SanTan Sun News: Business - April 2, 2016

Turf and Sport owner opens Artificial Grass Superstore

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI

In the early 2000s, Mike Alexander was looking to change careers. Little did he know that a visit to the home of his wife’s grandmother would offer an idea for that opportunity.

“We went to her house in Sun Lakes and she backed up to a golf course,” Alexander said. “Her grass looked incredible—better than the golf course. I went out with my son, who was 1, and realized it was synthetic.”

That piqued his curiosity about synthetic turf.

In 2004, Alexander bought the rights to a company that was new in the market. Four years ago, he switched to his own

brand and Turf and Sport was born. At the beginning of this year, he opened his first local brick-and-mortar store, Artificial Grass Superstore, at 221 E. Willis Rd., Chandler. For more information, call (480) 726-2411 or visit http://artificialgrasssuperstore.com/. He also has a store in Santa Ana, California.

“We’ve always had a warehouse in Chandler, but it was in an industrial park and it was tucked away,” Alexander said. “We weren’t really set up for people just to walk in. Now we have someone behind the counter. All the samples are on the wall. You can see us from Arizona Avenue, so we’re getting a lot of traffic through there.”

At the Artificial Grass Superstore,

customers can stop by and request a quote, or even purchase the products to do the installation themselves.

“We’re a one-stop shop for all of your synthetic turf needs,” Alexander said. “We have everything you need here.”

The store has pallets of product as well as tools for rent, like power brooms.

“We have specialty tools that you would need that we rent out,” he said.

Now is the perfect time to install synthetic grass, Alexander added. He said when he drives through neighborhoods near his Gilbert home, about half of the yards have artificial grass.

Alexander has completed some pretty impressive jobs. He and his team installed synthetic grass at the Hotel del Coronado on Coronado Island, California, between the hotel and the beach.

He’s also worked with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the wedding lawn at El Chorro Lodge in Paradise Valley, as well as model home complexes.

“We have a lot of cool, fun jobs that we’ve done.”

“That’s how popular it has become,” he said. “It’s a lot different now—even in the last two years. It looks so much better than a couple years ago and it performs a lot better. It doesn’t wear down when you walk on it. It stands back up.”

Startup wins entry to Flinn Foundation Bioscience Entrepreneurship

AniCell Biotech, a Chandler-based company that claims it is able to extend the active life of animals using a revolutionary treatment, has been competitively selected to participate in the 2016 Flinn Foundation Bioscience Entrepreneurship Program.

AniCell Biotech will receive $30,000 from Flinn and a set of program services administered through a nonprofit partner. The program’s selection process begins with applications from bioscience startup companies throughout Arizona that are engaged in the commercialization of bioscience research and biotechnology.

The program was established to foster entrepreneurship and help early-stage bioscience firms develop into successful and sustainable businesses.

AniCell Biotech says it treatment can alleviate debilitating injuries through accelerated regeneration of tissue and bone. According to the company, the treatment uses amnion growth factors and cellular components collected noninvasively during birth at zero risk to the animals.

Info: www.anicellbiotech.com and www. flinn.org/entrepreneur.

United Air Ambulance moves to Chandler

Arizona-based medevac service provider United Air Ambulance is opening a new, 5,839-square-foot facility in Chandler.

United Air Ambulance and its industry partner, Air Ambulance Billing, will occupy the new space at 2301 E. Yeager Dr., Suite. 2, in Chandler.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Chandler Chamber of Commerce is slated for 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 5. In addition to expanding its physical address the locally owned and operated company will add multiple positions, and considerably enhance its transport capabilities, allowing it to serve more patients and families in need of critical medical treatment and care.

“We’re thrilled that this new facility

will allow us to serve more patients and families in a timely and efficient manner, but we’re also excited to be among the companies supplying Valley residents with new and rewarding jobs,” said United Air Ambulance’s Cheyenne Lord.

In addition to providing emergency medical transport services domestically and internationally, United Air Ambulance has become known for its work with American travelers who may become injured or otherwise encounter medical issues while traveling abroad. United Air Ambulance’s team is also trained to ensure insurance companies adhere to industry laws and maintain fair practices in their dealings with patients.

For more about United Air Ambulance, visit www.UnitedAirAmbulance.com.

Natural Grocers hiring for Chandler store

Natural Grocers, a Colorado-based specialty retailer of natural and organic groceries, dietary supplements and body care products, is opening a store at 5805 W. Ray Rd. in Chandler later this year. An opening date has not been announced.

Full-time positions are being offered, with starting pay of $10.50 per hour for cashiers and $15 per hour for department managers, plus benefits. Info: www.naturalgrocers.com/ about/careers/store-jobs.

