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August 2014

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AUGUST

2014 VOL 9 • NUMBER 12

Business Journal Central Valley

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StOCKtOn • traCy • lODI • ManteCa • latHrOP • lInDen • rIPOn

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Asparagus Festival revived?

Fair Fun The Stanislaus County Fair gets a bump in attendance.

Noceti plan high on hopes, light on particulars

Page 6

former auto workers. However, Michael Ammann, CEO of the San Joaquin Partnership doubts Stockton is in the running. “Stockton doesn’t have a chance because Stockton doesn’t have a 500-acre site,” he said. However, he says, there are other sites in Northern California that do make sense. Jeffrey Michael of the Business Forecasting Center at the

STOCKTON -- The San Joaquin County couple who want to revive the Stockton Asparagus Festival said the festival has been “one of the crown jewels of Stockton” and that it was important to them to keep that legacy going. Tony and Carol Noceti said they want their new event, which they’ve dubbed the San Joaquin Asparagus Festival, to be as big as the former festival. The couple told reporters the success they have had with the Stockton 99 Speedway gives them the experience they need to launch their new festival, even though they have no sponsorships or business partnerships lined up, little equipment and just nine months to organize and publicize the event. “It’s a huge leap,” Carol Noceti acknowledged at a press conference July 23. “We will need everyone’s help.” Mayor Anthony Silva said the Nocetis’ initiative was laudable. “We need residents to step up and solve problems,” Silva said. He added that he has been to races at Stockton 99 Speedway and that “they’re always packed … and always well organized.” The Stockton Asparagus Festival folded last spring after 29 years because of financial problems and falling attendance. Just 55,025 people attended this year’s event in April — half of its all time high in 2008. Last year’s attendance was 75,237. In 2012, it

Please see TESLA Page 4

Please see FESTIVAL Page 10

Baton Biz Twirling tournament pays off for Stockton tourism.

Page 11

PHOTO COURTESY SARAH LARSON

Car lovers get their first look at Tesla’s Model S at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Six Californias Does anyone outside of Silicon Valley think this is a good idea?

Page 40

WHAT’S INSIDE Publisher’s Notes............Page 2 Community Voices.........Page 40 Briefs.....................Pages 46, 47

Getting amped for Tesla By ELIZABETH STEVENS Business Journal editor The buzz is building about Tesla’s plans to build a “gigafactory” for lithium-ion batteries to power its all-electric cars. At the end of July, it rose to a crescendo as the L.A. Times reported that Stockton has jumped to the head of the pack of California cities going after the giant. “If they locate in Califor-

nia, is Stockton the clear winner? The answer to that one is yes,” Director of the Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy Steven Levy told the Times. Levy and other economists quoted in the article said Stockton has the industrial-zoned land and logistics setup that Tesla is looking for, it’s located within an hour of Fremont where Tesla’s auto plant is, plus the city has affordable housing and a pool of

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Central Valley Business Journal

August 2014

The joys of summer The peaches are in and I’ve made my first peach pie! What a treat -- homemade pie with homegrown peaches from Lodi. If you haven’t gone to your local farmers market, it’s time to grab your shopping bags and go. The variety of vegetables from our valley is amazing. The prices, taste and selection are fantastic. I’ve discovered vegetables I’ve never seen before. We will be canning again this year, adding a few more items to our list. The Sharon entire canning Alley Calone process is time consuming but the benefits sure pay off. It’s fun to go to the root cellar during the winter months and retrieve a jar of dill pickles, jam, apple sauce, or spaghetti sauce made from our very own stewed tomatoes. Prior to moving to the farm, I wasn’t tuned in to how or where my favorite foods originated. However, having the raised-bed gardens certainly honed my hidden Betty Crocker talents!

Publisher’s Notes

Fresh eggs? No problem, just head for the coop and pluck the bounty from the nest of our seven hens. For an extra treat, I get to watch our mean-spirited rooster chase my husband around, trying to stop him from robbing the nest. It’s downright hilarious! A true clash of the Titans. Rich usually wins, but it’s a daily battle. There are days I feel I’m living in a time warp, actually living off the land the way my grandparents did nearly a century ago. Computers, iPads, cellphones, microwaves and the like are certainly modern conveniences, but reaping what you sow? Well, I just love it! My sales manager, Ron Posey, has even spiced up a sale by treating one or two of his customers to my dill pickles. My mother must be in hysterics watching me from heaven “finally” learning to cook something. See mom, it’s never too late! If you haven’t seen the new movie “America: Imagine a World without Her,” by Dinesh D’Sousa, I suggest you go. Or better yet, buy his book. It’s an easy read and certainly one that every high school and college student should be required to read. D’Sousa speaks of our county’s history, our hardships, realities, our future and his belief that there is still a solid foundation for America to continue as a leader in the world. I came away from his

PHOTO COURTESY STOCKTON GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB

Here’s what the country club’s first clubhouse looked like back in the early 1900s.

film with a real sense of pride. I’m proud to be an American, damned proud! Our politicians need to wake up and preserve what our forefathers fought hard to build. We ARE a great nation, built on the principles of hard work, equality, and freedom. Our Constitution protects our rights as Americans. Be mindful of the many lives lost so we can continue to live in this great country. You certainly don’t see people fleeing across borders to live in Russia, China, Iraq, or Korea. Why? Because they are not the United States of America. I understand that approximately one million legal immigrants move to America every year, thrilled to get a chance to work hard, feed their families, pay taxes and live free from oppression. Think about that. A special thanks to Bob Young, the general manager of the Stockton Golf

and Country Club, who invited us to Media Day to celebrate the club’s 100th anniversary. What a treasure trove of stories we heard from historian Peter Ottesen! Did you know the grandfather clock in the club’s lobby belonged to Doug Wilhoit’s grandfather? It’s on loan to the club for the centennial. His family’s involvement with the club goes way back to the beginning. Doug just beamed as he spoke of the generations of Stocktonians who have played and celebrated at the club. The club has been the site of countless special occasions -- weddings, anniversaries and community events. If you’re thinking of joining a country club, I highly suggest you give Bob Young a call and take the tour. Here’s to 100 more years! God Bless America, Sharon Calone

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Drought researchers sound alarm on groundwater reserves By CRAIG W. ANDERSON Business Journal writer California is facing its third worst drought on record and is weathering it through groundwater pumping, according to a report from the University of California, Davis. Researchers, however, warn that the San Joaquin Valley could face severe water shortages in the future if the state continues to treat its reserves like an “unlimited savings account.” Surface water for Central Valley farms has been cut by about one-third – a 6.6 million acre-foot reduction. Farmers and ranchers have gotten by on groundwater. “California’s agricultural economy overall is doing remarkably well, thanks mostly to groundwater reserves,” said Jay Lund, the study’s coauthor and director of the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences. “We need to treat that groundwater well so it will be there for future droughts.” Groundwater is generally available throughout the Central Valley, which is good news, but the challenge is to resist the urge to use too much of it, which is difficult because accurately predicting the lessening and/or end of the drought is an inexact science. According to the center’s study, groundwater pumping is expected to replace most river water losses. Some areas are estimated to double their

pumping rate over 2013. There is still a high demand for groundwater as the Central Valley battles to resist the adverse effects of the current drought, although it is anticipated El Nino will return this winter which will slow the drought and allow its “ripple effect” to begin to heal. “The ripple effect has caused an accumulation of salts in the soil due to no rain to flush the topsoil,” said Escalon almond grower and ag consultant Phil Brumley. “Ironically, in our effort to conserve water by converting primarily to drip and sprinkler irrigation – which don’t provide the needed flush effect – the effects of the drought are tougher to overcome.” He said the salinity of Central Valley rivers is higher and that deficit irrigation – with accurate timing will help for about a year, as trees can survive on less water. However, that type of irrigation will eventually have a negative effect on stressed trees. “This drought could have been mitigated if California had built water storage facilities – reservoirs – and dams,” said Wayne Zipser, Stanislaus County Farm Bureau executive director and a farmer. “We’re now suffering the effects of 25 to 30 years of neglect by the state and federal governments to build water storage facilities.” The study noted a myriad of negative effects the drought will have on California agriculture and the state as a whole:

PHOTO COURTESY UC DAVIS

UC Davis researchers say the drought is likely to continue through 2015 despite El Nino’s arrival.

• $1.5 billion loss of revenue, including $500 million in additional pumping costs -- the loss is approximately 3 percent of the states total ag value; • Total statewide economic cost of $2.2 billion; • The loss of 17,100 seasonal and parttime jobs related to agriculture (3.8 percent of farm unemployment); • 428,000 acres of irrigated farmland out of production in 2014 due to insufficient irrigation water.

The drought is likely to continue through 2015 despite El Nino’s arrival, the study said. The Central Valley will ultimately be the hardest hit, according to the study, with projected losses of $810 million in crop revenue, $203 million in dairy and livestock value, and $453 million in additional pumping costs. “About 10,000 acres on the west side Please see DROUGHT Page 10

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August 2014

TESLA Continued from Page 1

University of the Pacific’s Eberhardt School of Business agrees. “I’ve long felt that if California was in the mix, that a location in the northern San Joaquin Valley would make sense,” Michael said. “The question really is, can California compete? In the world of economic development, Tesla Motor’s “gigafactory” is the Holy Grail. The city that lands it would be home to one of the world’s largest factories which would employ about 6,500 workers and cost around $5 billion. Last spring it sounded as if Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk had counted California out and had narrowed his choices to Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas. But then Gov. Jerry Brown’s economic development team at GO-Biz launched an aggressive campaign to get the state back in the game. In July the governor signed a bill that would give $420 million in tax credits to aerospace contractors in Southern California but could also include tax incentives for companies such as Tesla. Cities throughout Northern California have signaled their interest in the project, including at least three in the northern San Joaquin Valley: Patterson, Turlock and Stockton. “It’s a huge game-changer. Huge,” said Reynaldo Campanur of the Stanislaus Business Alliance, who helped Turlock with its application. “The multiplier ef-

fect is three to one. So for every one job that would create, it creates three other jobs in the community. Not only do you have the synergy of what the company’s creating but also all the feeder industries that feed into that process.” Turlock turned in a bid for the factory last winter, touting its water and sewer capacity and master-planned industrial park. City leaders were told they’d made the first cut but haven’t heard anything since. Assemblyman Adam Gray wrote a letter to the governor’s office on behalf of Patterson saying the city has lots large enough for the factory that will reportedly be 10 million square feet – 10 times the size of the Amazon. com fulfillment center there. “We don’t know at this point what the level of interest is and what the probability is, but we have indicated through the governor’s Office of Business (and Economic) Development that we would like to be considered as the site for that facility as California attempts to keep those jobs and that facility here in the state of California,” said Patterson City Manager Rod Butler. Ammann said it makes the most sense for Tesla to build its plant in Northern California rather than Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico or Texas. He believes Musk writing off California was merely a ploy to get state lead-

THE VALLEY'S MOST UNIQUE VENUE

PHOTO BY STEVE JURVETSON

The yellow robot arms perform an assembly demo for Elon Musk and the rest of the tour group that visited the 2010 reopening of the former Nummi plant, now Tesla Motors.

ers to wake up and start competing. “Obviously all the trips of the Texans, those are things that have got to wake up the governor and Legislature to pay attention to a real opportunity,” Ammann said. Ammann believes it makes sense to locate the battery factory close to Fremont’s assembly plant so the batteries won’t have to be trucked too far. That also means good freeway access. Ammann says there are 500-acre

sites ready for development in San Joaquin County, particularly in Tracy, that fit the bill. “Our county makes more sense than any other. There are shovel ready sites … and a workforce that commutes to Fremont’s plant,” Amman said. “We make better sense from a California location than anybody else.” He added, “I may be totally wrong and it may go to Texas, but I just don’t think tax incentives will win this first facility.”

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August 2014

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4512 Feather River Dr., Suite E • Stockton, CA 95219 Phone: (209) 477-0100 • General Fax: (209) 477-0211 Web: www.cvbizjournal.com Publisher Sharon Alley Calone

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Stanislaus County Fair boosts attendance TURLOCK – Nearly 239,000 guests visited the Stanislaus County Fair during its 10-day run that ended July 20. That’s a 6 percent increase over last year’s attendance fair officials said. “We consider ourselves very lucky to have such a supportive community,” said Stanislaus County Fair spokeswoman Adrenna Alkhas in a press release. “The fair at its core has a lot of history embedded on its grounds and is a special event for the community.” Fair concessions were up 12 percent and Butler Amusement, the fair ride operator, said revenue was up 18 percent compared to 2013. The fair’s mobile app has been downloaded 19,441 times total, with 4,300 new downloads for 2014. In addition, 1,078 children signed up for the Kids Club program and completed educational passports to be eligible for a two-day Disneyland grand prize package for four. Fair officials said they were pleasantly surprised at the popularity of the fair’s free park ‘n ride service which was used by 15,782 fair guests. Visitors were able to park for free at CSU Stanislaus and Pitman High School and take the shuttle to the fair-

grounds where they were dropped off right at the gate. More than 31,000 guests took advantage of the fair’s Free ‘Til 3 p.m. offer on Sundays during the fair. The Stanislaus County Fair got a little national attention this year when the Food Network filmed a segment of its show Carnival Eats at this year’s fair. The names of the featured vendors were never officially announced, but Sweet Cheeks Fair Treats of Hilmar used its Facebook page to say it was one. Watch for its ice cream donut sandwich to appear on TV sometime this fall. Other attractions at the fair were the New ReCharge! Modesto Toyota Lounge; the new Mommy and Me Lounge; Wizards Challenge, an interactive science exhibit; a farmers market; Rock It the Robot; and the toy train exhibit produced by San Joaquin Valley Toy Train Operators. Concerts included Wynonna & the Big Noise, Kansas, Banda Machos, Rodney Atkins, Kool & the Gang, Fifth Harmony, Loverboy, Three Dog Night, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and Ezequiel Pena. Nearly 30,000 individual entries were exhibited at the 2014 fair, includ-

The fair’s ride operator, Butler Amusement, says revenue was up 18 percent over last year.

ing more than 3,700 floriculture exhibits and 2,100 photography exhibits, fair officials said. “The exhibit program is what sets us apart from other fairs in the state,” said Alkhas. “The true mark of a fair’s success is not in attendance numbers, but in positive exhibitor participation and happy fair guests.” Livestock and farm exhibits remained a staple at the fair. In fact, there were more livestock entries this year and total gross sale of animals sold at auctions exceeded $1.3 million.

MARK RICHEY/CVBJ

Future Farmers of America (FFA) and 4-H members sold 125 heifers at the 47th Annual Replacement Heifer Sale, grossing $516,350 ($4,212 per head). Lane Wheeler, Turlock FFA, was the Supreme Champion and sold his heifer for $5,600. Reserve Supreme Champion was Mya O’Brien, from Shiloh 4-H, who sold her heifer for $8,000. The 50th Annual Junior Livestock Auction grossed $795,262 for FFA and 4-H members. Sold at auction were four poultry pens, 22 rabbits, 138 goats, 193 sheep, 418 swine, and 33 steers.

August 2014

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Turlock attracts business through planning, customer service By ELIZABETH STEVENS Business Journal editor TURLOCK -- When it comes to economic development, quite often slow and steady wins the race to prosperity. Turlock is reaping the benefits of years of methodical development of its industrial, retail and downtown areas. Businesses are responding. Last month, downtown added Memo’s Cocina and Tequila Bar. The restaurant serves Mexican food and boasts a bar with 100 varieties of tequila. It’s the latest step in Turlock’s effort to revitalize the district with unique restaurants, boutiques and businesses. The city’s goal is to have downtown be “the business, cultural, and civic center of the city,” according to the Mayor’s Economic Development Strategic Plan. Just five years ago, during the worst of the recession, the city’s downtown business vacancy rate was 25 percent. That’s come down considerably thanks to the now-defunct Redevelopment Agency that helped build the city’s public safety building and expand the Carnegie Arts Center. The city also is in its third year with its Partnership Incentive Program, which is open to businesses that move into vacant buildings. If business owners go through the city’s pre-development process and provide documentation about hiring, the city will write them a $1,000 check.

Memo’s Cocina and Tequila Bar opened in downtown Turlock on July 23.

