Billing itself as “one of the �irst educational providers for CBD in the country,” Herbal Risings has grown from a small retail store to a Valley-wide provider of CBD, a cannabinoid found in the hemp plant that’s touted for its potential health bene�its for anxiety, muscle recovery, sports performance, sleep and anti-aging.
It’s also the non-intoxicating part of the hemp pant and Herbal Risings sells in tinctures, sprays, creams, candies, bath salts and even pet treats.
Located at 6049 E. University Drive near Recker Road, Herbal Risings now has online ordering with 24/7 local customer chat, Valley-wide delivery, third-party labtested products made from organic ingredients in the U.S.
The Olshavskys, who just marked their 22nd wedding anniversary, don’t just sell CBD products.
Chad and April Olshavsky, left, and their daughter Hailee and son Michael all have a role in running Herbal Risings CBD Dispensary in east Mesa. (Pablo Robles/Tribune Sta Photographer)
April calls herself “a chronic pain warrior” who found relief in CBD from a condition that had left her bedridden in her 20s.
“Personal experience is what drives me to help others discover the healing wonders of the plant derivative,” she said. “It gives me a good peace of mind that I’m not intoxicating myself with harmful chemicals or organ-damaging pain killers.
“I personally love that CBD helps get you moving, and can even help with post-workout muscle recovery,” she said, explaining that many of Herbal Risings’ customers have become extended family members in some ways.
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McCarthy Building bringing training facility here
TRIBUNE NEWS STAFF
McCarthy Building Companies, one of the Valley’s most prominent construction �irms, has broken ground on a new training facility that will educate the region’s aspiring carpenters and builders.
Located in a 40,000-square-foot building near Kyrene Road and Erie Street, McCarthy’s new workforce center will house the company’s education program that caters to more than 400 local craft workers.
Local dignitaries last month met with McCarthy’s leadership team to commemorate the groundbreaking by donning hard hats and breaking down a wall with sledgehammers -- a skill that will likely be learned by the center’s future students.
The facility, which is projected to open early next year, includes multiple classrooms and workspaces for McCarthy’s staff to learn new trade skills in prefabrication, technical training and solar power production.
Known as “Builders U,” McCarthy’s training program will soon have access to newly renovated rooms and more space to partner with local institutions that provide career and technical education classes.
Amber Shepard, McCarthy’s self-perform assistant manager, said the workforce ���MCCARTHY ���� 23
McCarthy Building Companies Vice President Antonia Williams addressed the groundbreaking for her company’s new training facility in Chandler. (Pablo Robles/
Prior to starting the store, April and Chad were holding training on medical marijuana. “We launched Arizona’s �irst cannabis training college, Herbal Risings,” she explained. “Our kids grew up in the industry going to NORML meetings, cannabis job fairs, and trade shows. Even though they have their own ambitions as visual artists, they are very devoted to the business and are very well acquainted with each and every product we carry because it’s been such a big part of our lives for so long.”
April noted that hemp-derived CBD has been providing people relief commercially since 2016, but it wasn’t always so available like it is today. “We had to �ight and educate the public and of�icials on U.S. Hemp Bill of 2014 and Herbal Risings CBD Dispensary is marking its sixth year – a tribute to what co-owner April Olshavsky calls their attention to educating people on CBD and going the extra mile for
again when it was of�icially amended and classi�ied in 2018 thanks to advocates like us. We were one of the �irst CBD dispensaries where the public could legally come in without a doctor’s recommendation – although we get several doctor referrals, including a V.A. physician).
April also attributes Herbal Risings’ growth to an aggressive social media presence that includes Instagram reels, live video streams, blogs and a podcast. In addition, its website’s 24/7 live chat is run “by local product advisors who are specially trained on our unique formulas,” she said.
They even throw in a gift with orders over $100.
While the legalization of recreational marijuana initially impacted their business, the couple sees a resurgence of interest in CBD.
“Some folks ventured away to THC thinking it was going to help them feel better, and that’s not always the case,” she said of the ingredient in marijuana that produces a high.
Located near Farnsworth Hall and Dreamland Villas, Herbal Risings’ retail store is open seven days a week from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Information: CBDMSA.com ■
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center will be a great recruiting tool for attracting the next generation of builders.
Shepard was born into the construction industry and credits her father with introducing her to the many career opportunities that exist in the local market.
Now she wants to offer the same guidance to high schoolers and college students who may be hesitant about seeking out jobs in construction.
McCarthy is known for building schools, bridges, and hospitals across the country and has contributed to several projects around Chandler. The �irm recently built a new elementary school for the Chandler Uni�ied School District and a �ive-story parking garage in the city’s downtown region.
Shepard said the work done at the training center will provide support for McCarthy’s projects by supplementing materials that can be incorporated into the construction of buildings.
“We use it as a training opportunity as well as a direct support to our job sites across the country,” she added.
Plans for creating a new workforce center in Chandler began not long before the construction industry was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.
As McCarthy was closing on the center’s property, the rest of society was shutting down and the future of economic development became clouded in uncertainty.
Justin Kelton, president of McCarthy’s Southwest region, said McCarthy continued to push the project forward during the pandemic because the company knew it
needed to invest in the region’s workforce. “There was no way we weren’t going to do this,” Kelton said. A workforce center can help McCarthy put out a better product, he added, and result in better price certainty for the I’m really excited for this facility projects they build. and bringing in the community not only is it going to support the development of our current “This is a culmination of what we’ve been doing for years,” the pres-workforce but it’s going to ident said. support (the) future workforce. McCarthy expects the workforce center to assist Arizona in �illing the many construction jobs that will be generated in the next few years. According to the Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation, Arizona will need 228,000 craft professionals by the end of 2024 to support all the development that’s projected across the state. More than 80 percent of employers currently struggle to �ill hourly craft jobs or salaried positions in construction, per the Associated General Contractors.
Justin Dent, the company’s senior vice president of operations, said the industry needs to engage with young workers and McCarthy’s new workforce center will offer more opportunities of engagement with prospective builders.
“We have to invite and get people to join our company and join the trade,” Dent said.
McCarthy believes its new facility will help its workers to learn about the many pathways that exist for them to advance their careers. The city’s elected of�icials approve of McCarthy’s plans to boost the local workforce and are excited to see how the training center assists locals in moving up the career ladder.
Councilman Terry Roe said he’s proud that Chandler gets to house a safe place for McCarthy’s construction workers to learn their trade in a controlled environment. “I’ve been a fan of McCarthy for a long time,” Roe said. “Chandler is the city of innovation and I see that in McCarthy.” ■