Family-run, Natural Grocers will provide the community with produce that is exclusively USDA Certified Organic, as well as other natural and organic groceries, body care products and supplements. The store will feature a mix of national brands and locally grown, raised and manufactured products from Arizona in a small, neighborhood market environment. Info: www.naturalgrocers.com.

Career advice is free at Career Connections

Anyone in career transition is invited to the next local meeting of Career Connectors from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Tuesday, April 26, at Central Christian Church, 965 E. Germann Rd., Gilbert. A nonprofit organization, Career Connectors holds free events three times a month, offering professional

career speakers with presentations on relevant job search topics, three to four featured hiring companies, networking, resume help, career coaches, LinkedIn coaches and business portraits. Info: www.careerconnectors.org, contact@careerconnectors.org or (480) 442-5806.

Subaru Superstore of Chandler presents donations to local charities

Checks for $36,000 and $48,000 have been presented to the Chandler Education Foundation and the Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation by Subaru of America Inc. (SOA) and Subaru Superstore of Chandler. The two foundations received the funds as beneficiaries in the 2015 Subaru Share the Love event.

Customers who purchased or leased a new Subaru vehicle between Nov. 19, 2015, and Jan. 2, 2016, selected from a list of charities to receive a donation of $250

from SOA, which was matched by Subaru Superstore of Chandler up to $5,000 for each local charity.

The checks were presented by Richard Cvijanovich, dealer principal of Subaru Superstore of Chandler.

This year, Subaru of America will donate up to $15 million to participating charities. Over the last seven years, SOA has donated $50 million to a number of worthy causes through the Share the Love event.

Info: www.ShopSubaru.com

GibertNow partners join Chandler brokerage firm

GilbertNow partners

Frank Gerola and Kevin McKiernan have joined Show Appeal Realty brokerage firm at 500 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler. Show Appeal has more than 100 real estate agents and its services range from buying and selling real estate to relocation services, leasing and property management.

In the last 12 months, Gerola and McKiernan focused on home buying and selling in Gilbert at GilbertNow, and had a

combined production of 56 transactions valued at $14.1 million.

“We are pleased to welcome Frank Gerola and Kevin McKiernan to our brokerage. “Their thorough knowledge of the Gilbert market will serve as a valuable addition to the local and client-centric focus here,” said Show Appeal owner Brandon Hunt. Info: www.showappeal.com and www. gilbertnow.com.

• Vehicle registration

• Title transfer

• Duplicate registration / title

• Replacement plate or TAB

• Permit 3 day, 30 day and 90 day

• Level one inspection: bond title, title inspection, abandoned title inspection

Handicap placard / plate

2040 S. Alma School Rd., #23, Chandler, AZ 85286 480-855-1638 Fax: 480-855-1639

Bashas’ first mainstream grocer in state to transition to cage-free eggs

Bashas’ Supermarkets has announced that it will transition all of its private-label eggs to cage-free eggs starting this November. According to Bashas’, it is the first mainstream grocer in the state to make the transition with its own brand of eggs.

“We are committed to being a good corporate citizen,” said Edward “Trey” Basha, CEO of Bashas’. “It’s important to us to offer local, responsibly sourced foods at affordable prices. Bringing cage-free eggs to our customers is the right thing to do, and we are happy to be partnering with another local, familyowned business to make this happen.”

Arizona-based Hickman’s Family Farms

will be the source of the Bashas’-branded eggs.

“We are especially proud to be making this momentous transition with one of our longeststanding customers,” said Glenn Hickman, CEO of Hickman’s Family Farms, which recently announced a major cagefree expansion at its facilities in Buckeye.

“Supporting the cage-free movement means not only a high-quality egg production, but greater comfort for our hens.”

Bashas’ is an Arizona-based, familyowned and -operated grocery chain established in 1932. Info: www.bashas. com.

Chamber events feature lunches, meetings for members

Throughout the year, the Chandler Chamber of Commerce offers a variety of luncheons and meetings for its members and the community.

Events are held at the Chandler Chamber of Commerce office, 25 S. Arizona Pl., Suite 201, unless otherwise noted. To register, call (480) 963-4571, visit www.chandlerchamber.com or email info@chandlerchamber.com. No refunds are available within 72 hours of the event.

Public Policy Committee Meeting

8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Friday, April 8 Arizona Corporation Commissioner Tom Forese will speak about what the commission is working on this year and what those decisions might mean for small businesses. Maricopa County Board of Supervisors member and SanTan Sun News columnist Denny Barney will discuss the business of the supervisors and what the business climate forecast looks like for the county.