“We’ve assisted 28 businesses, but we’ve created 62 new jobs,” said Maryn Pitt, assistant to the city manager for Housing and Economic Development. Retail is also growing. New businesses are opening soon at the Monte Vista Crossings Shopping Center at Monte Vista Avenue just off Highway 99. A Dick’s Sporting Goods and a JoAnn’s Fabrics expect to open in time for the Christmas shopping season. Pitt says the shopping center is an example of Turlock’s methodical approach to growth. The area was annexed in 2002 and master planned, so businesses could get through the permitting

MARK RICHEY/CVBJ

process more quickly, costs would be shared fairly, and traffic demand could be accommodated as the center grew. “We are big advocates of master planning because you get a much better quality kind of development, and then the first person in isn’t paying the lion’s share of the development costs and the last guy in is getting a free ride.” Pitt explained. The city’s taken a similar approach to its Turlock Regional Industrial Park. A map promoting the area is dotted with logos of various manufacturers such as Foster Farms, Sensient Flavors, Dust Bowl Brewing Company,

Bulk Enterprises, Motion Industries, Kozy Shack, Blue Diamond Almonds. Soon, Hilmar Cheese and two dry milk processing plants will join them. It’s all part of Mayor John Lazar’s mission to make Turlock the Silicon Valley of Food Processing. “We do have the resources here, the energy, the water, the gas and the electricity to succeed,” Lazar said. “We’re so close to Silicon Valley, the high-tech center of the world, I don’t think it’s geographically far for some of that to spill over here.” Now that the state has eliminated redevelopment agencies and enterprise zones, cities have fewer tools to entice businesses to locate. There is the California Competes tax credit for manufacturing, but Pitt and Lazar said Turlock has relied largely on streamlined permitting and good customer service to land companies. Turlock offers pre-development meetings for free so city staff can guide a business through permitting. It’s a service some other cities charge hundreds of dollars for. Staff provide other services after a business is established, such as participating in hiring events. “Our relationship with that business isn’t over just because they finished building their building,” Pitt said. “It’s an on-going relationship. So we’ll be helping host and support hiring event for JoAnn Fabrics so that they can get open.”

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Summer sendoff Downtown Modesto looks forward

to kart races, big-name musical acts By NORA HESTON TARTE Business Journal writer MODESTO -- Modesto is gearing up for August with two huge events hitting downtown streets. First up is the Modesto Grand Prix, the 5th Annual Superkarts! USA Pro Tour Summer Nationals will be held for the first time in Modesto, from Aug. 1-3. The event will embrace Modesto’s rich car history – the city was the setting of former Modesto resident George Lucas’ film American Graffiti – using the city’s downtown streets as the racetrack during both day and night races. “Modesto has this amazing car culture,” said Jennifer Mullen, CEO of the Modesto Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We’ve had that a long, long time.” The international race will include drivers from all over the world. “We understand there are going to be some pretty big names,” Mullen said. Race spectators will benefit from the city’s extensive planning, Mullen said. In preparation, the city of Modesto is laying cable to broadcast race announcers throughout down-

town, building temporary pedestrian bridges to make navigation easier despite road closures and installing flat screens to show the races on the course and in the pit. In addition, the city will host an expo complete with food vendors and beer, wine and vodka gardens and create a kid-friendly atmosphere with a bounce house and other activities. Mullen said the grand prix will bring in money through sold-out hotels and put revenue from ticket sales into parks and recreation projects that need funding. However, local businesses have expressed concerns over the city’s plans to close off downtown during the event, Mullen said. The event will charge admission -- $10 in advance and $15 at the door per day. Unless they pay, patrons won’t be able to enter the gates surrounding Modesto’s downtown, blocking them from shopping at local retail stores and dining at downtown restaurants. Mullen assured business owners that the event will bring in a different crowd of customers who will have access to businesses all weekend. Local hotels have already seen benefits.

PHOTO COURTESY RUSSELLRENO PHOTOGRAPHY

X-Fest expects as many as 15,000 fans for its 15th annual music festival in downtown Modesto.

Hotels that contracted with the city have sold out blocks reserved for drivers and their teams, while several hotels have sold out completely. At most hotels, however, there are still rooms available. Ticket sales have also started to pick up, according to Mullen. Groups have placed orders for more than 100 tickets at a time, but as of late July there were still tickets available. They can be purchased through the Modesto Chamber of Commerce, the Modesto Downtown Improvement District and the city of Modesto. Despite concerns of local businesses, Mullen said the community has

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been supportive of the event, and she is hopeful. “I think we’ve gone kind of beyond our wildest dreams as far as people getting involved,” said Mullen, who added local groups including high school football teams and nonprofits have volunteered their time. “There’s still the unknown. It’s going to be very new to Modesto.” X-Fest X-Fest, a music festival that combines big name performers across different genres with local acts, will celebrate its 15th year on Aug. 23. Please see MODESTO Page 17

August 2014

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August 2014

FESTIVAL Continued from Page 1

was 104,000. The Noceti Group has a five-year contract to hold the festival at the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds, with two five-year options for extensions. While they will lose the ambience of the waterfront, they will not have to deal with the city to close streets or pay for police and other public services, and there will be plenty of parking. At the press conference, the Nocetis praised the board members of the former festival and said they plan to reach out to them for advice on making the festival work. Later that week Tony Noceti talked to the board’s chair and looked through the warehouse where equipment from the Stockton Asparagus is kept. “(It will be) a passing of the baton from them to us. Hopefully it will be that way,” said Carol Noceti. “We don’t want to reinvent the wheel.” Stockton Asparagus Festival board member Wes Rhea said members of the board met July 25 and decided not to endorse the Noceti Group or any other group that is trying to revive the festival. He also said the Nocetis had not formally approached the board for help. According to Rhea, the board used to organize and publicize the Asparagus Festival in nine months but it was made easier by its decades of experience and established relationships. “I suppose anything is possible,” Rhea said. ‘The benefit we had is that we had multiple years of history and a lot sponsors that renewed.” United Way of San Joaquin County CEO Andy Prokop said his organization had not been approached either.

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BUSINESS JOURNAL PHOTO

Carol and Tony Noceti at the July 23 press conference where they announced plans for the San Joaquin Asparagus Festival.

“We, like many other nonprofits, benefited from (the Stockton Asparagus Festival) and we miss it,” Prokop said. The Stockton Asparagus Festival depended heavily on volunteers from nonprofit groups to man food booths. Over the years groups earned more than $6 million by having volunteers work the event. “It’s irreplaceable,” said Prokop. “That money’s just gone.” According to Carol Noceti, the San Joaquin Asparagus Festival will keep the volunteer model the Stockton Asparagus Festival used in which nonprofit groups provided volunteers and then were given a cut of the event’s proceeds. The event will be run as a for-profit venture, but she said they did not expect to reap a large profit.

DROUGHT Continued from Page 3

North Stockton Branch Jason Aucello Branch Manager 6239 Pacific Avenue Stockton, CA 95207 209-478-1711

Stockton Branch Juli Rhodes VP & Branch Manager 35 South El Dorado Street Stockton, CA 95202 209-466-2315

Loans subject to credit and collateral approval. Financing available for collateral located in CA, OR, or WA. Restrictions may apply. Terms and conditions subject to change.

of (Stanislaus) County have been fallowed over the last two years and cattle rangeland has affected, with fewer cattle per acre, cattle pulled off the land earlier, and less weight gain per unit. About 50 to 75 percent of the range land has been lost to the drought,” Stanislaus County Agricultural Commissioner Milton O’Haire said. O’Haire said land usually planted to annual crops like beans and tomatoes “weren’t planted at all. Dairies are affected because of the increases in feed prices of 40 percent since January. Pest pressure has increased because the drought has reduced resistance to disease and pests.” Central Valley crops are vital not only to California but to the nation as California produces nearly half of U.S.-grown fruits, nuts, and vegetables and about a quarter of the nation’s milk and cream. In fact, consumers nationwide buy many crops grown almost entirely in California such as broccoli, almonds, walnuts, grapes, carrots, tomatoes, olives and figs. San Joaquin County Farm Bureau Water and Land Use Program Director Julianne Phillips said the effects of

the drought are hitting everyone. “The bottom line at stores is being affected as the prices of commodities such as lettuce and beef have been hit hard and consumer are noticing.” According to Phillips the potential loss to California’s ag revenue when ancillary industries and value added aspects are totaled is approximately $300 billion. The state’s last major drought occurred in 1977 and instead of learning from that, critics say, the state has spent the last 37 years doing nothing in the way of storage or planning. “There was no way to capture water during wet years, and this exacerbated the situation in dry years,” Phillips said. “In meetings with the state water board, I’ve told them ‘It’s your fault.’” The solution, she said is, “to work with legislators regarding storage, pass funding for storage, cut the red tape to build reservoirs, and streamline the groundwater recharge process.” “We could build 500 reservoirs,” said O’Haire. “But they would be worthless without rain and the water to fill them.” After all is said and done, Mother Nature holds the final trump card: rain.

August 2014

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new at greens on tenth new new at at greens greens on on tenth tenth 953 tenth st. 953 tenth st. 953 tenth st. 209.572.1700 209.572.1700 209.572.1700

seasonal menu seasonal seasonal menu menu full bar full bar full bar event venue event event venue venue

ELIZABETH STEVENS/CVBJ

More than 500 baton twirlers competed at the Stockton Arena from July 7-12. Winners in key competitions will advance to compete at the world championships in Nottingham, England.

Baton is big business By ELIZABETH STEVENS Business Journal editor STOCKTON -- Baton twirling may not draw crowds like baseball, hockey or professional cycling, but when it comes to raking in tourism money, the sport proved to Stockton in July that it deserves a trophy. More than 500 of the nation’s best baton twirlers were at the Stockton Arena July 7-12 competing in the 56th Annual U.S. National Baton Twirling Championships. California hadn’t hosted the championships since 1996. That meant about 300 out-of-state competitors plus their families and coaches were in town, staying in hotels and dining in local restaurants. It added up to about 1,400 hotel room nights in Stockton and surrounding communities. The competition kept its headquarters and some competitors stayed at University Plaza Hotel, next to the arena. Others stayed at Holiday Inn Express and Residence Inn. “It’s a large event. You don’t have events that large that often,” said Visit Stockton’s CEO Wes Rhea. “That’s more hotels than an Amgen (Tour of California leg) or a Bassmasters.” In all, Rhea figured the economic impact was about $400,000 for the community. Many competitors turned the trip to Nationals into a family vacation and were pleased to discover they could make day trips to San Fran-

cisco or Yosemite National Park from Stockton. Some competitors attended a Stockton Ports game where it was “twirling night.” Stockton Arena also got rave reviews from competitors and families. “The events center is spectacular,” said Yolanda Castellanos-Stone, the 1982 Senior Women’s World Baton champion and a member of the United States Twirling Association’s (USTA) competitive events department. “It’s the best event center ever. I’ve heard a number of people say that.” The high ceiling and side lighting that has been set up for the Stockton Thunder also works well for tossing batons in the air and catching them. “It’s very easy to see,” said Stone’s daughter Angelina, who was competing this year. “Nobody’s hit the ceiling yet,” said her dad. “Other cities use gymnasiums. Ours is a really beautiful facility,” said Rhea. Visit Stockton convinced the USTA to have the competition in Stockton two years ago. Since then, it’s been focusing on customer service. Tourism officials hosted a party for 300 competitors and family members one night and arranged discounts at local restaurants. “Nowadays servicing is where visitors bureaus are finding their niche,” said Rhea. The USTA has booked its next five national championships, but Rhea hopes to get the competition back in 2019.

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Central Valley Business Journal

August 2014

SECURITY AND ALARM COMPANIES In San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties. Ranked by Number of Employees. Ties are Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Fire

Patrol Services & Security Guards

450

Ontel Security Services, Inc. 708 L Street Modesto, CA 95355

David MC Cann (209) 521-0200 ontelsecurity.com

ADT Security Services, Inc. 4725 Enterprise Way, Ste. 5 Modesto, CA 95356

Marlon Ansay (209) 524-0881 adt.com

Vivint 1111 J Street Ste. 111 Modesto, CA 95354

John Villegas (209) 201-3635 vivint.com

Bay Alarm Company 3819 Duck Creek Drive Stockton, CA 95215

Bill Metzinger (209) 465-1986 bayalarm.com

Bay Valley Security 26 S. 3rd Street, Ste. D Patterson, CA 95363

George Odhiambo (209) 834-4372 bayvalleysecurity.com

Alamo Alarm Company, Inc. 108 Walnut Street Lodi, CA 95240

Charlieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day and Nite Security & Lock 706 N. El Dorado Street Stockton, CA 95202 526 W. Benjamin Holt Stockton, CA 95207

Protech Security & Electronics, Inc. 1322 7th Street Modesto, CA 95354

Top Local Executive Phone Web Address

Securitas Security Services USA, Inc. 3115 W. March Lane, Ste. 125 Stockton, CA 95207

Access Control

Residential

Kelly Davis, Area VP (209) 473-7892 securitasinc.com

Company Name Address

Rank

CCTV/Video

Number of Local Staff

Commercial

Services and Systems Offered

Other Services

Year Est.

Armed patrols

1978

Canine patrol Out source Video installation

2003

Lock and key Panic and burglary systems

1875

Central Valley leader in staffing 2 way-voice, solar, auto control and lock and key

2005

Lock and key

1983

Security guard and patrol services

2007

Dana Buck (209) 369-7749 alamoalarm.com

Vehicle tracking devices 24 hour surveillance and monitoring

1980

Steve Skobrak, President (209) 465-2667 (209) 477-4814 dayandnitelock.com

24 hour monitoring service and locksmith Installation of panic hardware and safes

1962

Gerry Adams (209) 571-1174 protechsecurity.us

Voice and data

2006

Arvin Home Systems, Inc. 334-A N. Main Street Manteca, CA 95336

Arvin Reed (209) 823-3565 arvinhomesystems.com

Central vacuum, structured wiring, home theater and intercom

1976

Sonitrol of Stockton 250 Cherry Lane Ste. 103 Manteca, CA 95337

Brian Petrille (209) 948-2551 sonitrolsecurity.com

Lock and key

1977

Maxx One Security 121 E. Orangeburg Avenue, Ste. 7 Modesto, CA 95350

Paul Chahal (209) 480-2100 maxxonesecurity.com

Live scan fingerprints and notary service

2005

Paradigm Integration, Inc. 192 W. Larch Road, Ste. F Tracy, CA 95304

Bob Johannsen (209) 839-8686 paradigm-inc.net

Home theater, automation, central vacuum, structured wiring, audio & video alarm monitoring

2000

Secure Cal Security 9594 E Kettleman Lane Lodi, CA 95240

Eric Handel (209) 948-4945 None

Burglar alarm systems and monitoring

2003

1st Security and Sound 1025 Lone Palm Avenue, Ste. 1-A Modesto, CA 95351

Robert Wright (209) 522 -6180 1stsecurityandsound.com

Home theater/entertainment systems installation Environmental/lighting

1996

Ispy Vision 586 Commerce Court Manteca, CA 95336

Cliff Rogers (209) 823-9500 ispyvision.com

Automated control systems, high tech security and on-demand video interconnectivity

2007

Matson Alarm Company 25 S. Stockton Street, Ste. C Lodi, CA 95241

Rodney Ishihara (800) 697-9800 matsonalarm.com

Lock and key

1974

ABS Alarm Company 793 S. Tracy Boulevard, Ste. 198 Tracy, CA 95376

Doug Anderson (209) 835-6003 absalarmco.com

Lock and key, personal and medical emergencies and new construction

1999

California Built In Systems 1463 Moffat Boulevard, Ste. 8 Manteca, CA 95336

Ken Fogg (209) 239-1413 californiabuiltins.com

Security, automation and central vacuum

1976

Stockton Alarm, Inc. 2910 Raintree Court Stockton, CA 95219

Ed McPheeters (209) 478-5186 stocktonalarm.com

Security cameras, TV and home theater, and window tinting

1977

These lists are provided as a free service by the Central Valley Business Journal for its readers. As such, inclusion is based on editorial consideration and is not guaranteed. If you would like your business to be included in a list, please write to: Research Department, Central Valley Business Journal, 4512 Feather River Drive, Ste. E, Stockton, CA 95219, fax your information to Research Dept. (209) 477-0211 or email research@cvbizjournal.com. Copyright Central Valley Business Journal. Researched by Danette Conley 07/2014

August 2014

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Healthy foods. Born and raised in California.

