New LV Chamber boss tours the city

Matthew Crosson started his new job a few weeks ago.

But getting acquainted with the people he'll be working with could take a very long time.

Crosson, the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce's newest president, is trying to meet as many members of the business community he represents as he can.

Visiting with a local insurance company, florist, wedding chapel and tour operator started that effort Thursday. Crosson called the two-hour tour a good way to get to know some of his chamber members and hear their ideas about Nevada's economic problems.

"I think it is essentially the chamber's role to convene everyone because everyone has an opinion and they can have their say," he said.

Crosson, a Long Island, N.Y., transplant, is learning about the condition of Nevada's economy. Not surprisingly, he discovered that taxes -- and rumors of taxes -- are among business owners' biggest fears.

The principals of insurance company Cragin & Pike recalled limiting hiring over worries of higher taxes and fees. Cragin & Pike principal Greg McKinley told Crosson that small businesses cannot carry a heavier tax burden.

"What is the average small business doing? Hanging on by their fingernails," he said.

Spokeswoman Cara Roberts said Cragin & Pike is the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce's oldest member. But company officials say they still worry about business.

"When you have a recession like this, people are saying, 'What is going on here? This is nuts," Cragin & Pike principal Tom Kerestesi added.

Crosson tried to focus on the positive, responding, "Tell me some good news."

He also pointed to chamber business surveys findings that suggest member optimism is growing.

That the four businesses selected for the chamber tour -- Cragin & Pike, DiBella Flowers and Gifts, Chapel of the Flowers and Showtime Tours -- are still around is reason for optimism.

DiBella Flowers and Gifts owner John DiBella has spent the better part of three decades building his floral business on West Charleston Boulevard, almost across the street from University Medical Center. He recounted how the demographic makeup of patients at the county hospital has changed dramatically over the years.

"They started serving the needs of the indigent population more, so we receive less business from them," he said.

DiBella branched out, chasing a larger market. Offering half-off specials to high school students for prom corsages is part of that effort.

Amid sprays of carnations, roses and lilies, John DiBella's wife and grown daughter help staff the floral shop. A makeshift playpen houses John DiBella's young grandson during the workday.

Crosson was visibly affected the family-run business's plight. He called it representative of small local ventures' struggles.

"Look at the flower shop. John DiBella has his whole family working in the store, even the grandson is there," Crosson said. "He can't afford to hire employees."

Next stop on the whirlwind business tour was the Chapel of the Flowers downtown on Las Vegas Boulevard. For 55 years, couples have been vowing till death do they part at the location, current owner Tyler Foote said.

Chapel of Flowers saw a decline in customers immediately after the recession hit a few years ago. In the past year, however, business increased. Foote attributes that to a desire to save on the costs involved with a lavish wedding.

"The average traditional wedding costs around $20,000," he said. "The average wedding at the chapel is $1,000, and you get a limousine, flowers and photos included."

The final stop on Crosson's tour was a tour company, Showtime Tours, downtown on Industrial Road. Company general manager and Vice President Lisa de Marigny, like Crosson, is an Empire State transplant -- she moved from New York state about seven years ago. She discovered she had a lot in common with the new chamber president.

She pointed to one major difference between the two regions.

"Compared to New York, the (Las Vegas) chamber plays a much larger role here," she said. "It plays a vital role in government and politics."

Contact reporter Valerie Miller at
vmiller@lvbusinesspress.com or 702-387-5286.