Ribbon Cutting for United Air Ambulance

4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 5

Join the Chandler Chamber at the ribbon cutting for United Air Ambulance. Ribbon sponsor is Laser Creations.

United Air Ambulance, 2301 E. Yeager Dr., No. 2, Chandler.

Ribbon Cutting for Rita’s Burritos

4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 7

Join the Chandler Chamber at the ribbon cutting for Rita’s Burritos. Ribbon sponsor is Laser Creations. Rita’s Burritos, 4040 S. Arizona Ave., No. 17, Chandler.

YES Presents BBQ & Beer at Chicago

55/The Perch

Wake Up Chandler

7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 13

Enjoy a light breakfast and grow your business by making valuable connections at this morning networking event. Costco, 595 S. Galleria Way, Chandler.

Women in Business Luncheon

10:30 a.m. Friday, April 15

Mentoring Circle combines the benefits gained from one-on-one mentoring with those working with a group of peers. 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday April 15

6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, April 7

Join the Chandler Chamber Young Executives for beer flights and food tastings and ImprovMANIA. Sponsors are PricemyAC.com and SoHo63. 55 Chicago/the Perch, 232 S. Wall St., Chandler.

Keynote speakers are Cameron Robb, Arizona State University’s assistant director of strategic employer development, and Koran D. Hardimon, Intel’s community and channels program manager - global diversity and inclusion organization. They will discuss how companies are changing their work environments for the betterment of their employees to encompass generational and multicultural differences and how they are making the work place work for everyone. SoHo63, 63 E. Boston St., Chandler.

Sun Devil 100 event celebrates ASU’s Strength in Entrepreneurship

Two Chandler businessmen are among the ASU grads who will be honored on Wednesday, April 27, on campus during the Arizona State University Alumni Association’s Sun Devil 100 ceremony.

Bob Boscamp is the president of Power Parasol, a Chandler-based company that builds solar shade structures.

Cody Sperber is the CEO of the Clever Investor, a Chandler-based real estate and investment education company that focuses on designing educational software for aspiring investors.

The event is formerly known as Sun Devil Select and will spotlight the achievements of Sun Devil-owned and Sun Devil-led businesses.

ASU has a long history of entrepreneurship and leadership from its students and alumni that spans many industries and locations. The awards program was instituted to invite innovative leaders back to campus for a celebration in their honor. The induction ceremony will be moderated by Ray Schey, publisher of the Phoenix Business Journal

Honorees will have the opportunity to connect with each other, meet with the deans of their respective colleges, visit classrooms, and network with current ASU students and aspiring entrepreneurs.

“The ASU Alumni Association has

selected alumni and organizations from across the country that qualify to receive this award,” said Christine K. Wilkinson, president and CEO of the Alumni Association. “These are organizations that demonstrate innovation, growth and entrepreneurial spirit.”

The rest of the honorees are:

• Aaron Blau, president of The Blau Company LTD, a Tempe-based accounting firm that specializes in consultation, income tax preparation, tax representation, and other accounting services.

• Adam B. Harrington is the CFO and safety director of HB Construction, a company that focuses on delivering excellence in complex renovations and new construction.

• Brian Connolly is the founder and managing principal of Victus Advisors, which provides objective research, analysis, and planning services for the sports, entertainment, and recreation industries.

• Burt Rapoport is president of the award-winning Rapoport’s Restaurant Group Inc., located in Boca Raton, Florida, which provides establishments with different types of cuisine to please every palate.

• Charles “Reagan” Jackson is partner in CEO Etc., a Texas-based information and technology services company that provides services in the computer, communications, security and

electronics industry sectors.

• Clarence McAllister is the CEO of Fortis Networks Inc., a local Phoenix business that provides engineering, construction and technology services.

• David Glanzrock serves as the assistant vice president at Title365, a premier provider of title insurance and escrow services.

• Jennifer Kaplan is the founder and owner of Evolve Public Relations and Marketing, a Scottsdale-based public relations and marketing firm.

• Jody James Watkins is the CEO, president, and founder of Watkins Landmark Construction, a company that offers preconstruction, general contracting, construction management and design/build services.

• Kathleen Duffy Ybarra is the president of the Duffy Group, Inc., a Phoenixbased company that represents and recruits for a variety of national and international clients.

• Matthew Michalowski is the president and owner of PXL Bros, a full-service digital agency that specializes in web, mobile, social media, and application development.

• Michael Hawksworth is the president

of MSS Technologies, a business management company.

• Michael P.W. Kyle is the CEO of NOVA 42, FPC, an afterschool tutoring and learning academy that provides a realworld approach to communication and education.

• Nathan Policar is the president of STATBROADCAST, a Tempe-based sports statistics company that provides a statistics technology and media relations partner for athletic programs and events.