Manufacturing and Wholesaling WIC* authorized grocery products

*WIC is a registered servicemark of the United States Department of Agriculture Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Infants, and Children Supplemental Nutritional Program

Contact information: 209.239.8000 â&#x20AC;˘ www.earlyon.com

Central Valley Business Journal

August 2014

Range of companies offer ‘smart home’ services By SONYA HERRERA Business Journal writer Imagine walking into your hotel room. You take a shower, eat dinner, watch some TV and brush your teeth before going to bed. After slipping under the covers, you wonder how the kids are doing at home. So you grab your smartphone and touch a few buttons on your security app. Through your phone’s screen, you see that the kids are fine and that all of your home’s doors are locked. You remotely dim the lights and lower the thermostat to avoid wasting energy. From 80 miles away, you command your coffee pot to brew decaf an hour late. Finally, you send your kids a quick text and sleep well, knowing that everything at home is as it should be. These are among the many “smart home” services available today. Smart home technology enables homeowners to adjust vital -- and not-so-vital -- home controls remotely through their smartphone or tablet. These controls are often part of a security package that permits customers to monitor their home while away, allowing them to easily verify false alarms from afar. Smart home services in San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties vary in

PHOTO COURTESY VIVINT

Many homeowners are turning to services they can use remotely to control security, the thermostat and small appliances with a smart phone.

complexity and can be found at firms large and small. Security and comfort For reliable security and a wide array of home controls that are accessible via an easy-to-use app, homeowners can check out ADT and Vivint. Both companies offer remote monitoring and control over door locks, lighting, thermostat, and

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small appliances (such as coffee pots or curling irons), with free quotes available online. These companies differ in important ways. With ADT, one has the support of a company with a history of security service. In addition, ADT’s Pulse Voice app (available on Android and iOS) allows customers to access functions such as lighting and ther-

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mostat control using only vocal commands. Vivint’s Sky app does not have this capability. An advantage that Vivint’s Sky app does have, however, is the ability to recognize patterns in users’ home control settings. For example, if users always adjust their thermostat lower in the morning and higher in the evening, the system will begin to recommend and make those changes automatically. The Sky app is available on Android, iOS, and Blackberry phones. Local and regional solutions Basic smart home security services can also be found at local or regional companies in the Central Valley. These include Bay Alarm, based in Contra Costa County; Arvin Home Systems, of Manteca; All-Guard Commercial & Residential Security Systems and Intelliguard Security, both from Modesto. Bay Alarm offers many of the same services as larger companies -- control over door locks, lighting and thermostat -- with each component available to customers “a la carte” for an additional charge. Service prices are easily found on its website, ranging from $39 to $59 a month. Like Bay Alarm, Intelliguard Secu-

www.firstchoiceservices.com 209.467.4426

August 2014

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Central Valley Business Journal

CVBJ

August 2014

FOCUS: HEALTH CARE

St. Joseph’s has new tool for coronary artery disease

BUSINESS JOURNAL PHOTO

St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Stockton is the first local hospital to offer treatment with the Dimondback 360 Coronary Orbital Atherectomy System.

STOCKTON -- St. Joseph’s Medical Center has acquired new technology to treat coronary artery disease. The treatment is the Diamondback 360 Coronary Orbital Atherectomy System (OAS). St. Joseph’s is the first medical center in the Central Valley to use it. “This revolutionary technology will enhance the already excellent care that patients receive at St. Joseph’s Heart Center” said St. Joseph’s President and CEO Donald J. Wiley. “We are both proud and excited to be the first local hospital to offer this new treatment.” According to St. Joseph’s, the OAS is a 1.25-millimeter diamond-coated crown that sands away calcium in severely calcified coronary arteries, which allows a stent to be inserted. As the crown rotates and orbit increases,

centrifugal force presses the crown against the lesion, which reduced calcium in the artery, while healthy tissue flexes away. “Calcium often prevents us from achieving optimal results in complex coronary procedures,” said Dr. Cyrus Buhari. “This tool offers interventional cardiologists an effective and far less cumbersome way to manage a very difficult problem in coronary artery disease. We are excited to offer this new advancement to our patients in the Central Valley and to continue to provide state-of-the-art cardiovascular care.” Buhari began using the Diamondback 360 Coronary OAS technology at St. Joseph’s in late June and has already performed several successful procedures, the hospital said.

Pacific’s pharmacy school to share $2 million award STOCKTON -- University of the Pacific’s Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is one of nine pharmacies to share $2 million in funding through the Cardinal Health Pharmacy Scholarship Program in 2014. “We know community pharmacists play a critical role in improving the cost-effectiveness of healthcare, and in helping patients better manage their overall health,” said Mike Kaufmann, chief executive officer of

Cardinal Health’s Pharmaceutical segment. “We’re proud to support tomorrow’s community pharmacy leaders through this scholarship program, and we’re inspired by the impact we know they’ll have on their patients and communities, when they become pharmacy owners.” The schools selected for scholarships were chosen based on their commitment to advancing the independent pharmacy profession, Cardinal Health said. The schools have

programs that focus on operating an independent pharmacy; support student-run chapters of the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA); endorse internship and coop programs with local independent retail pharmacies; and demonstrate high post-graduate placement rates in community pharmacy settings. Cardinal Health launched its scholarship program in June 2011 and has donated nearly $4.2 million to more than 20 universities.

PHOTO COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF THE PACIFIC

The Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences was chosen for the scholarship award based partly on its entrepreneurial pharmacy program.

Lodi Memorial contracts with Satellite Healthcare for dialysis LODI -- Lodi Memorial Hospital has partnered with a health care company that specializes in kidney dialysis to reduce costs and provide round-theclock treatment. Lodi Memorial has contracted with Satellite Healthcare, which said it offers state-of the-art technology and management that results in “reduced hospitalizations, a higher quality-oflife, and greater patient satisfaction.”

The service began June 1. “The ability to offer these services to our patients is tremendous for our hospital, Satellite and the patients we will now both care for,” said Sarah Taylor, Lodi Memorial Hospital’s manager of ICU, PTU and dialysis. “Our patients now have the benefits of an acute-care facility, and Satellite Healthcare’s experience and reputation offers both quality care and

peace of mind.” Satellite Healthcare specializes in dialysis for both acute and chronic patients. The company hired two full-time health care workers and five per diem workers from the Lodi area. They all went through Lodi Memorial’s orientation and computer training, and patients likely won’t notice that they work for a different company, said a spokesman for Satellite

Healthcare. What will they notice? “More consistent care,” said Alex Dellon, director of Hospital Services at Satellite Healthcare. “Our nurses are all very specially trained. Our company specializes in dialysis.” Dellon said the need for dialysis in the Valley is growing, driven largely by increasing cases of diabetes and hypertension, two of the leading causes of kidney failure.

August 2014

CVBJ

ALARM Continued from Page 14

rity does not bundle its remote home services. “A lot of companies offer bundles of equipment and services,” said Intelliguard’s District Manager Sargon Younan. “We do custom services... We’ll go to a customer’s home, we walk the home with them and do a site survey.” This custom service can result in sizable, if unexpected, advantages. For example, one feature of Intelliguard Security’s Automation Systems that is lacking in ADT’s Pulse app is the ability to remotely open and close garage doors. Also, Intelliguard’s remote services are available on the Windows Phone operating system, a capability missed by both ADT and Vivint.

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MODESTO Continued from Page 8

Despite the event’s success, X-Fest almost didn’t happen. When promoter Chris Ricci first approached the city about hosting a music festival for fans 21 and over, officials didn’t jump at the opportunity. Mullen said the hesitation came from the unknown. The event was new for Modesto and administrators were unsure what size crowd it would draw. However, she credits Ricci with its success. She said Ricci’s dedication to working with city officials, the Modesto Police Department and the Modesto Fire Department, as well as paying for the event’s security and handling clean-up, helped city officials change their minds. “The initial resistance was financial,” Ricci confirmed. Ricci said this year’s X-Fest will be more of the same, featuring 100 musical acts, including E-40, 3OH!3 and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, across 15 stages. However, the event has changed significantly since its inception. What started as primarily a rock concert, has now become a diverse musical festival that focuses on rock, pop, electronic dance music and hiphop to appeal to the Central Valley’s changing demographics. In addition to financial gains, the event also benefits Modesto by boosting its reputation for being the “cultural hub of the Central Valley,” Mullen said. Safety is important to the city. Ricci teamed with Uber, an alternative taxi service, to shuttle patrons around town while many hotels offer free shuttle services to take guests to and from the festival. With a wide variety of music, there isn’t one “can’t-miss” performance, Ricci said. As for Mullen? “I’m excited to see Dave Mason,” she shared. Ricci expects the event, which he said is made up of 85 percent Stanislaus County residents, to bring in 10,000-15,000 patrons this year. As of late July, 2,000 tickets had sold. Tickets start at $20 and packages, including hotel stays, are available on the website, www.xfestmodesto.com.

Smart home service It’s not necessary to integrate a central security and monitoring service into your smart home. Companies such as The Home Depot and Lowe’s Home Improvement are selling products that are easily selfinstallable and that are compatible with free apps such as Wink and Iris (both of which are available for Android and iOS). At Lowe’s, the Iris Home Management System is sold as a kit. These “starter kits” range in price from

$179 to $299 and have varying tools and features. Advanced control of these features -- including voicecontrol and video streaming, recording and storage -- can be had for $10 a month. And while these kits already come with basic components such as motion sensors, thermostats and keypads, other app-compatible accessories such as Senior Pendants are available for an additional cost. Home Depot’s system is more customizable: each of its Winkcompatible devices is sold separately.

These products range in price from Quirky’s 8,000 BTU Window Air Conditioner at $279 to TCP’s 60W Smart LED Lightbulb at $18.97. More customization is possible with the purchase of the Wink Hub, which is required for remote control of products such as the Quirky Refuel Propane Tank Gauge. Combined, these companies have everything a homeowner needs to make his or her residence secure, comfortable, economical, and most importantly, smart.

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Central Valley Business Journal

August 2014

BUSINESS AND TRADE ASSOCIATIONS In San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties Ranked by Number of Members. Ties are Listed in Alphabetical Order. Rank

Company Name Address

Top Local Executive Phone Web Address Richard Waycott, President/CEO (209) 549-8262 almondboard.com

No. of Members Annual Dues No. of Total Staff 6,000 No dues 40 staff

Almond Board of California 1150 9th Street, Suite 1500 Modesto, CA 95354

Better Business Bureau (NE California) 3075 Beacon Boulevard West Sacramento, CA 95691

San Joaquin Farm Bureau Federation 3290 N. Ad Art Road Stockton, CA 95215

Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce 445 W. Weber Avenue, Ste. 220 Stockton, CA 95203

Modesto Chamber of Commerce 1114 J Street Modesto, CA 95354

Lodi District Chamber of Commerce 35 S. School Street Lodi, CA 95240

Western United Dairymen 1315 K Street Modesto, CA 95354

Lodi Winegrape Commission 2545 W. Turner Road Lodi, CA 95242

San Joaquin Medical Society 3031 W. March Lane, Ste. 222-W Stockton, CA 95219

San Joaquin County Bar Association & Lawyer Referral Service 20 N. Sutter Street, Ste. 300 Stockton, CA 95202

Tracy Chamber of Commerce 223 E. 10th Street Tracy, CA 95376

Valley Builders Exchange, Inc. 1118 Kansas Avenue Modesto, CA 95351

Karen Bowden, Executive Director (209) 522-9031 valleybx.com

Turlock Chamber of Commerce 115 S. Golden State Boulevard Turlock, CA 95380

Sharon Silva, President/CEO (209) 632-2221 turlockchamber.com

424 Dues vary 6 staff

The Builders Exchange of Stockton 7500 West Lane Stockton, CA 95210

Mike Self, Executive Director (209) 478-1000 besonline.com

San Joaquin County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 7500 West Lane, Ste. 111 Stockton, CA 95210

San Joaquin Partnership 2800 W. March Lane, Ste. 470 Stockton, CA 95219

African American Chamber of Commerce of San Joaquin 7500 West Lane Ste. 107 Stockton, CA 95210

California Poultry Federation 4640 Spyres Way, Ste. 4 Modesto, CA 95356

Stockton Convention and Visitors Bureau 125 Bridge Place, 2nd Floor Stockton, CA 95202

Gary Almond, President (916) 443-6843 necal.bbb.org Bruce Blodgett, Executive Director (209) 931-4931 sjfb.org Douglass W. Wilhoit Jr., CEO (209) 547-2770 stocktonchamber.org Cecil Russell, CEO (209) 577-5757 modchamber.org Pat Patrick (209) 367-7840 lodichamber.com Michael Marsh, CEO (209) 527-6453 westernuniteddairymen.com

Services Provided

Year Established

Dedicated to researching, growing, harvesting and marketing California almonds

1950

Sets standards for ethical business behavior, helps consumers identify reliable businesses, evaluates and provides reviews of charities, educates consumers and offers dispute resolution services. More than 87 million consumers rely on BBB

1927

Work on issues such as: water, rural health and safety, land use, air quality, agicultural education and more

1914

To aggressively develop and promote an economically vibrant business community

1901

To promote Modesto as a good place to do business

1912

900 $370 and up 7 staff

Serves members by influencing public policy and fostering a climate in which business and industry can operate profitably

1923

900 Fees vary 13 staff

Resources in lobbying, economic analysis, enviromental compliance, and policy

1984

5,000 $365, minimum 22 staff 3,700 $305 business $230 agriucultural $72 associate 5 staff 1,040 Based on number of employees 11 staff 1,025 8 staff

Camron King, Executive Director (209) 367-4727 lodiwine.com

750 --8 staff

Advocacy and promotion of Lodi wine grape growers Research/education, regional marketing/advertising

1991

Mike Steenburgh, Executive Director (209) 952-5299 sjcms.org

700 4 staff

Advocates for quality healthcare for all patients and serves the professional needs of its members

1873

Rebekah Burr-Siegel, Executive Director (209) 948-0125 sjcbar.org

500 $40 and up 8 staff

Lawyer referral service; Dispute resolution services

1940

Sophia Valenzuela, Operations Director (209) 835-2131 tracychamber.org

450 $225â&#x20AC;&#x201C;$1,500 3 staff

To strengthen the business community, take a leadership role in promoting economic vitality, influence public policy and promoting the welfare of our members

1910

430 $200.00 entrance fee $425.00 3 staff

Online plan room, safety related seminars and project information

1947

Created to add value and positive economic growth

1949

420 $200 Associate $565 Members 6 staff

Plan room, newsletters, safety services, events, sholoarship program, networking and advocacy

1924

Brenna Butler, CEO (209) 943-6117 sjchispanicchamber.com

200 $150/$275/$600 2 staff

Business listing on website, small business seminars, annual golf tournament, translation services and use permits assistance

1972

Michael Ammann, President/CEO (209) 956-3380 sjpnet.org

121 $2,000 - $25,000 5 staff

Economic development and job development programs

1991

90 $125 5 staff

Promotes the creation, growth, expansion and general welfare of African American businesses in the Stockton/San Joaquin County area

1978

Bill Mattos, President (209) 576-6355 cpif.org

WND

CPF represents the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s turkey and chicken producers and marketers Legislative/Regulatory, Public Relations, Consumer Affairs and Public Promotion

1953

Wes Rhea, Executive Director (209) 938-1555 visitstockton.org

No fee 4 staff

Dedicated to promoting Stockton as both a business and tourism destination

1979

Essie Gilchrist (209) 320-5564 aachambersj.org

August 2014

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The next era of health care is around the corner. Literally. At Sutter Health, putting patients first means putting their communities first, too. So as Turlock grows, we’re growing with it. We’re renewing our partnership with the community by building a new care center with even more services. It’s one more way you plus us and we plus you.

Opening August 18, 2014 Learn more at suttergould.org/Turlock Located off Hwy. 99 at N. Golden State Blvd. and W. Christoffersen Pkwy.

Central Valley Business Journal

August 2014

Venues for every occasion Central Valley offers wide range of options for meetings, special events By MARIE SARDALLA-DAVIS Business Journal writer Holding a meeting or special event? Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties provide an array of solutions for businesspeople who want a different spin on company gatherings, solo entrepreneurs, eco-conscious consumers and budget-wise brides or birthday hosts. Sierra Dinner Train/ California Sunset To avoid inflicting “Death by PowerPoint,” the Modesto Convention and Visitors Bureau suggests holding your meeting aboard the Sierra Dinner Train, which runs from Oakdale to the Gold Country. Trip themes include a murder mystery and the Wild West. The Sierra Railroad’s rich history dates back to the 1800s. More than 300 movies, TV shows and ads have featured it. Sherwood Executive Center Solopreneurs who have outgrown home offices but would rather not pitch clients at a coffee shop can book a fully furnished office month to month at the Sherwood Executive Center in Stockton. The Center’s Corporate Identity Program provides the use of ameni-

ties for up to 20 hours a month, according to building manager and leasing agent Barbara Schott. Phones, fax and copy machines, front desk reception, bookcases, and filing cabinets are included. Tenants can request specific offices 24 hours ahead, but walk-ins are also accommodated. “For a low startup cost, small businesses can venture out without committing to a year’s lease,” Schott noted. “Our Stockton location is prime. The closest equivalent is in Elk Grove or Modesto.” Hutchins Street Square Hutchins Street Square in Lodi hosts a wide spectrum of events, from classes to weddings, and from business seminars to 800-seat gala fundraisers that draw big- name entertainers. The center has a new director and new staff, plus established working relationships with the city of Lodi and Visit Lodi. It is slated to feature the world-renowned Glenn Miller Orchestra in mid-August. “You have to come see us. Not only are the grounds beautiful, but we have history. We used to be a high school, and we have employees who actually went to school here. They swam in the upstairs pool in gym class,” said senior administrative clerk Mandi Dumlao.

