So what makes a Nevada-based firm?

In the press releases it distributes across the United States releases that have been picked up by an East Coast television station, among others Evolution Marketing and Development Inc.

describes itself as a Sparks-based company.

Well, yes and no.

But one thing is certain: Evolution Marketing and Development is a fine, if small, example how the cyber economy affects northern Nevada.

Evolution Marketing sells lingerie.

Not just any lingerie, but plus-sized lingerie to women who may be self-conscious about buying intimate apparel in a traditional retail setting.

Working from a Web storefront called Angel Body Lingerie, Evolution Marketing for the past couple of years has targeted women with less than perfect figures.

At every turn, the company describes itself as a Nevada venture.

Its press releases carry a Sparks dateline.

It describes itself as "Nevada based." Its incorporation papers are on file with the Secretary of State in Carson City.

The company's physical presence in Nevada, however, doesn't take much more space than your kid's bedroom.

Go down to Freeport Boulevard in Sparks.

Look for the sign in the window that reads "Sierra Logistics and Distribution Services." Jon Sedran, the president, takes you from the office back to a corner of the warehouse that contains a few dozen boxes of inventory and plastic- shrouded racks filled with garments.

That rented space is the entire Nevada presence of Evolution Marketing and Development.

Each day, Sedran explains, he goes to the Evolution Marketing Web site and gathers up the orders.

He fills the orders, takes them a few steps to a shipping station, boxes them up and gets them ready for UPS to pick up each day.

The inventory of corsets, bustiers, baby dolls and the like, meanwhile, comes directly to the Sparks warehouse from the California manufacturer.

Sedran describes Sierra Logistics as the smallest public warehouse operation in the area.

Even at that, he says, Evolution Marketing is far from his biggest customer.

But he adds, Evolution Marketing is growing, and anything that helps diversify the region's gaming-dependent economy is a good thing.

He points around the warehouse to other products the company handles in similar fulfillment arrangements lawn mowers over here, recorded CDs over here.

So how did Evolution Marketing end up using the services of a small public warehouse on a side street of Sparks? Probably as the result of a Web search, says Sedran.

"We'd never heard of them," he says.

"They'd never heard of us."

Michael Iwasaki, director of marketing for Angel Bodywear Lingerie, sings the praises of Sierra Logistics.

"Jon with Sierra has been a fantastic business partner," he says.

Iwasaki says Evolution Marketing knew it wanted its logistics to be handled in Sparks because of the nearby hubs for Fed Ex and UPS service important considerations for a company that places importance on fast service.

"We simply wanted to be near and part of the action to be able to process orders a little faster than our competition," Iwasaki says.

Closing the deal, he says, was Sierra Logistics pricing, which he calls "better than fair." Oh, by the way, where is Iwasaki's office for his Nevada-based company? Vancouver.