• Scott Kaufmann is the president of the Lucid Agency, a Tempe-based digital marketing and technology company.

• Steve and Stacy Luhrs are the cofounders, president and Chief Design Officer of Bionic Pet Products Inc., now a division of Outward Hound, an Irvine, California-based company that creates durable dog toys and other pet supplies.

• Tina Nunziato is the co-owner and co-founder of Dr. Liz Cruz Partners in Digestive Health practice based in Phoenix.

For more information on the Sun Devil 100 event, or to RSVP, visit http:// bit.ly/1RPaTPn.

Always Best Care expands to Chandler/Gilbert

Always Best Care Senior Services has awarded its newest and third franchise in Arizona. Always Best Care of Chandler/Gilbert covers the East Valley communities and joins Always Best Care franchisees in Scottsdale, Sun City West and Sun City East.

Always Best Care provides nonmedical in-home care, assisted living placement services and skilled home health care. The company delivers its services through an international network of more than 200 independently owned and operated franchise territories throughout the United States.

The new Always Best Care franchise is owned and operated by Marcy Stenger and Barbara Townsley.

“I am very pleased to welcome Marcy and Barbara as our newest franchisee owners,” said Michael Newman, founder and CEO of Roseville, California-based Always Best Care. “Together they bring a wealth of experience and an unwavering commitment to providing seniors and their families with the highest quality care. Always Best Care is very fortunate to have them joining our team.”

Collectively, Stenger and Townsley have more than 20 years of advanced experience in the health care industry, including 15-plus years of mentoring, training and leading others; a master’s degree in health care administration; work experience with cardiac rehabilitation patients as part of bachelor’s degree study; and an undergraduate thesis on “The Effects of Aging on the Cardiovascular System.”

Always Best Care of Chandler/ Gilbert is located at 1820 E. Ray Rd., Suite A107-B, Chandler, and may be reached by calling (480) 565-1999 or emailing mstenger@abc-seniors. com. For more information, visit www. AlwaysBestCareChandlerGilbert.com.

Founded in 1996, Always Best Care Senior Services is based on the belief that having the right people for the right level of care means peace of mind for the client and family. Always Best Care assists seniors with a wide range of illnesses and personal needs, and provides more than 4 million hours of care every year.

By working with case managers, social workers, discharge planners, doctors and families, Always Best Care franchise owners provide affordable, comprehensive solutions that can be specifically matched to meet a client’s particular physical or social needs. Always Best Care also offers Free ABC Rx cards, which provide discounts of up to 65 percent off the cost of prescription drugs at more than 59,000 pharmacies across the USA, and have saved consumers more than $500,000 since its inception. This service is offered at no cost to the users, there are no deductibles, no waiting periods, no preexisting exclusions, and no eligibility requirements. The Free ABC Rx card covers many medications that Medicare Part D and regular insurance often do not. To download a free card, visit www. FreeABCRx.com.

Another exclusive program offered by Always Best Care is Always in Touch,

End your back pain. Take back your life.

East Valley clinic provides solution for Sciatica pain sufferers

a telephone reassurance program that provides a daily phone call to seniors and disabled adults who are living alone and have limited contact with the outside world. Always in Touch is the only free

national telephone reassurance program of its kind anywhere in the USA and Canada. For more information on Always in Touch, or to request an application, visit www.Always-in-Touch.com.

WIth the arrival of Summer, daylight grows longer and many people start spending more time working on their backswings, backstrokes, backhands, backyard gardens. They also might be spending more time with backaches.

Is chronic sciatic pain getting in the way of doing the things you really want to do? Is back pain affecting your job or keeping you from really enjoying your free time? Take back your life by getting rid of your back pain now at Novocur.

For sciatica, a treatment called a transforaminal epidural injection is one of the most effective treatments Novocur uses to quickly treat the pain directly at the source.

A skilled physician who specializes in pain performs this procedure under advanced imaging. The medication is carefully injected directly around the nerves that are causing the pain, providing fast, longlasting relief.

Dr. Alex Bigham, CEO of Novocur Pain Clinics suggests, “If you’ve been suffering with chronic back

skilled physician who specializes in pain procedure safely with the help of x-ray guidance. The medication is carefully injected directly around the nerves that cause the pain to reduce inflammation and provide fast relief.

pain, we’ll work with you to find the right solution for you and the best treatment available for your specific pain.”

To learn how Novocur can help end the pain from sciatica or many other types of pain, call 480-855-6686 or go to novocur.com

To learn how Novocur can help end the pain from sciatica or many other types of pain, call for a consultation at 480-855-6686 or go to novocur.com.