Antigua Event Center in Riverbank can host events for 75-275 attendees.

A little-known fact about Hutchins Street Square is the rescued collection of busts of composers that line the second floor lobby of its theater. Each is about four feet wide. They formerly lent their somber visages to the anonymous donor’s backyard. Dumlao thinks they would make a perfect backdrop to the Square’s Haunted House community event this October. Chez Shari Chez Shari in Manteca entices brides-to-be with its budget-friendly rates and beautiful backdrop: the Manteca Golf Course. It can host groups of 20 to 200. The Guinta fam-

PHOTO COURTESY ANTIGUA EVENT CENTER

For a low startup cost, small businesses can venture out without committing to a year’s lease. Our Stockton location is prime.

Barbara Schott Building manager

Please see MEETING SPACES Page 29

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August 2014

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Start-ups ‘huddle’ at downtown co-working space By COURTNEY JESPERSEN Business Journal writer STOCKTON -- A group of local entrepreneurs is banding together to demonstrate that Stockton is at the forefront of business innovation. Officially launching in August, Huddle is a co-working space at 235 N. San Joaquin St. in downtown Stockton where small businesses and startups will be working together in a collaborative environment. The business venture is the self-described “premiere venue for the region’s creative types who prefer to work in an inspiring space amongst enthusiastic people while they formulate the next big innovation.” David Garcia and Tim Egkan, who both work for the Cort Group, co-founded Huddle as its own, separate project. “Our space tries to provide an atmosphere where individuals, entrepreneurs and people with smaller start-up companies can work together and come up with better ways to collaborate,” Garcia said. “Co-working spaces are actually fairly typical in other cities,” he added. “We’ve had a number of Bay Area entrepreneurs stop by and comment on how the space compares favorably to co-working spots they are used to seeing in their areas. They’ve also told us that if Bay Area startups and entrepreneurs knew a place like Huddle was available to them in Stockton, many more would consider Stockton as a viable place to locate.” Huddle membership amenities include WiFi Internet, printing and fax, a conference room, coffee, a kitchen/ café area, personal storage lockers, monthly mixers, and a business mailing address, among others. The space itself – which is intended to have a modern, free-flowing feel – is broken into private and community sections and is adorned with artwork designed by several local Stockton artists. There are a number of membership levels, starting with a guest pass ($15 for one day) and going up to mailbox member, commuter, resident, proprietor, and private suite holder. Being a commuter – co-working in Huddle for eight days a month – will cost $69 per month, whereas securing a private suite runs $465 per month or more. “The ideal person or company is one that will bring new life to our region’s economy by way of innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship,” co-founder Tim Egkan said. “Graphic designers, software engineering companies, creative marketing and branding companies, and computer programmers are examples of current members at Huddle.” Paul Amador, president of California Application Research Group (CalARG), is one of Huddle’s first occupants and tenant of its largest private suite. CalARG is a Stocktonbased software engineering and app development company. Aside from the collaborative atmo-

WAYNE DENNING/CVBJ

Huddle co-founders David Garcia and Tim Egkan in the co-working space’s lobby.

sphere, Amador believes Huddle will help local businesses keep clients instead of losing them to Bay Area firms. “The biggest reason why these local businesses aren’t first and why they move to other cities is essentially they’re operating in obscurity,” Amador said. “Huddle could be the solution where you have all of these very niche types of art and engineering businesses focused in one space so when large businesses are looking to hire services, there will be one workspace environment in Stockton.” Also located within Huddle is local digital media production company Frankenmuffin. Christopher Spatola created the film/video design business in 2011 after one of his online videos went viral. Now, he is making Huddle the headquarters of his operation. He also designed the co-working space’s newly launched website huddlecowork.com. “There’s no other office space like it,” Spatola said, describing Huddle as having a positive attitude and a focus on innovation. Andrea Santo works in acquisition and sales for Frankenmuffin. “We all kind of share and help each other in a big support system, like a family almost,” Santo said of Huddle. “We get to rely on each other’s strengths.” “I think it will impact Stockton in a really big way in the coming years as these businesses thrive and strengthen,” Santo added. “We’ll have a big network of community support where we all can strive to meet the same goals and improve the city.” The Downtown Stockton Alliance, which encourages people to work, live and invest in downtown Stockton, is arguably Huddle’s most notable tenant. In February the Alliance announced that it had received a $25,000 grant from the Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s Economic Vitality Grant Program to establish a technology incubator and facilitate services to new innovators and emerging businesses in Stockton and the greater San Joaquin Valley.

The result is the Downtown Stockton Technology Incubator, a collaborative effort between the Downtown Stockton Alliance, the city of Stockton’s Economic Development Department, San Joaquin Delta College Small Business Development Center, San Joaquin County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, IT service providers, and legal assistance. It also has a new home at Huddle. The incubator program provides free member benefits (shared office space,

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WiFi, conference room, access to capital, tech assistance, business training, and legal/tax help) at Huddle for 12 months. The 2014 incubator members are Actions 2 Read, CalArg, Frankenmuffin, One Week Project, Plural Music, Ready for Rescue, and TastyCarty. “The tech incubator has helped us because they’ve become kind of a core tenant,” Garcia said. “We have a baseline and go from there.” Egkan is optimistic about the potential future impacts Huddle and its tenants will have on the region. “Manufacturing jobs in the U.S. have been declining since the early 1980s and will continue to do so,” Egkan said. “The current economic drivers in this country are businesses in the innovation sector, for example software, Internet and biotech. These businesses have products, whether exported or for the domestic market, that have the highest profit margins, thus paying the best wages and in turn injecting money into local economies and creating additional jobs.” He hopes this will equal a stronger Stockton. Huddle – and the tech incubator within it – are currently operating under a soft opening. The official grand opening for the innovative co-working operation will be Aug. 20. It will feature speeches from local entrepreneurs as well as live music and entertainment.

Central Valley Business Journal

August 2014

MEETING AND BANQUET FACILITIES Ranked by Total Square Footage. Ties are Listed in Alphabetical Order. Rank

Facility Name Address

Lodi Grape Festival 413 E. Lockeford Street Lodi, CA 95240

Sherwood Executive Center 5250 Claremont Avenue Stockton, CA 95207

3 4 5 6 7 8

Stockton Scottish Rite 33 W. Alpine Avenue Stockton, CA 95204 Stockton Arena 248 W. Fremont Street Stockton, CA 95203

Carnegie Arts Center 250 N Broadway Turlock, CA 95380

17 18

Business Office (209) 369-2771 grapefestival.com

77.000

100 - 3,500

Barbara Schott, Building Mgr. (209) 478-6600 sherwoodexecutivecenter.com

75,000

Classroom style seating 60 people maximum

Podesto’s provides bag lunch

71,000

784

55,000

600

Yes

Specializing in event services and planning, AV equipment available

46,000 +

N/A

43,000

600 Delta (400) Founder’s (48) Board (18)

Many options available for large groups San Joaquin Kennel Club, Lao Family Community, Junior League of Stockton, Port City Roller Girls

Yes

Dance floor, podium, sound system, grand piano; Wi-Fi, AV Chamber of Commerce, UOP, St. Mary’s Highschool, St. Joseph’s Hospital, SJ Foundation, Rotary

27,000

900

20,400

11,300

Yes

20,000

300

Yes

20,000

500

Yes

200/loft 125/Gemperle Gallery

No, but outside catering is permitted

Bob Young, GM (209) 466-4313 stocktongolfcc.com

The River Mill 1672 W. Bowman Road French Camp, CA 95231

On-site Catering Provided

Stockton Golf & Country Club 3800 W. Country Club Boulevard Stockton, CA 95204

Total Theater Style Capacity Seating

Jennifer Winn (209) 333-6782 hutchinsstreetsquare.com Business Office (209) 946-7743 go.pacific.edu/venues Janet Covello (209) 466-5041 sanjoaquinfair.com

Brookside Country Club 3603 St. Andrews Drive Stockton, CA 95219

Total Square Footage

Hutchins Street Square 125 S Hutchins Street Lodi, CA 95240 UOP Conference Services 901 President’s Drive Stockton, CA 95211 San Joaquin County Fairgrounds 1658 S. Airport Way Stockton, CA 95206

Local Contact Phone Web Address

Kriss Green (209) 466-3391 stocktonscottishrite.org SMG Stockton Management (209) 373-1400 stocktonarena.com Alecia Escajeda, GM-Membership Becky Weeden, Director of Catering (209) 956-6200 brooksidegolf.net Jim Silveria (209) 983-9114 therivermill.com

Other Amenities Clients 7,200 stage seating spread over 7 buildings Tables, Chairs, free parking, coolers, heaters, stage risers, picnic tables, benches, portable bar and PA system Coffee a fee, water, vending machines, bag lunches or danish pickup, copies an fax services provided at an additional charge. Atkinson Baker, Anthem Blue Cross, Farmers Insurance district office WiFi accessible, Av equipment available N/C, tables, chairs, full kitchen, caterer’s kitchen. Delta Blood Bank, CIF, Michael David Winery, LEVOC

Full kitchen, bar area, ADA Comp, tables, chairs, an setup included, parking lot for 275 vehicles. ITT Tech, SJC Office of Education, Winter Rail Full rigging and stage development, sound system Highschool graduations, Raw World tour, Monster X tour, So You Think You Can Dance 18 hole golf course, practice facility, state of the art tennis comples, putting green and resort style pool. Onsite event coordination, food, flowers, historic building and beautiful gardens Kaiser, Delta Blood Bank, Nulaid, Doctors MC WiFi accessible, Av equipment available. Rentals can include museum-quality art gallery; Loft encludes theatrical lighting system, dressing rooms and green rooms. Tables an chairs included with rental Gallo Winery, CareMore, City of Turlock,Turlock Chamber of Commerce, Yosemite Farm Credit 24 hour casino, 86 hotel rooms available, Suites, 24 hour business center, free WiFi, coffee bar, bell and valet service, RV park, general store, Gas Station-Market, heated outdoor pool, hot tubs, arcade. Kamps Propane, Professional Golfers Association, Amador Council of Tourism, CBS, CA Department of Forrestry, Sutter Amador Hospital

Lisa McDermott, Interim Director (209) 632-5761 CarnegieArtsTurlock.org

18,000

Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort 12222 New York Ranch Road Jackson, CA 95642

Emily Tirapelle (209) 223-8477 jacksoncasino.com

9,000

1517 Outdoor 800 Indoor

Yes

Stockton Hilton 2323 Grand Canal Boulevaard Stockton, CA 95219 University Plaza Waterfront Hotel 110 W. Fremont Street Stockton, CA 95202

Karla Detmer (209) 957-9090 hilton.com Warren Porter (209) 944-1140 universityplazawaterfronthotel.com Office of the Superintendent (209) 468-4802 sjcoe.org Kristi English (209) 477-2200 elkhornbanquet.com Sales (209) 334-6988 winerose.com

13,450

500

Yes

Largest trade-show space in San Joaquin County, personalized event coordinators

12,500

450

Yes

Full service hotel, restaurant, bar PG&E, Chamber of Commerce, Kaiser

10,000 +

400

Multiple meeting rooms, tables, chairs, risers, podium, ample parking, easy accessibility. School districts, public agencies, youth related organizations, faith-based organizations

10,000

400

Yes

Full banquet facilityt, restaurant, bar and golfing SIRS #46, Wal-Mart and Unified Grocers

8,500

500

Yes

Varying from 713 - 5,500

Four venues varying from 40 - 80 200 - 750

Event detailing, business services, award winning cuisine, and hotel rooms General Mills, McCay Cellars, Lodi Winegrape Commission

Yes

Banquet rooms, catering, bars, WiFi and Av Rotary East, Kiwanis, Soroptimist, Crime stoppers, Laborers local union, McHenry Mansion, Nasco, CHL-CPA

San Joaquin County Office of Education 2901 Arch-Airport Road Stockton, CA 95206 Elkhorn Grill & Banquet 1050 Elkhorn Drive Stockton, CA 95209 Wine & Roses 2505 W. Turner Road Lodi, CA 95242 Seasons Catering & Event 945 McHenry Avenue Modesto, CA 95350

Current Manager (209) 523-4000 gotoseasons.com

Katie Malone, Events Director Katie Malone, Tournament Director Ceremony site, reception site, complimentary wi-fi and 5,100 200 Yes 19 (209) 477-4653 many other extras americangolf.com/reserve-spanos-park Brenda Ross Charity Way Ballroom & Catering RV Parking, full staff. (209) 544-8156 5,000 400 Yes 645 Charity Way 20 Costo, MPD, Westmark, Kiwanis charitywayballroom.com Modesto, CA 95356 Bob Campana WiFi accessible, full service restaurant & bar, offsite Vintage Gardens/The Redwood Cafe’ (209) 545-9232 5,000 150 Yes catering 4342 Dale Road 21 vgmodesto.com Kaiser Permanente, SaveMart, Valley Oak Modesto, CA 95356 Jocelyn Venable Complimentary WiFi, Av equipment available, on site pub Clarion Hotel & Conference Center (209) 521-1612 4,580 400 Yes & grill, free parking 1612 Sisk Road 22 clarionhotelmodesto.com PG&E, Central Valley Medical Group, AT&T Modesto, CA 95350 Trushil Khatri Free Wi-Fi, tables, chairs, table clothes, coffee, water, Best Western PLUS Executive Inn & Suites (209) 825-1415 1800 90 Yes outside catering, ample parking, central location at 1415 E. Yosemite Avenue 23 bestwestern.com intersection of Hwy 99 and Hwy 120 Manteca, CA 95336 Current Manager Coffee, water, fax services, Wi-Fi, tables, chairs and walk-in Howard Johnson Inn (209) 948-6151 680 100 No closet. Facility is with-in walking distance to marina, movie 33 N. Center Street 24 hojo.com theaters and restaurants Stockton, CA 95202 Michael Blevins, GM Dance floor, linens, tables, chairs, plates, silverware, and Turlock Country Club (209) 634-5471 5,000 330 Yes glassware all included in rental 10532 N. Golf Link Road 25 Turlock Chamber, Turlock BNI, Yosemite Farm Credit Turlock, CA 95380 turlockgcc.com These lists are provided as a free service by the Central Valley Business Journal for its readers. As such, inclusion is based on editorial consideration and is not guaranteed. If you would like your business to be included in a list, please write to: Research Department, Central Valley Business Journal, 4512 Feather River Drive, Ste. E, Stockton, CA 95219, fax your information to Research Dept. (209) 477-0211 or email research@cvbizjournal.com. Copyright Central Valley Business Journal. Researched by Danette Conley 07/2014 The Reserve at Spanos Park 6301 W. Eight Mile Road Stockton, CA 95219

August 2014

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Join us as we Celebrate 100 years

Clubhouse Amenities: • Grand Ballroom for Events • Casual & Formal Dining Rooms • Grill Room Overlooks 18th Green • Locker Rooms with Spas/Steam Room

Stockton Golf & Country Club 3800 w. country club blvd. stockton, ca 95204

State of the Art Fitness Center

Swimming Pool and Clubhouse

Call for Regular and Social Membership Pricing (209) 466-4313

Central Valley Business Journal

August 2014

Almond Board supports growers for six decades By CRAIG W. ANDERSON Business Journal writer MODESTO -- This spring, almond growers across the state voted to keep the Almond Board of California going. Though the vote is required every five years, the approval with 91 percent in favor was a resounding vote of confidence in the job the ABC has done. Its mission is to create sustainability, production and marketing programs for one of the Central Valley’s most imporBill Harp tant crops. “It’s gratifying to know the work of the almond board is recognized by the growers we serve as essential to their success,” said ABC chairman and almond grower Bill Harp. The board was established in 1950 as almond acreage increased in the state and growers requested a federal marketing order be established. At first the Almond Control Board, as it was then called, dealt primarily with compliance issues. As the almond industry changed, so did the board’s function, and in the 1970s it was renamed the Almond Board of California. “The ABC promotes almonds through its research-based approach to all aspects of farming, production and marketing on behalf of California’s almond growers and handlers,” said Jenny Nicolau, the board’s senior specialist of industry relations. “Key programs that help us meet our vision and mission include a comprehensive global marketing program in established, emerging and exploratory markets, nutrition, production, environmental and technical research; a sustainability program, and industry communications outreach.” Nicolau said the ABC educates growers about production efficiencies that are “good for the environment and the bottom line. For example, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service [NASS] the yield per bearing acre increased from 1,890 pounds in 2003-’04 to 2,390 pounds in 2012-’13.” “ABC research has led our growers to achieve production efficiencies via micro irrigation and irrigation scheduling that has resulted in almond growers using 33 percent less water per pound of almonds compared to 20 years ago,” Nicolau said. “Our current research is looking at breakthroughs in other water-efficient methods and technologies.” More than 40 staff members implement the assorted programs in its main office in Modesto with additional staff located in the United King-

dom, China, and India. The California almond industry encompasses 500 miles of the Central Valley from Chico to Bakersfield, includes 6,500 growers and 104 handlers/processors. The crop accounts for 82 percent of worldwide production. More than 80 percent of almond farms are family owned and 50 percent of them are less than 50 acres. According to a 2012 USDA report, the amount of farmland dedicated to almond growing has increased by 2.5 percent or more every year over the past decade. What drives the upward trend? “The product is so good, so versatile, and so good for everybody and therefore very marketable,” said Dave Phippen, almond grower, ABC alternate board member, and partner in almond processor Travaille & Phippen. “As an industry we’ve been proactive in doing product research and marketing the nutritious benefits in the countries where we sell almonds. The ABC is very good at looking down the road at which countries could use our product and selling it to them.” Phippen added that the board conducted a thorough, million-dollar study about what the industry could do if a crop exceeded two billion pounds and which countries could take the additional 500,000 pounds of almonds. According to Stanislaus County Farm Bureau Executive Director and third-generation almond grower Wayne Zipser, “The industry is moving double the volume we were a decade ago and this growth has been due to the ABC and its research, marketing, and the environmental stewardship of almond growers.” The board’s enthusiastic and detailed promotion of almonds’ health benefits has also had a great impact on improving sales, Zipser said. Commitment of growers to the Almond Board of California’s long and short term strategies is key to the ongoing success of the nut in the global marketplace. “Financially we’re funded by a grower assessment placed on each pound of almonds produced,” the ABC’s Nicolau said. “The ABC board of directors, comprised of growers and handlers, approves the allocations given to program areas and more than 100 industry members serve on committees and task forces that give specific direction to ABC staff for various programs and events.” While the lack of water from California’s three-year drought “has our attention,” Phippen noted that NASS has forecast a record almond crop of 2.1 billion pounds for 2014, and that possibility remains well within reach. “I don’t think the situation’s as bad as it’s been portrayed in the media, but we’ll see,” Phippen said.

In Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties alone the 2012 combined almond crop was valued at $1.036 billion, accord

ALMOND BOARD -

Percentage of world’s almonds used by chocolate manufacturers

Almond varieties produced in California

6,0

Growers and represented b Board of C

August 2014

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Research Research Program Program Introduction Introduction Almond Almond Industry Industry Research Research Priorities Priorities ■ OverOver the past the past 40 years 40 years the almond the almond industry’s industry’s research research investment investment contributed contributed to almonds to almonds as a as favored a favored cropcrop for production for production and and export. export. During During this time this time our our research research funding funding increased, increased, whilewhile public public funding funding has decreased. has decreased. Meanwhile Meanwhile environmental environmental and and foodfood safety safety regulatory regulatory requirements requirements are ever are ever increasing; increasing; hence, hence, we must we must remain remain innovative innovative as we asstrive we strive to achieve to achieve an environmentally an environmentally ■ sustainable sustainable almond almond supply. supply. Current Current research research priorities priorities include: include:

■ Water: ■ Water: Water Water availability availability and and quality quality for the for Central the Central Valley Valley continues continues to to be uncertain. be uncertain. Those Those whowho rely on relythe on state the state and and federal federal water water projects projects are are aware aware of this, of this, but those but those relying relying on groundwater on groundwater will soon will soon be facing be facing similar similar pressures pressures in many in many areas. areas. ABC-funded ABC-funded research research focuses focuses on how on how to use to use available available water water wisely. wisely. ■ Environment: ■ Environment: The The issueissue of nitrates of nitrates in groundwater in groundwater is at isthe at forefront, the forefront, but but otherother issues issues loom. loom. The The use of use crop of crop protection protection materials, materials, the required the required introduction introduction of new of new engine engine technology, technology, and and the reduction the reduction of NOx of NOx emissions emissions by 80 byto8090% to 90% in the in valley the valley all require all require ongoing ongoing research research and and adaptation. adaptation. ■ Pollination ■ Pollination and Bee and Health: Bee Health: The The primary primary focus focus is onishealthy on healthy hives, hives, which which includes includes honey honey bee bee nutrition, nutrition, effective effective management management of bee of bee pests pests and and diseases, diseases, improving improving honey honey bee bee breeding breeding stock stock and and assessing assessing the impact the impact of pesticides of pesticides usedused on almonds. on almonds.

Food ■ Food Safety: Safety: Ongoing Ongoing needneed to better to better understand understand the risks the risks of microbial of microbial contamination contamination and and the most the most effective effective controls. controls. ThisThis commitment commitment to food to food safety safety research research and and preventive preventive control control programs programs is a cornerstone is a cornerstone for the for the almond almond industry industry and and will help will help us tousaddress to address newnew federal federal requirements requirements under under the Food the Food Safety Safety Modernization Modernization Act. Act. Nutrition ■ Nutrition and Health: and Health: At a At strategic a strategic planning planning session session this summer this summer the the potential potential role role that that regular regular almond almond consumption consumption could could play play in the in area the area of of wellness wellness and and vitality vitality was was identified identified as aas new a new long-term long-term priority priority in addition in addition to weight to weight management management and and cardiometabolic cardiometabolic health. health.

ABCABC Research Investment 1973–2013 over over $42 million $42 million Research Investment 1973–2013 Almond Almond Quality Quality & Food & Food Safety Safety Research Research (2000–2013) (2000–2013)

Nutrition Research Nutrition Research ■ Pest ■ Pest Control: Control: To date, To date, research research focused focused on improving on improving efficiency, efficiency, (1995–2013) (1995–2013) maintaining maintaining quality, quality, advancing advancing integrated integrated pestpest management management and and minimizing minimizing environmental environmental impact. impact. NowNow our efforts our efforts mustmust also also address address shiftsshifts in pest in pest populations, populations, emerging emerging pests pests and and invasive invasive species. species. Changing Changing regulations regulations require require moremore sophisticated, sophisticated, targeted targeted application application technology. technology.

Environmental Research Environmental Research (2003–2013) (2003–2013) $3.0 $3.0

Production Research Production Research (1973–2013) (1973–2013)

$3.3 $3.3

$21.1$21.1 $14.6$14.6

■ Almond ■ Almond Quality: Quality: Expand Expand our present our present knowledge knowledge of the of impact the impact humidity humidity and and temperature temperature has has on almond on almond shelfshelf stability stability and and shiftshift research research focus focus to shelf-life to shelf-life to evaluate to evaluate raw raw and and roasted roasted almonds almonds in various in various package package conditions. conditions.

Top Ten Exports by Value Source: Source: Almond Almond BoardBoard of California. of California. Top Ten Exports by Value Top Ten U.S. Specialty Crop Exports by Value 2012* (in millions) Top Ten U.S. Specialty Crop Exports by Value 2012* (in millions)

24 24

$3,500 $3,500 $3,000 $3,000 $2,500 $2,500 $2,000 $2,000 $1,500 $1,500 $1,000 $1,000 $500 $500 $0 $0

$3,387 $3,387

$1,300 $1,300

Almonds Almonds

ding to reports from the counties’ agricultural commissioners.

ELIZABETH STEVENS/CVBJ

d processors by the Almond California

$1,073 $1,073

Walnuts

Pistachios

Walnuts

Pistachios

$1,070 $1,070

Fresh Apples Fresh Apples

$922 $922

$800 $800

Frozen Potato Frozen Fries Potato

Fresh Grapes Fresh Grapes

Fries Statistics. Source: Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Commerce, Foreign Trade *Calendar year January throughU.S. December 2012.of Commerce, Foreign Trade Statistics. Source: Bureau of the Census, Department *Calendar year January through December 2012.

$579 $579

$501 $501

Oranges and Oranges Tangerines and Tangerines

Fresh Cherries Fresh Cherries

$487 $487 Pecans Pecans

Top Ten California Agricultural Exports by Value 2011* (in millions) Top Ten California Agricultural Exports by Value 2011* (in millions)

BY THE NUMBERS

000

Wine and Wine Wine Products and Wine Products

$1,112 $1,112

Number of years it has taken for almond production to double

Percentage of global almond supply that comes from California

$3,500 $3,500 $3,000 $3,000 $2,500 $2,500 $2,000 $2,000 $1,500 $1,500 $1,000 $1,000 $500 $500 $0 $0

$2,828 $2,828

$1,420 $1,420

Almonds Almonds

SOURCE: Almond Board of California

Dairy and products Dairy and products

$1,226 $1,226 $1,060 $1,060

$877 $877

$778 $778

$733 $733

Table Grapes Table Grapes

Wine

Walnuts

Rice

Pistachios

Wine

Walnuts

Rice

Pistachios

Source: University of California, Agricultural Issues Center. *Calendar year January through Agricultural December 2011. Source: University of California, Issues Center.

$666 $666

$574 $574

Oranges and Oranges products and products

Tomatoes, processed Tomatoes, processed

$435 $435 Cotton Cotton

CHARTS COURTESY ALMOND BOARD OF CALIFORNIA

Central Valley Business Journal

August 2014

Oak Valley COmmunity Bank

We Mean Business

ELIZABETH STEVENS/CVBJ

Students from Hubei University of Economics visiting CSU Stanislaus play a game to strengthen their English skills.

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By ELIZABETH STEVENS Business Journal editor TURLOCK - In a classroom on the CSU Stanislaus campus this summer, a group of about a dozen Chinese college students were having their knowledge of English tested in a game of catch. The student who caught the ball was supposed to describe a food item with an adjective that starts with the same letter. The game moved at a brisk pace until they reached the letter “q.” “Can anybody help me?” asked the stumped student. “Can we just skip this ‘q’?” With some help from their American teachers, they settled on “quick quiche.” There was a lot of laughter and it was clear the students were having fun with their sample of American education. “We always make everything serious in our country,” said third-year finance student Jerry Zeng, who said he enjoyed the laidback atmosphere of the American classroom. As trade is growing between the Central Valley and China, student exchanges such as the one CSU Stanislaus hosted in July with students from Hubei University of Economics are becoming increasingly important. It’s hoped the 13 students who spent two weeks in California will someday go on to careers in business with a better understanding of their American counterparts. “This valley is already pretty well connected to China with the nut industry, especially,” said CSU Stanislaus President Joseph Sheley. “(These exchanges) give Stanislaus State students a global connection.” Sheley visited Hubei University four years ago and he and his wife, Bernadette Halbrook, helped develop relationships with Chinese universities when he was provost and vice president for academic affairs at Sacramento State University.

“I’d love to have our business students in big numbers be able to take a two or three-week trip (to China),” Sheley said. The Chinese students’ visit was managed by University Extended Education with help from the Office of International Education. Students took business classes as well as lessons to strengthen their English. The students learned one adjective in particular: awesome. They used it often to describe everything from American food to the trip in general. “The environment here is awesome,” said fourth year student Kim Chen, who was particularly impressed by the trees and the shopping. “We go shopping almost every night.” The group also made trips to Yosemite National Park and San Francisco, attended a Fourth of July parade and a Modesto Nuts baseball game. CSU Stanislaus students helped guide and host the students. Anna Ramos was called by the Office of Extended Education to be a guide. She downloaded an app to help her with Chinese and introduced the students to enchiladas and salsa as well as some American customs. “I taught them how to dance,” said Ramos. “They were like, ‘Only retired, old people get to dance.’” The valley’s rural-suburbank atmosphere, similar to the area around Hubei University, helped make the students more comfortable, especially because the first exposure to American culture many of them had came from watching action movies. “I watch a lot of movies, so nothing has surprised me,” Zeng said. “The people are very nice and friendly. They help us a lot.” Sheley said that if CSU Stanislaus doesn’t send some of its own students to China within two years, he will be disappointed. “I would like to go back and solidify that relationship,” Sheley said.

August 2014

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Nummi to Nemo Company builds modular housing for Berkeley students By KENT HOHLFELD Business Journal writer LATHROP -- When a joint venture between Toyota and General Motors ended with the closure of the Nummi automotive plant in Fremont, it took with it thousands of parts manufacturing jobs. Some of those jobs were housed in a nondescript white building in the Lathrop Industrial Park. After nearly two years of sitting silently, that plant has been given new life by Nemo Building Systems. “We purchased this building in 2013 and started gearing up in January,” said Nemo Building Systems Vice President and General Manager Tom Spies. The plant, which once churned out parts for cars, will spend the next five years as the site for manufacturing housing units to be used by the Nautilus Group as student housing in Berkeley. “We have five sites that we will place these on,” said Spies. “Once at full production we will be shipping two modules per day.” Those modules are fully contained and complete housing units. The units

are then stacked one on top of the other, similar to putting together Lego units. When completed, the prefabricated housing complexes can stand five stories tall and house hundreds of students. “These complexes will stand up to earthquakes better and, since they are steel, there will also be less fire danger,” said Spies. The company invested approximately $5 million in the Lathrop facility that will employ up to 90 people when it is up to full production in early 2015. “We really chose this facility for three main reasons,” said Spies. “The building was affordable, labor was cheaper, and it’s still accessible to the Bay Area.” With the local construction industry still suffering the effects of the recession, anything that employs local construction workers is welcomed. “We are on a little uptick,” said Mike Self, executive director of the Builders Exchange in Stockton. “You don’t see as much private stuff as the public, but we are right at that tipping point in the (home) appreciation where new construction becomes more viable.” The project has given a shot in the

WAYNE DENNING/CVBJ

A worker for Nemo Building Systems measures a wall for future placement of fixtures and cabinets during construction of a housing module at the company’s plant in Lathrop.

arm to the local construction workforce. Most of those working on the modules came from the construction trades that have largely relied on public construction projects during the economic downturn. “We are applying lean manufacturing concepts to home construction,” said Spies, who spent a decade manufacturing restaurant equipment in the Silicon Valley before taking over at Nemo Building Systems. Self said that he had only seen one such prefabricated housing operation in his 30-year career. Such opera-

tions leave little room for error in the building of the units but can reduce production costs. “Everybody is looking for an edge to help reduce costs,” he said. “Some people see prefabs as a way to do it.” When at full production, the modules will be produced assembly line fashion. Raw materials will enter at the east end of the 118,000-square-foot facility. Walls, insulation, electrical wiring and appliances are all added at various points on the assembly line. Please see NEMO Page 29

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MEETING SPACES Continued from Page 20

ily has owned and operated it for 16 years, with a 50-year history of customer service in the area through its previous operation of gas stations. “Brides want to know, ‘What’s the least expensive thing you have?’ That’s the market we decided to go after,” said owner John Guinta. “If they need it, we do it. You treat people fairly and your business will grow.” “We called Chez Shari when we were

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in a jam and needed a place ASAP for a baby shower. It was just a few days before the event,” said client Tammi Adame. “They gave us an excellent deal. The venue was beautiful, clean, and ready to go when we walked in the door. The food was excellent, The staff was friendly and eager to help.” Antigua Event Center Antigua Event Center in Riverbank seeks to take the minutiae of event planning off your hands. It hosts groups from 75 to 275. “We give you a hands-free event at a very elegant venue with affordable

pricing,” said owner German Chavez. “We take care of everything for your peace of mind.” “It was such an easy, pleasant experience when we got married there in 2009 because everything was there. We didn’t have to do anything but show up and bring the cake and music,” said Connie Escobedo. “They were very reasonable and accommodating. I plan on holding all my future events there. We’ve referred our friends to them, too. I like where it’s located. We didn’t feel like we had to worry about uninvited guests.”

Green Options Those mindful of reducing their carbon footprint while holding an event have a couple of options: The Vereschagin Alumni House is among three buildings on the campus of the University of the Pacific with an LEED certification as a green building from the U.S. Green Building Council. The Hilton Stockton is the largest hotel in Stockton and the first to receive the Green Sustainable Business Certification from Green Team San Joaquin and REACON (Recycling Energy Air Conservation.)

NEMO

The product is completed at the west end of the plant, hoisted onto a flatbed truck by an enormous crane and shipped to Berkeley. Once in Berkeley, another crane lifts the module and places it in position on top of the preceding module. Water and electrical connections are then made to each module, and the new complex is largely ready for its new residents. While the current crop of modules is destined for student housing purposes in the Bay Area, Spies said there could be other uses for future modular buildings. “There could be more demand in the future,” said Spies. “We are the only ones that use a ceramic outer shell. That helps keep the building cool in the summer and keeps heat in in the winter.” Self said that while prefabricated units like those produced in Lathrop likely won’t be the norm in construction, they can fill a vital niche in the market. “If it was really was going to go mainstream, it would have by now,” said Self. “It’s always nice to see someone to use their imagination to fill a hole. They seem to have a project that lends itself to this kind of construction.”

