A Nevada sport: hunting California’s ‘mom and pops’

By John Howard | 04/30/09 12:00 AM PST

When Kris Holt goes to work each morning in Carson City, he has one thought: entice new businesses to Nevada. Thus far, he’s succeeding, and most of them are coming from California.


Holt heads a private group called Nevada Business Connections that he founded to aggressively lure companies to Nevada. He focuses on four counties – Douglas, Carson, Storey and Lyon. But he works with Nevada’s economic development groups and the chambers of commerce in 17 counties to pitch Nevada statewide as a desirable destination. A former California resident – Holt lived in Campbell in the Silicon Valley and in Bakersfield – he goes after businesses with his persuasive come-on: Nevada has fewer taxes, fewer regulations, lower property costs, less pollution, better public schools and a government sympathetic to the entrepreneur.

True or not, the pitch is working: At least 93 companies have relocated in Nevada in the past four years, and more are coming, he said, citing Nevada government figures.

“The majority are in Clark County (the Las Vegas area) and most of them are ‘mom and pop’ businesses. That is a target for us, although of course we want large companies as well,â€