Azpm's Arizona Business Report

Tucson’s residential real estate market was hit hard when the bubble burst. Unit sales and total sales volume bottomed out at less than half of what they were at the peak of the market. The market has slowly worked its way out of that hole ever since. But key statistics have been at pre-bubble levels the past four months. Has the market recovered? AZPM’s Zac Ziegler asked that question of Tucson Association of Realtors President Eric Gibbs.

The latest cohort of companies to take part in Startup Tucson's 'Thryve Scale Up' small business incubator wrapped up this week. Solar panel manufacturer REhnu was among the 13 companies taking part in the program. Arizona Public Media’s Zac Ziegler caught up with REhnu’s Michael Vogel and Jon Will about what they learned in the program, and the company’s decision to launch a new product line. The decision came from the advice of their StepUp mentor.

Arizona’s job market has been crawling out of a hole as it recovers from the Great Recession, and recently reached a point where it has recovered all the jobs it lost after the downturn. The same cannot be said of Tucson, where the job market has grown at a slower rate. But in recent months, Tucson has bucked that trend and is now adding jobs at a rate quicker than the national average. Zac Ziegler speaks with University of Arizona economist George Hammond about why Tucson’s recovery lagged, and why job growth has picked up lately.

Tucson’s Fourth Avenue Street Fair brings hundreds of artists and vendors to the business district for two weekends each year, and organizers say they will ring up millions in sales in a few days’ business. Zac Ziegler spoke with Fourth Avenue Merchants Association Executive Director Fred Ronstadt for this edition of the Friday Business Report.

The University of Arizona graduates thousands of students each year, and it’s the job of UA Career Services to help those new alumni find jobs. One way the organization does so is through semi-annual career fairs. Zac Ziegler traveled to a recent fair to find out who is looking for soon-to-be UA grads and what kind of skills they want to add to their company.

Each year, $2.5 billion worth of Mexican-grown fruits and vegetables cross into the U.S. through Nogales. The port's market share has been shrinking in recent years, losing out to crossings in Texas. Fresh Produce Association of the Americas President Lance Jungmeyer speaks about how Nogales can recapture its market share and what issues the industry gathered to discuss at its annual policy meeting in Tubac.

Oro Valley is a hub for Southern Arizona’s growing bioscience industry. It all began with Ventana Medical Systems, which grew out of the University of Arizona 30 years ago and now employs more than 1,000 people. Zac Ziegler speaks with company Founder Tom Grogan and Chief Medical Officer Eric Walk about how the area’s bioscience industry can continue growing.

A Tucson brewery is the first company to make use of a state law allowing companies to publicly seek investors among state residents. 1055 Brewing Company is seeking backers to help it relocate to a downtown location and expand production. The company needs nearly $2 million to complete its expansion plans.

The United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona hosts an annual benefit aimed at encouraging the local business community to become more knowledgable of and involved in early childhood education. This edition of the Arizona Business Report speaks with the organization’s Chief Impact Officer LaVonne Douville and event keynote speaker pediatrician Dipesh Navsaria about the benefits of early childhood education for the business community and the work done through the event.

AZPM’s Zac Ziegler speaks Inside Tucson Business Editor David Rupkalvis about the value of property taxes. Anti-tax advocates say low taxes bring in business, but others say the programs those taxes pay for, such as education and infrastructure, are equally as important if not more so. How do different municipalities in the Tucson area try to strike a balance between paying for what is needed and keeping taxes as low as possible?

The newest cohort for Startup Tucson’s Thryve Scale Up mentorship program was announced this week. AZPM’s Zac Ziegler speaks with two people who will go through the program, Michael Vogel and Jon Will, who work for solar panel manufacturer REhnu.

The University of Arizona Tech Park has pushed the technology sector in Tucson for more than 20 years. Today, 45 companies call it home, and they employ 6,500 people and pay an average wage of $91,000 a year. UA Tech Park is a major player in the area’s technology sector, and brings billions into the community.

Zac Ziegler breaks down AZPM's investigation of land purchases in Cochise County with Christopher Conover and Lorraine Rivera. Significant tracts of land are being purchased and leased from out-of-state in the southeastern Arizona county. Land and professional sports mogul Stan Kroenke owns or leases a stretch in the southeast corner of Cochise County that is roughly 80,000 acres, almost 2 percent the county. They also break down a concern with the land rush, how will the area's water supply be affected?

Nearly half a billion dollars of private investment has gone into downtown Tucson since 2008. AZPM’s Zac Ziegler and Inside Tucson Business Editor David Rupkalvis discuss what has led to the influx of interest from the business community, and how revitalization efforts have changed since the founding of Rio Nuevo in 1999.

Some say 2016 will be the year Tucson sheds the mantra of slow, steady growth and catches up to the national average. AZPM’s Zac Ziegler and Inside Tucson Business Editor David Rupkalvis discuss what issues might slow recovery from the Great Recession.

While any growth is better than contraction, many local businesses still feel like they have one foot in the Great Recession. What is needed in 2016 to help get both feet planted firmly in an economy that is growing at a faster, healthier rate? AZPM’s Zac Ziegler wraps up 2015 with Tucson Metro Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Michael Varney.

Southern Arizona's film industry has made its name as a shooting location for westerns like The Outlaw Josey Wales, Three Amigos and Tombstone. But what would it take to make the region a bigger piece of the puzzle? Zac Ziegler talks with Jonathan Deckter, President of Voltage Pictures (Hurt Locker, Dallas Buyer’s Club) and UA alumnus.

A top-rate CFO does much more than just count the beans in today's business world; they handle any and all things money related, which can be almost every part of a business. They're also found in more places than the largest corporate boardrooms, they're at our schools, in our non-profits, and an intricate part of many startups. Zac and David highlight where these professionals make a difference in Tucson.

How did the downturn in the economy lead to a boost in entrepreneurs? Zac and David dissect Tucson’s startup scene from incubation to the influence of the University of Arizona.

Davis-Monthan helped grow Tucson into the city it is today, but just how many jobs and dollars does it bring to southern Arizona? Zac and David discuss the base’s past, present and future.