HERO energy saving program available Modesto, Tracy, Oakdale, and Waterford are among the latest communities in California to launch the HERO program to combat drought and reduce energy costs. The HERO program allows homeowners and commercial property owners to pay off energy- and waterefficiency improvements through their property tax bill. The program is part of the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing program in California, which has funded more than $250 million worth of projects. Under the program, property owners can finance a wide variety of energyand water-saving products, including heating and cooling systems, solar power installations, energy-saving windows, doors and roofing, and insulation. Property owners repay the assessment through their property tax bill. Interest is tax deductible and homeowners see immediate savings on utility bills, program representatives said. Learn more at www.heroprogram.com.

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Free cruises draw crowds to Port of Stockton By SONYA HERRERA Business Journal writer STOCKTON -- Did you know that Stockton’s Deepwater Channel has an average high-tide depth of 37 feet? And did you know that it takes about eight hours to travel from the Port of Stockton to San Francisco Bay by vessel? These are among many facts one may hear on the Port of Stockton’s free Delta cruises, which are scheduled through Sept. 11. The cruises offer locals and visitors information about the history of the Port, its current operations, and its role in the Marine Highway Project, a collaboration with the Port of Oakland and the U.S. Maritime Administration with the goal of moving cargo off the roads and onto the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The boat tours are offered through Opportunity Cruises, a local company that leases its vessel, the California Sunset, for private and public events. The Port of Stockton first offered the boat tours along the Deepwater Channel last year. According to Opportunity Cruises owner John Jordan, those reservations were snapped up fast. “The Port spent some real money on it, about $25,000 or so on marketing,” explained Jordan. “The cruises sold out really fast in the first two months, and the Port was generous enough to add another month.”

ELIZABETH STEVENS/CVBJ

Passengers learn about the Port’s Marine Highway project while cruising the Deep Water Channel during the two-hour trip.

Last year’s marketing resulted in rapid ticket sales to people from all over the United States. “We told people that it’s going to go on sale on Monday morning at 8 a.m.,” he continued. “We added about 900 more passengers; sold out in 13 minutes, 13 different states. Very popular.” Jordan says that this year’s reserva-

tions also vanished fairly quickly. “This year, [the Port of Stockton] didn’t do any marketing,” said Jordan. “Little bit of Facebook. I put it on my Facebook, and all 1,400 cruise (passes) that we offered were gone in six hours.” The cruise company owner purchased the California Sunset about four years ago and spent a lot of time and money

refurbishing it for business purposes. “The first two years was putting a couple of hundred thousand dollars into this boat... hundreds of hours of work,” said Jordan. Jordan was motivated to partner with the Port of Stockton by his desire to give back to the community. “Part of Opportunity Cruise’s goal originally was to give grants, have fourth grade classrooms come out and get educational cruises on the Delta,” Jordan said. “However, as this presented itself, this was a way for me to give back. In essence, I probably donated about 800 of those rides last year, and the same this year.” The Port of Stockton gives Jordan money to operate the tours, but Jordan also contributes his own sum to the cause. “They’re actually chartering the boat,” said Jordan. “However, I throw in a certain number myself, and I gave them a discounted rate.” Jordan noted that other ports, such as the Port of Long Beach, have been offering similar tours for a while. “Because of Homeland Security, they don’t give land tours like they used to,” he said. “So, we have a perfect opportunity to give a great cruise from the water. We’ve got a great, beautiful view.” Please see PORT TOUR Page 35

August 2014

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Manufacturing going strong in Stanislaus County Special to the Business Journal By DAVID WHITE Stanislaus Business Alliance - CEO In January, the Stanislaus Business Alliance launched a new local industry program to visit more than 300 base employers in 2014 to learn how they are recovering from the Great Recession, what kind of challenges they have and what the Business Alliance can do to help them expand. We are happy to report that we David White are closing in on half of our goal and have had the opportunity to meet with dozens of key manufacturers in the county. What we have learned is very promising. Of the 120-plus visits we have made, more than half of the companies we surveyed are planning to add new employees this year. This same trend is true for the many manufacturers we have surveyed who are a part of that group of 120 companies. Not one company stated that they are going to reduce their workforce. For almost all of the companies -- more than 90 percent -- sales revenue is up. We have picked up more than 40 specific expansion projects

through these surveys. In the month of July, we picked up 14 new projects, nine of which are local employers looking to expand. The survey tool we use also helps us to understand issues important to companies, including their attitude toward the workforce, government services, community services, etc. The main, pressing workforce issue? Manufacturers are struggling to find skilled workers, specifically skilled maintenance mechanics, machine operators, and technicians. This is a problem that is not unique to Stanislaus County or the San Joaquin Valley. This is a national issue. But now we are getting the aggregate data we need to confirm this as a challenge. The Stanislaus Business Alliance is poised to respond. One of the great benefits of our organization is the inclusion of the county workforce investment board as part of our alliance. The Alliance Worknet is focused on responding to the needs of manufacturers, and the survey data will help us to focus our efforts. Another issue that comes up over and over again is the need to improve our transportation infrastructure. Whether it be the airport, highways or local roads, our businesses, including manufacturers, would like to see some upgrades. Water is also an important issue that has caused uncertainty among

BUSINESS JOURNAL PHOTO

Manufacturers tell the Stanislaus Business Alliance they struggle to find skilled workers.

our various industry sectors. It appears that most manufacturers in the county are OK this year, but if we don’t get the appropriate moisture this winter, 2015 could pose some challenges. So let’s all pray for rain! The Business Alliance is also developing a cluster economic development strategy. We are currently engaged in forming teams of volunteers from industry to grow, support and communicate these clusters. The first

cluster industry team will be our Food Processing Team. Several food processing executives have stepped forward to serve on this team which will focus on how we can grow opportunity right here in Stanislaus County, support our world class companies and communicate their successes to the outside world. We look forward to sharing more details about our Food Processing team and other industry teams in the near future.

Production is key to growing Central Valley economy California offers tax incentives to expand state’s manufacturing Special to the Business Journal By MICHAEL AMMANN San Joaquin Partnership - CEO California is the No. 1 U.S. manufacturing state and the Central Valley is No. 1 in agriculture production for food and beverage product processing. Why is this important? Manufacturing brings new income from other economies which is then distributed in the local economy through wages purchasing goods and services. Service-based economies only exchange goods and services locally while manufacturing brings new money that Michael Ammann multiplies growth. Knowing that manufacturers are key to growing the economy, the State of California has created new state incentives for expanding and attracting manufacturers. Learn more about how your expansion or new investment can

benefit at www.business.ca.gov or call me for a free consultation. Manufacturing is rapidly evolving through the use of computer control machines and robotics, as well as vision inspection systems with final production integrated into logistics systems linked to world markets. A few recent examples of these changes within San Joaquin USA are: - UC Davis and UC Merced are researching and testing drones for crop inspection and precise pest chemical applications. - City of Tracy’s one million-squarefoot Amazon e-Fulfillment Center offering same-day delivery to San Francisco Bay customers. - Tesla’s new Lathrop’s 400,000-square-foot automated CNC parts production plant. - City of Manteca’s Ecologic uses recycled newspaper and cardboard to manufacture liquid laundry detergent and paper wine bottle containers. These and future changes in manufacturing call for our educational institutions to create a skilled labor force that can continuously change with technology by adapting and

upgrading skills while adopting new methods of production. The three most important location factors for attracting and growing manufacturing in our economy are 1) to be close to the source of raw materials that go into the production of the product while 2) having access to large consumer markets and 3) having a skilled workforce. The eight-county San Joaquin Valley is the diversified source for more than $30 billion in raw agricultural production supporting world class food processing and beverage products production. In addition to being close to the source of agricultural inputs, San Joaquin County is central to moving these products to a worldwide market. Few California locations provide manufacturers access for shipping through two intermodal truck to rail operations; a full service inland ocean going port that exports to 60 other nations; an airport with a 10,000-foot runway where the largest air freight aircraft can land; and more than $1 billion going into interstate and state road and bridge improvements.

Population is growing and will double the Northern California consumer market in the next 30 years. San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties combined have the state’s 13th largest city (Stockton) and currently 1.2 million consumers. Our area is part of a rapidly growing Central Valley region which has four million Californians increasing to eight million in the next 30 years. That’s the size of the nine-county Bay Area today. Combine that with the six-county Sacramento region (another two million) and you now have easy access to 14 million consumers in Northern California, half the size of Texas, for a market to serve. When you add it all up, San Joaquin USA is the ideal location for growing manufacturers at the source of the richest and most diversified agricultural production region in the world with multi-modal transportation hub services reaching world markets while serving Western U.S., Northern and Central California markets that will double in high-wage consumers in the next 30 years.

HAVE NEWS? OPENINGS? HIRINGS? We here at the Central Valley Business Journal like to keep up-to-date with everyone in the business community. With your help we can! Email press releases and other news to: editor@cvbizjournal.com

Central Valley Business Journal

August 2014

LARGEST MANUFACTURERS In San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties. Ranked by Number of Employees. Ties are Listed in Alphabetical Order. Rank

Company Name Address

Local Manager Local Phone Web Address

Number Square Footage or Acreage of Manufacturing of Facility Local Products Produced Employees

Top Products or End Product

Parent Co. (if applicable) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Headquarters

Year Est.

NA Stockton, CA

1956

Applied Aerospace Structures Corp. 3437 S. Airport Way Stockton, CA 95206

John Rule President (209) 982-0169 aascworld.com

350

272,600 square feet Lightweight composite metal bonded assemblies for Aerospace markets

1. Satellite bus structures 2. Military airframe wing component structures 3. Auxilairy fuel tank panel

Simpson Strong-Tie Company 5151 S. Airport Way Stockton, CA 95206

Bruce Lewis (209) 944-1030 strongtie.com

302

800,000 square feet Structural connectors; wood-to-wood, wood-toconcrete and wood-to-masonry

1. Holdowns 2. Strapping 3. Joist hangers

Flory Industries, Inc 4737 Toomes Road Salida, CA 95368

Marlin Flory, President (209) 545-1167 goflory.com

207

47,700 square feet Agricultural machinery

1. Nut Sweeps 2. Nut Harvesters 3. Nut Transport Equipment

J. R. Simplot Company 16777 Howland Road Lathrop, CA 95330

John Yanak (209) 858-2511 simplot.com

190

22,000 acres Fertilizer for agriculture, feed, turf and horticulture

1. Agricultural fertilizer 2. Feed fertilizer 3. Turf & horticulture fertilizer

CBC Steel Buildings 1700 E. Louise Avenue Lathrop, CA 95330

Steven G. Campbell, President and GM (209) 983-0910 cbcsteelbuildings.com

154

94,500 square feet Custom engineered steel buildingsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; systems and components

1. Valley Harley Davidson 2. Manteca RV Ctr. & Storage 3. Aqua Pools

Schuff Steel Company 2324 Navy Drive Stockton, CA 95206

Kevin McKenna, V.P. Pacific Division (209) 938-0869 schuff.com

150

150,000 square feet, 33 Acres Structural steel fabrication and erection

1. Apple Campus (Cupertino) 2. Earthquakes Stadium (San Jose) 3. Whilshire Grand, LA

Ron Sconza, CEO (209) 845-3700 sconzacandy.com

130

500,000 square feet Candy manufacturing

1. Jordan Almonds 2. Yogurt Raisins 3. Chocolate Almonds

NA Oakdale, CA

2008

Simpson Mfg. 1972 Pleasanton, CA

NA Salida, CA

1936

NA 1952 Boise, ID Nucor Steel 1984 Charlotte, NC Schuff Steel International, Inc.

2009

Phoenix, AZ

Sconza Candy 1 Sconza Candy Lane Oakdale, CA 95361

Duraflame, Inc. P.O. Box 1230 Stockton, CA 95201

Chris Caron, VP (209) 461 - 6600 duraflame.com

100

300,000 square feet All natural firelogs, firestarters, fireplace accessories, barbecue and outdoor products

1. Firelogs 2. Firestart 3. Charcoal 4. Bio Ethanol

NA Stockton, CA

1972

Stockton Steel Inc. 3003 E. Hammer Lane Stockton, CA 95208

Doug Griffin (209) 956-4751 herricksteel.com

165,000 square feet Structural steel fabrication and erection

1. Two million tons of structural steel 2. More than 500 structures 3. Sixty hospitals

NA Stockton, CA

1921

Pete Brodie, CFO (209) 234-3300 calsheets.com

203,000 square feet Corrugated sheets

1. Corrugated sheets 2. Waterproofing sheets

NA Stockton, CA

2000

Cal Sheets LLC 1212 Performance Drive Stockton, CA 95206

Lamar Tool and Die Casting 4230 Technology Drive Modesto, CA 95356

Larry Snoreen President (209) 545-5525 lamartoolanddie.com

Precision tool and die manufacturing

1. Powder coating 2. Dry tumble blasting 3. Ball burnishing

NA Modesto, CA

1982

Westland Technologies, Inc. 107 S. Riverside Drive Modesto, CA 95354

Jeff Wells (209) 571 - 6400 westlandtech.com

145,000 square feet Custom fabricated elastomeric products

1. Food processing machine components 2. Pipe seals 3. Agricultural machine components

Mangrove Equity Partners Tampa, FL

1996

Fabricated Extrusion Company, LLC 2331 Hoover Drive Modesto, CA 95367

Jeff Aichele, President (209) 529-9200 fabexco.com

50,000 square feet Custom profile and sheet thermoplastic extrusion

1. Custom Profiles

NA Modesto, CA

1988

Lodi Iron Works, Inc 820 S. Sacramento Street Lodi, CA 95240

Kevin Van Steenberge President (209) 368-5395 lodiiron.com

Metal castings , cast iron, ductile iron, stainless steels, carbon steels and CNC machining

1. Pumps and valves components 2. Auto, truck and bus components 3. OEM castings

NA Lodi, CA

1946

Jackrabbit 471 Industrial Avenue Ripon, CA 95366

Bob DeMont (209) 599-6118 jackrabbit.bz

Various material handling products for harvesting almonds, walnuts and pecans

1. Jackrunner 2. 30/36 Elevator 3. Pruning towers 1. Food processing equipment 2. Structural steel and millwright 3. Screen printing equipment 4. Powder Coating

Billington Welding & Manufacturing 1442 N. Emerald Avenue Modesto, CA 95351

Sierra Chemical Company 1010 Industrial Drive Stockton, CA 95206

Oldcastle Precast, Inc. PO Box 30610 Stockton, CA 95213

Surtec, Inc. 1880 N. Mac Arthur Drive Tracy, CA 95376

Community Fuels 809 C Snedecker Avneue Stockton, CA 95203

NCS Wholesale, Inc 1192 Vanderbilt Circle Manteca, CA 95337

NA 1982 Ripon, CA

Tim Billington President/CEO (209) 526-9312 billington-mfg.com

Food processing, packaging and bottling equipment, conveyor systems, erogonomic work stations, automotive after market parts, tool boxes, water diversion screens and screen printing equipment

Lanny Hammock, Plant Manager (209) 983-8298 sierrachemsales.com

20,000 square feet Sodium hypochlorite (bleach)

1. Bleach 2. Chlorine 3. Caustic

Cy Thomson, Manager (209) 466-4212 oldcastleprecast.com

Reinforced concrete pipe, manholes, prestress piling and precase concrete underground structures

1. Precast concrete underground structures 2. Manholes 3. Prestress piling

CRH Plc.

WilliamFields President (209) 820-3700 surtecsystem.com

87,000 square feet Cleaning and coating chemicals, janitorial and maintenance equipment

1. Ultra II Floor Finish 2. HC-150 3.Thorostip

Lisa Mortenson, CEO (209) 466-4823 communityfuels.com

6.5 Acres Biodeisel and Glycerin

1. Biodiesel 2. Glycerin

American Biodiesel, Inc Encinitas, CA

Manufactures baby food products Online and phone ordering

1. Formula 2. Baby Food 3. Juices

Ayman Sulaman, CEO (209) 239-8000 earlyon.com

WND

NA Modesto, CA

Carus Corp Peru, IL

1969

1995

1986 Dublin, Ireland

Tracy, CA

Same Manteca, CA

2003

2006

2008

August 2014

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Opportunity and Innovation Here for You Right Now. Successful, industry leader with a small company feel. Supportive, resource-rich environment. Competitive compensation & benefits.

Currently Hiring: Certified Electricians Manufacturing Operators Plant Safety Professionals Structural/Civil Engineers Retail Sales Representatives Outside Sales Fastener Specialists Truss Specialists

To learn about current job opportunities at Simpson Strong-Tie call 800-999-5099 or visit www.strongtie.com/careers.

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Central Valley Business Journal

August 2014

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Moviegoers at the Galaxy Theatre in Riverbank settle into newly installed recliners to enjoy a film in one of 12 remodeled auditoriums.

