2025 April Issue of InMaricopa Magazine

BUSINESS

A summary of the Feb. 11 – March 10 restaurant health inspections by Pinal County Environmental Health Services.

No parking? No problem Highway 238 Industrial Park fills blue-collar business gap

Restaurant inspections

BY MONICA D. SPENCER C ommercial and industrial space in the city is horribly limited. At least according to prominent Maricopa businessman Ray Nieves, who thought all hope was lost when he needed a place to store his fleet of air-repair vans. “There’s just not that kind of space available,” Nieves said. “If you look at some of the commercial places, they have certain rules and regulations that doesn’t suit the needs of contractors.” The 911 Air Repair owner said when he first began to expand his business in 2018, Maricopa left him without options. There was nowhere feasible to set up a warehouse to store equipment, materials and service vans for a fledgling business on a tight budget. Nieves could no longer park vans overnight along neighborhood streets and allowing a semi-truck to drop off equipment in an HOA was out of the question. Instead, he went to Highway 238 Industrial Park sitting on 80-plus acres at the corner of that state highway and White Road. Just west of city limits, along the gravel road and within view of the Estrella Mountains, he found a partitioned spot to really get his business off the ground. “We’ve been able to grow since then. They really filled the gap that was needed,” Nieves said. It’s a service industrial park owner Tom Buessing recognizes has been key for those looking to start up in Maricopa on a budget. “Ray is probably our biggest success story right there. He came out here with one guy and one van and he’s got so many more now,” Buessing said. “To try to do this in town would be difficult. There’s no way in heck a small businessman can pay that kind of money on a business property.” The 68-year-old Sun Lakes resident has owned the land since 1985 and over the years it’s lived different lives, starting as a salvage yard. In 2016, Buessing began leasing partitioned spaces to small businesses looking to move out of their home garage. And it’s not limited to landscapers, mechanics and towing companies. Matthew Sharp, who owns Maricopa-based Sonoran Salvage, has been leasing space at

EXCELLENT • Cilantro’s Mexican Cocina No valid food manager certificates observed • Cold Stone Creamery • Culver’s • Jack in the Box • Jersey Mike’s Exterior doors not tightly sealed • Jimmy John’s Exterior doors not tightly sealed • La Quinta Inn • McDonald’s (JWP) • McDonald’s (MCG) • Nando’s Mexican Café • Papa Murphy’s • Plaza Bonita Accumulation of residue outside grease receptacle

• Rosati’s Pizza • Sonic Drive-In • Thai Chili 2 Go • Yogurt Jungle

Your 24/7 Alert Ready Disaster Response Team! RESTORING PROPERTY. RESTORING LIVES. ✓ Free warranty drying

With nearly a half-century under his belt as an entrepreneur, helping startups with that first step what drives Buessing to run the industrial park, he said. “It’s kind of like having grandkids. I still like being around the action, but at the end of the day I get to go home and say, ‘See ya!’” he laughed. “It’s fun that way and I’m not involved in their day-to-day business.” The industrial park is now leasing an additional 42 lots. Each lot measures at least 80 by 150 feet. Buessing is also currently offering the first month free for new tenants signing a one- year lease. “I just want to bring good people to the area, and it’s been working out,” he said. “The way I see it, these people are like the backbone of the community. It’s the people that maintain Maricopa.”

SATISFACTORY • Little Caesars

No valid food manager certificates observed Sink near cashier not stocked with drying materials Food in walk-in freezer warmer than required Multiple doors with grime build-up

✓ Water removal & reconstruction ✓ Lead/asbestos/mold abatements ✓ Containment & dust protection ✓ Trauma/crime cleanup ✓ Company wide drug screening

the industrial park for two years. His business collects, stores and sells classic car parts to collectors on the East Coast and in Canada, so having low operating costs to get started was important for him. “Being able to start out here really gave us a foothold to get our business going,” Sharp said. “The lower operating costs of starting in some place like this instead of in a big corporate building, this is much easier and much more affordable for somebody just starting out. It kind of gives them that first step to getting to the next one.” Tom Buessing’s industrial park has all the open space a business may need, just a stone’s throw from the city limits.

WE HANDLE THE INSURANCE CLAIM.

EXCELLENT: All priority standards are observed as compliant. SATISFACTORY: One or more priority standards is out of compliance. All priority standards are corrected at the time of inspection. NEEDS IMPROVEMENT: One or more priority standards is out of compliance. At least one violation is not corrected at the time of inspection. When violations are corrected to the satisfaction of the department during a follow-up inspection, a satisfactory rating will be given. UNACCEPTABLE: One or more violations observed are an “imminent health hazard.” Hazards include the misuse of poisonous or toxic materials, onset of an apparent foodborne illness outbreak and unsanitary conditions that may endanger public health. Hazards can stem from fires, floods, electrical or water problems, and sewage backup. When violations are corrected to the satisfaction of the department during a follow- up inspection, a satisfactory rating will be given. What do the ratings mean?

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480-802-4444 Highway238IndustrialparkAZ.com 22111 N. White Road

ROOFING, REMODEL & RESTORATION

(480) 380-2600

www.NationalFirstResponse.com