Riverbank theater brings luxury to movie experience By ELIZABETH STEVENS Business Journal writer

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RIVERBANK -- Thanks to Netflix and big, flatscreen TVs, when it comes to entertainment, there’s been no place like home in recent years. Now the movie theater industry is trying to lure moviegoers back -with leather recliners. One Central Valley multiplex where movie fans can enjoy a luxury motion picture experience is Galaxy Theatre in Riverbank. This summer the theater underwent major remodeling and replaced its seats with leather recliners and swinging trays so guests can put their feet up and enjoy a snack while they watch, just as if they were at home. “We believe this is the future of the cinematic exhibition industry,” said the theater’s owner Rafe Cohen. “The revolution is the equivalent to when stadium seating came in.” Moviegoers can reserve seats when they buy their tickets. The theater charges an extra dollar per ticket when reservations are made and paid for online. Cohen said that is a luxury customers get used to quickly. “Once you get used to reserved seating, it’s like, why would you ever do it the other way?” Cohen said. The new amenities have proven popular with local movie fans so far. “Best experience ever. This is the first movie for our 4- and 2-year-old grandchildren,” said Riverbank Galaxy Theatre customer Linda Matthews. “My husband and I have been here before and have enjoyed the experience.” John Krediet of Modesto is also a repeat customer. “Second time since they have re-

modeled,” he said.. “It’s great. The new seats are comfortable, like your recliner at home.” In addition to homestyle seating, Galaxy’s sound and projection have been upgraded to all-digital quality. Even the snackbar is upscale. In addition to the typical hotdogs, popcorn and sodas, Galaxy has added gourmet sausages, beer and wine to its menu. Movie theater owners realized it was time to improve the customer experience. Theater attendance has fallen from an all-time high of 1.57 billion in 2002 to 1.34 billion in 2013, according to the National Association of Theatre Owners. Cohen has installed the new seating in four of his 11 theaters. His aren’t the only ones getting the luxury treatment, however. AMC Entertainment plans to spend $600 million over the next five years to install recliners for 1,800 of its 5,000 screens throughout the country. The Wall Street Journal reported in early July that attendance at some of the upgraded theaters had jumped 80 percent. Some theater chains are saving the recliners for premium auditoriums, but Cohen has installed them for all 12 screens at Galaxy. Because the chairs are bigger than standard cinema seats, there’s only room for about half as many recliners. Still, Cohen said he does not plan to raise ticket prices above the $10.50 for adult evening showings and $7.50 matinees. Instead, he’ll rely on increased attendance to make up the difference. “It’s great that we have all these bells and whistles, but we haven’t raised our prices,” he said. “It’s a much better experience at no extra cost.”

August 2014

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Port wins award for brand-building ad campaign STOCKTON -- The Port of Stockton placed first in the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) Communications Competition for its “Port Proud, Stockton Proud” campaign. A survey conducted by the Palmer Ad Agency revealed that while most local residents and businesses were aware of the Port but didn’t know much about what the Port does. The agency then designed a mixed

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media campaign that featured stories about Stockton residents who work at the Port and gave information about the facility in an effort to create brand awareness. “The campaign helped demonstrate a personality of the Port through its employees,” said Agency Principal Drew Palmer. The campaign included banner advertisements, print advertisements

and social media marketing efforts. “When port authorities communicate strategically with their many audiences, including their communities, business leaders and policymakers, they’re better able to show their tremendous value as drivers of economic development, environmental enhancement and job creation,” said AAPA’s President and CEO Kurt Nagle. “This competition helps our

member ports by rewarding effective communications and highlighting best practices and lessons learned.” The “Port Proud, Stockton Proud” campaign received an average score of 94.6 and was given the Award of Excellence. In addition, the Port of Stockton’s social media accounts, also managed by the Palmer Ad Agency, received an average score of 80.6 and earned an Award of Merit (similar to third place).

PORT TOUR Continued from Page 30

ELIZABETH STEVENS/CVBJ

Opportunity Cruises owner John Jordan on board the California Sunset which has been chartered for the Port tours.

According to the prerecorded tour guide heard on the cruise, the Port of Stockton is the second-busiest inland port on the West Coast. It exported nearly 104 million tons of American products last year and has generated $41 million in tax and permit revenues since 2006. The tour guide also reports that “with approximately 1,600 jobs in the Port, 900 other direct jobs, like trucking and transport companies, and 2,000 indirect jobs... the Port conservatively estimates they [make possible] a total of more than 4,500 jobs, stretching from San Joaquin and Stanislaus, to Sacramento counties.” Unknown to many is the fact that the Port of Stockton and the city of Stockton are separate entities. “The Port is run much like a traditional business,” sounded the tour guide recording. “It lives or dies on the money generated by leases and wharfage.” Cruise passenger and retired teacher Helen Mar enjoyed the tour. “It’s a wonderful resource for the community, and I especially enjoyed seeing the Maritime Museum being put together,” said Mar. Another passenger named Sheila thinks the cruises may open residents’ eyes to the importance of Stockton’s port. “I think a lot of people in Stockton don’t even know we have a port, as far as an ocean-going port, and how significant it is to the area, let alone California and the West Coast,” she said. Contact Opportunity Cruises at (209) 466-5987 or visit opportunitycruises.com for more information.

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Central Valley Business Journal

August 2014

Millennials making a difference in Turlock Active 20-30 Club works to make life better for children By COURTNEY JESPERSEN Business Journal writer TURLOCK -- Whoever said the millennial generation is selfish and narcissistic? In Stanislaus County, a group of two dozen millennials is making a difference for less fortunate youth. “We’re all working together for the children of Turlock, so that they can have more successful lives,” said Megan Bernard, president of the Active 20-30 Club of Turlock. “Our main focus is raising money throughout Turlock and trying to promote underprivileged children.” The Active 20-30 Club of Turlock is a local chapter of an international nonprofit organization composed of millennials. According to the organization’s official website, “Active 20-30 US & Canada is a national service organization, made up of men and women in their 20s and 30s who have a passion for improving the lives of children in their communities. These emerging leaders serve local kids through hands-on work and fundraising.”

Turlock boasts 22 young professionals who donate their time and energy to the community’s youth. Its members make up a diverse group that includes business people, painters and teachers. Jessica Irish is the vice president of the club. “It feels extremely rewarding to be able to know that we’re touching children’s lives in this way,” Irish said. “There’s no experience like taking a child on a shopping spree at Target during Christmastime. That, I think, is one of the highlights of the year.” The club’s trademark event is its Christmas shopping outing. Each December, the group identifies between 30 and 50 underprivileged kindergartners through sixth graders in the Turlock Unified School District. The children, along with their parents, fill out what turns out to be more of a necessity list than a wish list before visiting Target for a special holiday shopping trip. Each child’s $120 worth of gifts are always essentials such as clothes, socks, and underwear instead of toys.

PHOTO COURTESY ACTIVE 20-30 CLUB

Turlock’s Active 20-30 Club is made up of about two dozen young professionals who focus on volunteer work that benefits children.

“It makes you really appreciate what you have and makes you think of what more you can do to provide for those who aren’t as lucky,” Irish said. Bernard goes on the shopping trip every year. “It’s absolutely amazing,” Bernard said. “It’s an experience that takes your breath away. We all want to start taking our own children to make sure that they know how things could be.” Each year, the Active 20-30 Club of

Turlock donates an estimated $10,000$20,000 to beneficiary organizations such as the Boy Scouts of America, the Children’s Crisis Center of Stanislaus County – Verda’s House, the Pitman High School Marching Band, Salvation Army of Turlock, Sierra Vista Child and Family Services, Turlock Sober Grad Night, the Turlock Unified School District and Westside Ministries. Please see MILLENNIALS Page 37

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MILLENNIALS Continued from Page 36

Westside Ministries is a Turlockbased Christian ministry which targets the poverty-stricken western side of the city. The Active 20-30 Club of Turlock recently donated 1,000 eggs to the ministry which helped make an Easter egg hunt possible. “We are so thankful that we connected with the 20-30 Club,” said Lydio Banana, youth director of Westside Ministries. “It’s a way to expose our ministry to young people their age and to the generation that they represent.” Turlock’s Salvation Army location is purchasing a water slide for its summer day camp and Vacation Bible School with the help of the Active 20-30 Club. “They help us survive,” said Major Debi Shrum of the Salvation Army. “I would say they definitely help us. Right now in particular they are kind of helping us bridge some of the financial gaps we have to get the water slide as a little extra special thing for the kids.” To raise its funds, the Active 20-30 Club of Turlock hosts annual events, the two most lucrative of which are its well known margarita booth at the Stanislaus County Fair as well as the Wine and Screams wine tasting social each October. In addition to fundraisers and charity events, the group also regularly participates in monthly dinner meetings, tours at local nonprofit organizations, day trips, and social/networking events throughout the year. Turlock Councilman Steven Nascimento is familiar with the club’s service in the community. “My wife and I have had the oppor-

Charter school just for adults TRACY – Adults in San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties who left school early now have an opportunity to earn their high school diplomas at a new charter school, Jeff Tilton, superintendent of Charter Schools with New Jerusalem Elementary School District announced. The program will use an online digital curriculum with support from a full-time certificated instructor. “We know there are countless adults who can use this opportunity to finish high school and position themselves for greater employment opportunities,” said Tilton. Partnerships have been forged with San Joaquin WorkNet and TEAM Charter School in San Joaquin County and Community Business College in Stanislaus County. In order for Delta Charter Online to serve adults, the charter school had to have an established partnership with a Workforce Investment Act provider. Delta Charter Online staff will host information sessions where interested adults can learn more. They are at 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 14 at TEAM Charter School at 621 E. Market in Stockton.

tunity to participate in their annual kids shopping trip, and it is always amazing to see the smiles on the kids’ faces when they get to pick out a new winter coat and pair of shoes,” Nascimento said. “We are very fortunate to have a number of active service clubs in Turlock, and the Active 20-30 Club provides a great introduction to community service for younger individuals who may not feel comfortable join-

ing Kiwanis or Rotary and are looking for an opportunity to network with other young professionals.” The club’s upcoming annual Wine and Screams fundraiser will be held from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24 at the War Memorial in Turlock. The event will include wine and beer tasting, food, live music, a photobooth, and raffles. For ticket information, or to sponsor a table, contact Krista Knight at nightKrista814@gmail.com. For more information about the Active 20-30 Club of Turlock, visit its Facebook page Turlock2030.

MARK RICHEY/CVBJ

Mike and Alison Allen serve drinks at the Active 20-30 Club’s signature margarita booth at the Stanislaus County Fair.

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August 2014

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Stockton hires new deputy city manager

CSU scholarship fundraiser gets endowment TURLOCK — CSU Stanislaus has received a $250,000 seed gift from Turlockarea entrepreneurs Matt and Maria Swanson to establish the One Purpose endowment, the university said. “The goal of One Purpose is to keep our region’s best and brightest students right here in the Central Valley so that they can become our next generation of community and business leaders,” said CSU Stanislaus President Joseph F. Sheley. “Matt and Maria Swanson have been friends of the University for many years, and this generous gift represents their very significant investment in the future of our students and our region.” The university said the endowment will support the One Purpose fund drive, a new effort this fall to raise $1 million to provide scholarships for high-achieving students. While the Swansons’ gift is independent of the fund drive, it is intended to be the seed to help launch the new campaign and motivates the community to participate. Earnings from the endowment in the future will supplement the funds raised by volunteers. “The direct impact of this investment is undeniable, but the wind it puts in the sails of everyone involved with One Purpose is just as critical to our mission of supporting student success,” said CSU Stanislaus’ Vice President for University Advancement Shirley Pok. This is the latest university donation from the Swansons. They have made numerous gifts to support CSU Stanislaus athletics. They also sponsor events that help create connections between the campus and the community. Matt Swanson was president of the CSU Stanislaus Foundation from 2008 to 2012. The Swansons, who own a number of local companies including Pet Extreme and Associated Feed and Supply Co., say they have seen firsthand the impact CSU Stanislaus graduates can have on the region. “Running a business in today’s climate requires talent and training and an ability to adapt to technology,” Matt Swanson said. “Our family of companies have several CSU Stanislaus graduates in senior leadership roles. The university is the clear leader in the development and preparation of the Central Valley’s future workforce.”

joining the team,” said Wilson. “The depth and breadth of education and experience he brings will be a welcome addition to an already strong team. Our fiscal health will benefit from his strong financial background and his compassion will help our team as the organization continues to heal and grow. His experience with the largest State agencies spanned from the height of their crises to their recovery and stabilization,

which makes Stockton the right fit at a time when the city is rebounding from many challenges.” At CDRC, Carned has managed fiscal services, human resources and business services with an annual budget of $10.7 billion and 60,660 positions, along with a contract and procurement portfolio of $1.5 billion. His specific management responsibilities included annual operating budgets of $178 million and 2,060 positions for administrative services.

STOCKTON -- A manager with experience in state and county government has been hired as Stockton’s new deputy city manager, City Manager Kurt Wilson announced July 18. Scott Carney most recently worked as director of the Administrative Services Division of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He joins the city of Stockton on Sept. 2 and his annual salary will be $192,000. “We are very excited about Scott

Carney holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology – Organizational Studies from University of California, Davis, and a Master of Social Welfare Degree from University of California, Berkeley. According to a press release from the city, Carney has a positive impression of Stockton. “Stockton is poised for recovery,” he said. “There are good things ahead. The last several years have been tough, and I know that their commitment to the community will bring positive changes. I’m very much looking forward to being a part of Stockton.

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Central Valley Business Journal

August 2014

Business Journal Community Voices Silicon Valley mogul’s ‘super’ awful idea CENTRAL VALLEY

Six Californias would create both nation’s richest and poorest states Special to the Business Journal By JOHN ANDERSON Falabella Holdings - International CEO Wealthy venture capitalist Tim Draper, who funded startups such as Hotmail and Skype, has decided that the Golden State of California should be split into six odd-shaped pieces representing a utopia for a few proposed states, but very questionable success for the other less populated states. The disparity between the income per capita of John Anderson the proposed Silicon Valley state and the Central California state, which would be comprised of the San Joaquin Valley, is dramatic. The arrogant tech society of Silicon Valley leaves few in doubt of what drives this push to split up California. The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office found that Silicon Valley would become the nation’s richest state while Central California would become its poorest. Draper’s argument is that California has become too big and has too many different interests to be governable. He says the school systems have suffered, unemployment is too high, 20 percent of our people live below the poverty line and the prison population has exploded. The problem is that the idea that California should be split up to be more efficient and governable may work for the one proposed state that would be the wealthiest in the country, but its sister states would suffer with reduced revenues to support the many diverse and real issues we would continue to have: public education, water, pollution, traffic, infrastructure and judicial systems. This rich man’s idea for California has left most of us scratching our heads with much skepticism over how dividing the state would improve it. In the 1978 movie, Superman, Lex Luther had his own scheme to dramatically reshape California by triggering an earthquake along the San Andreas Fault. “Everything west of this line is the richest, most expensive real estate in the world: San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco,” Luther explained. “Everything on this side of the line is just hundreds and hundreds of miles of worth-

less desert land, which just so happens to be owned by Lex Luther Incorporate.” Luther’s crazy concept was to dump the coastal areas into the ocean and increase the value of the desert regions, which would then be oceanfront property. Unlike the Lex Luther character, Draper has not figured out how to transform the desert portions of the state into coastal paradises that could survive without jobs, tax revenue and water resources. To date, Draper’s petition has generated more than 1.3 million signatures, which exceeds the required number to make it onto the November 2016 ballot. In Tim Draper the unlikely event Californians fall into this scheme and approve this plan, it would also have to be approved by the California Assembly and then the U.S. Congress to become reality. There have been at least 26 different proposals to split California over the years. The first suggestions to divide California surfaced when folks in the southern part of the state wanted the capital located south, and the folks in north likewise

wanted it in Northern California. Most at the time believed that the location of the capital would dictate the area that would receive the most political consideration. In 1864, a state-splitting measure was placed on the ballot, approved by voters, signed by the governor, and sent to Congress. Congress did not approve

it. In fact, no state in the U.S. has been split into two or more regions since 1862, when the western part of Virginia opposed that state’s secession from the Union in 1861, and Congress recognized it as the state of West Virginia. Bye-bye, California. Hello, new west coast. My west coast. – Lex Luther

Jefferson

North California

Central California

Silicon Valley West California

South California BUSINESS JOURNAL CHART

Draper’s vision for the six states and their names.

Proposed "Six Golden States" 16,000,000

$70,000

14,000,000

$60,000

12,000,000

$50,000

10,000,000

$40,000

8,000,000 $30,000

6,000,000

$20,000

4,000,000

$10,000

2,000,000 Jefferson

North California

Silicon Valley

Central California

West California

South California

Population

949,409

3,820,438

6,828,617

4,232,419

11,563,717

10,809,997

Per capita Income

$36,147

$48,048

$63,288

$33,510

$44,900

$42,980

CHART COURTESY JOHN ANDERSON

August 2014

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IRS to get tough on trust fund taxes Recently, Internal Revenue Service Revenue officers (i.e., collection representatives) were directed to assess the Trust Fund Recovery Penalty faster and get more aggressive in the collection of those taxes from delinquent taxpayers. Internal Revenue Code Section 7501 requires employers to withhold and pay income and FICA taxes from an employee’s wages and hold them in trust for the government. These are commonly known as “trust fund taxes.” If the employer fails to do so, it is liable for the taxes. With many businesses being conducted through limited liability entities, Congress determined that the IRS needed a tool to easily pierce through the corporate veil and make the assessment of the tax against the responsible persons of the limited liability entity. Thus, Internal Revenue Code Section 6672 was born. Internal Revenue Code Section 6672 essentially provides that the responsible person(s) who willfully fails to collect, account for, and pay over the trust fund taxes of an employee is personally liable for 100 percent of the trust fund taxes that were not paid. To be liable for this penalty there are two requirements: (1) being a responsible person; and (2) willfully failing to collect, account for, and pay over the taxes. A responsible person can be an officer, director, shareholder, partner, manager, bookkeeper, controller, or regular employee charged with the duty. Job title is not the sole factor. What matter is the person’s role in the company when the taxes were not paid over.

Willfulness is defined in the Internal Revenue Manual as “intentional, deliberate, voluntary, and knowing as distinguished from accidental.” The threshold for defining willfulness is very low. Determining responsibility and willfulness requires a facts and circumstances analysis, generally IRS prefers to err on the side of making the assessment against an individual and letting the Jason Harrel Appeals Division Calone & Harrel and the courts Law Group sort it out. To determine responsibility and willfulness, a revenue officer will send out a letter to a potentially responsible individual and request an interview. If the request is ignored, it will usually be followed up with a summons. During the interview, the revenue officer will ask the questions on an IRS form created for such interviews. The officer will fill out the form, ask the interviewee to review the answers and sign it. The answers on the form will make up an important part of the IRS’ file to sustain to assessment if appealed. Some questions the IRS will ask the responsible person include: (1) who determined financial policies for the company; (2) who had check signing

Taxing Matters

authority; (3) who had authority to hire and fire employees; (4) who had the power to open bank accounts; (5) who were the officers, directors, and shareholders of the company; (6) who guaranteed bank loans; (7) who determined what bills were paid and not paid. Essentially, the IRS believes anybody that signs a check is a responsible person even if it’s an employee who may have been directed by his employer to pay certain bills and not pay other bills. This becomes a very delicate issue for an employee working for a company facing financial difficulties. If the employee knows the trust fund taxes are not being paid and signs checks to pay other creditors, including payroll checks, that employee is potentially liable for the trust fund recovery penalty. If that employee refuses to sign the checks at the direction of his employer, he may face the possibility of being terminated. So what is an employee to do when faced with this situation? The obvious, safest course of action for the employee is to resign their position or refuse to sign the checks and force the employer’s hand. Employees who refuse to sign the checks should also go to the bank and remove themselves from the bank account, including check signing authority. If such employees are fired, at least they will be entitled to unemployment benefits.

Employees in that situation who don’t want to run the risk of losing their jobs then need to build their defense in case they are determined to be a responsible person. In such a situation, the employee will want to send an email or a memo to the employer setting forth the bills that need to be paid and name the IRS as the first creditor to be paid. That needs to be done each time the bills are paid. The employee will then want to retain the response from the employer as to which bills are to be paid. Documentation will be the most important asset the employee will have when the assessment comes, so having as much as possible in writing to and from the employer will be key. The trust fund taxes are nondischargeable in bankruptcy and, absent paying them, the only other recourse to address the liability is an offer in compromise with the IRS, which can be a difficult and long process. If you are employed in a company that is having financial difficulties and you have check signing authority, you need to be aware of this potential liability and what to do about it. Although you may think you have done nothing wrong, the IRS may have a different opinion and when they come to interview you, they are not on your side, they are not your friend, and they are looking to make an assessment against you. Be aware of your rights and seek proper representation and advice.

Why you need to think about replacing your small business Server 2003 now By now, most people have heard that Windows XP has been put to rest and is no longer updated or supported by Microsoft. Over the last 18 months, users everywhere have come to work to find shiny new computers that run newer operating systems. In a similar move, Microsoft will terminate support for all versions James Dempsey of Windows Owner/Partner of Server 2003 on ITSolutions|Currie July 14, 2015. For the past 10 years, businesses of all sizes have relied on Server 2003 to host their critical lines of business applications and to share data. After July 14, 2015, major new security vulnerabilities could be discovered and widely publicized, but Microsoft won’t do anything about it. Once

Practical Technology

support has ended, the company will release no new security updates. Indeed, it won’t even be possible to call Microsoft and pay for help. The IT service providers that support your computer network won’t have Microsoft support for Server 2003, either. Nor will the software developers that support your company’s critical programs. July of 2015 may seem like a long way off, but the planning horizon for complex server upgrades can be long, and IT companies are going to find their project calendars getting quite full during the first two quarters of next year. If you haven’t already budgeted and begun the process to replace your Server ‘03 units, you need to start now. There is research to be done, after all. Often, I find that businesses have stuck with Server 2003 year after year because it is the only platform their ancient, yet critical business program supports. In this scenario, upgrading the server would also mean upgrading or replacing the software they use to run the business, a move

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August 2014

Be sure loved ones, not IRS, benefit from life insurance Maximizing the estate planning value of life insurance means getting the most bang for your buck. That is, it involves keeping as much of the proceeds as possible away from the IRS and in the hands of your beneficiaries. When you die, all your worldly goods ( your money, house, car, stocks, bonds, as well as your life insurance proceeds) become a pie. That pie is then cut into slices and served. One slice goes to your heirs and beneficiaries, one slice to the federal government, one slice to your creditors, and so on. The size of the slice that goes to the federal government can be as big as 40 percent (the rate for the estates of people who die in 2013 and later). What goes to the federal government does not go to your heirs and beneficiaries. You need to plan now to make sure that the slice that goes to the federal government is as small as possible, leaving a bigger slice for your loved ones. Understand how life insurance is taxed If you want to reduce estate taxes, a good first step is to understand how the estate tax system works. Although this is a technical area best left to experts, the basics can be grasped fairly easily and will give

you some direction regarding how to make the wisest arrangements. Who owns the policy and for how long can affect how life insurance is taxed for estate tax purposes. If you own a life insurance policy on your own life when you die, the proceeds of the policy can be included Michael Zeiter in your gross MassMutual Financial estate for estate Modesto, CA tax purposes, regardless of who your designated beneficiaries are. If you own a policy and transfer it to another owner within three years before your death, the transfer is not recognized for estate tax purposes and the proceeds are therefore includable in your gross estate. However, if you transfer ownership of the policy to someone else more than three years before your death, the transfer is recognized for estate tax purposes and the proceeds will therefore not be included in your estate. Since insurance that you own on

Smart Planning

your death (or within three years of your death) is included in your estate and therefore may be subject to estate tax, someone other than yourself (or your spouse in a community property state) should own the policy if you wish to avoid subjecting the proceeds to estate tax. The owner of the policy can be another individual or a trust such as an irrevocable life insurance trust (ILIT). Designate the right beneficiary Who your beneficiaries are can also affect how life insurance is taxed for estate tax purposes. For example, if the designated beneficiary of a policy on your life is your estate, the proceeds generally can be included in your gross estate for estate tax purposes even if you do not own the policy on your death (or did not own it within three years of your death). If the designated beneficiary is your executor or your estate, the proceeds may be included in your gross estate. The primary reason for not naming your estate or your executors as beneficiaries of policies on your life is that doing so subjects the proceeds to the expense of probate and claims of creditors. If you own the policy and name a third party as a beneficiary, the proceeds will be included in your

estate for estate tax purposes but they will pass by operation of law outside of the probate process and will not be subject to the claims of creditors of your estate. Proceeds payable to your children are not subject to estate tax unless you own the policy on your death or within three years of your death. If you own the policy, the proceeds are includable in your estate (and therefore subject to the estate tax) regardless of who your beneficiaries are. However, as noted above, if you name your children as beneficiaries they will receive a greater benefit from the policy than if you named your estate as the beneficiary and then directed that the proceeds be distributed from your estate to your children because proceeds paid to your estate will be reduced by probate expenses and claims of creditors while proceeds paid directly to your children will not. -Michael E. Zeiter is a registered representative of and offers securities, investment advisory and financial planning services through MML Investors Services, LLC, Member SIPC. Ca Insurance Lic # 0C87681 / Reach Michael Zeiter at Email mzeiter@financialguide.com / Web www.zeiterfinancial.com / Direct (209) 613-7210

“The most trusted source of positive, local business news in San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties. Providing value to readers by helping them grow their business, grow their careers and increase their bottom line through print, digital and local events.” “The most trusted source of positive, local business news in San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties. Providing value to readers by helping them grow their business, grow their careers and increase their bottom line through print, digital and local events.” “The most trusted source of positive, local business news in San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties. Providing value to readers by helping them grow their business, grow their careers and increase their bottom line through print, digital and local events.” “The most trusted source of positive, local business news in San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties. Providing value to readers by helping them grow their business, grow their careers and increase their bottom line through print, digital and local events.” “The most trusted source of positive, local business news in San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties. Providing value to readers by helping them grow their business, grow their careers and increase their bottom line through print, digital and local events.” “The most trusted source of positive, local business news in San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties. Providing value to readers by helping them grow their business, grow their careers and increase bottom line through print, digital and local Chad their Sublet, Vice President, events.” “The most trusted source ofVerve positive, local Networks business news in San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties. Providing value to readers by helping them grow their business, grow their careers and increase their bottom line through print, digital and local Verve Networks hassource partnered with thebusiness Central Valley Business events. ” “The most trusted of positive, local news in San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties. Providing valuethe to readers by helping them their business, Journal for years. Since very first edition, wegrow have seen grow their careers and increase their bottom line through print, digital and local an” “The increase in client inquires andlocal newbusiness client news growth. We look and events. most trusted source of positive, in San Joaquin Stanislaus counties. Providing value as to readers by helping their business, at the Business Journal an extension ofthem our grow marketing grow their careers and increase their bottom line through print, digital and local department and have often wondered how we ever got along events.” “The most trusted source of positive, local business news in San Joaquin and Wevalue looktoforward yearsthem of continued Stanislauswithout counties.them! Providing readers bytohelping grow their business, grow their careers and increase their line through print, digital and local growth with thebottom Business Journal! events.” “The most trusted source of positive, local business news in San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties. Providing value to readers by helping them grow their business, grow their careersCentral and increase Valley their bottom line through print, digital and local events.” “The most trusted source of positive, local business news in San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties. Providing value to readers by helping them grow their business, StOCKtOn • traCy • ManteCa • latHrOP • lInDen • rIPOn MODeStO CereS • tUrlOCK •print, OaKDale • rIVerBanK grow their careers and• lODIincrease their bottom line • through digital and local events.” “The most trusted source of positive, local business news in San Joaquin and

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August 2014

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How to assess the housing market yourself Never a day goes by without someone asking how the housing market is performing. You may be wondering yourself. We hope the below information will help to answer this age old query. To begin, let’s first differentiate between what’s happening in today’s market and predicting what might happen in the market in the next few months or years. We will cover today’s market and in future articles report on supplying Eileen Schamber information to President, Lodi help predict the Realtors Association future market. Here’s a quick snapshot of today’s market covering San Joaquin (SJC) and Stanislaus (StC) counties. The information is taken from Trend Graphics for single family home sales. The average number of days a home sits on the market before it receives an offer is 35 days for SJC and 32 days for StC. If you are considering selling your home and looking at the time frame to move, this is important information to have. If your home has been on the market for longer than the average you may want to discuss with your Realtor why that is. Is your home over priced? How easy is it to show? Have you gotten lots of showings with no offers yet? Taking the average days a home is on the market and comparing it to your listing is a great way to see how your home measures up to the market. Next let’s look at how many homes are currently for sale. Our inventory is up for both counties from June of 2013 to June of 2014. SJC is up 57.3 percent and StC is up 74.1 percent. Whether you are looking to buy or sell a home, knowing about the inventory is key to making an informed decision. If you are a buyer this data is good news as you will probably experience fewer multiple offers for the homes you like. If you are a seller this means more competition and a greater need to improve your home’s appearance to stand apart from the crowd to attract the best offer. Another area of important information is the median home price for the area you are located or searching in. The median home price for SJC is $266,000 and for StC it’s $235,000. If you are a buyer looking in any of these areas knowing the median price helps to create a realistic expectation. As an example if you are looking for a home in Stanislaus County and your lender has approved you for a loan amount up to $250,000 then you can expect to find a home that is a little above average. You may find the home in move-in condition, in a nicer location, and with perhaps more square footage or a larger lot size. A realistic

Bringing it home

expectation would be a home that has something more than the “average.” On the reverse side, if you are a seller looking to sell a home below the median home price, you should expect a larger pool of buyers/investors looking to purchase and fewer days on the market. Finally, looking at the statistics of sold price compared to original list price is a great indicator of what to expect when selling a home. Many sellers often make

the mistake of raising the listing price of their home $10,000 to $15,000 over what they are willing to take. Their decision is typically based on the idea that a buyer will negotiate down the price. However, knowing the average list price compared to sold price is a much better way to assess the listing price when considering the settlement negotiations. In SJC, homes are selling for 97 percent of their list price and 96 percent for StC.

Let’s take the example of the median home price for San Joaquin County. The median is $266,000. If we consider that homes are selling for 97 percent of their list price ($7,980 less), then a seller might want to consider listing the home for $274,000. Of course, there are many other areas a Realtor may recommend to net a seller the highest price. This is just one important area to consider.

Central Valley Business Journal

August 2014

Help your commercial real estate broker help you As commercial real estate agents and brokers we come across many different types of properties and owners. Each property and owner has a unique personality. On many occasions we need to be a real estate adviser, a psychologist, a business consultant and a friend. Our goal is to have a clear picture of the expecKris Helton tation of either Associate, the owner of the NAI Benchmark property or the First Commercial client we represent looking for space. As the client, what can you do to help us make your transaction as smooth and successful as possible? Property Owners As a property owner, you should first identify the three critical success factors or expectations that will help

Business Space

guide your real estate professional. For example, are you looking for a particular type of tenant? Are you looking for a low upfront investment in a tenant? Do you want to clean up your portfolio by replacing some of your improvements? If you are leasing a property, what do you envision as a good use? All of these examples help your real estate professional begin to understand the property and build a framework to reach your goal. Each property has a history and a story. Make sure to tell that story to the broker to enrich the sales and marketing for the property. Buyers or Tenants If you are a client looking to purchase or lease property for your own use, there are many things to address. Aside from the standard type and size of commercial property you are evaluating, you need to recognize if your business is expanding or contracting. Take time to get a good handle on your financials. Recognize lease or purchase pricing that compliments your business. It is important to be prepared to produce a business plan, a personal financial statement, tax returns, credit reports, financing

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options and prequalification’s from lenders, and name the guarantors. You will save a lot of valuable time by making some small preparation before evaluating the property options. It is important to know your story and paint a clear picture for your broker. What are three “non-negotiables” for your next property? Location? Appearance? Proximity? Layout? Cost? By having a plan and casting a vision for your broker you can expect them to provide a comprehensive list of property choices. You can expect your broker to provide a list of properties and comparable properties within

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your range. He/she should know the market in relation to pricing and terms. Your broker should advise and help navigate you through the process of lease or purchase terms. In the end it is critical to ask a lot of questions and have consistent, meaningful dialog with your commercial real estate professional. The value provided by your broker is based upon the preparation, insights and feedback you provide to him or her. There is nothing quite like the experience of completing a successful transaction and with your help it can be a smooth and enjoyable process.

PRACTICAL TECHNOLOGY Continued from Page 41

they are loath to entertain because it may be expensive and require retraining their entire staff. There is certainly a reason to entertain it now, though. Once Microsoft ceases releasing updates, it will not be possible to properly secure the servers. This is a big deal for anyone working in a regulated industry. After July 14, 2015, it is simply inappropriate for healthcare or financial institutions to rely on Server 2003 based systems. After all, if you can’t patch security vulnerabilities, you can’t protect sensitive data such as patient health care information or financial data. Following the termination of support, making a Server ’03 box HIPAA compliant will be impractical. Contracted IT service providers will likely begin forcing the upgrades in order to ensure their own success, or ceasing to support the older systems. If they can’t install stability and security patches, or obtain support for either the servers or the programs that run on them, they will find it impossible to meet their contractual support obligations. Really, you have three choices. First, you can stick your head in the

sand, ignore the support window, and hope for the best. Unless your network is completely detached from the public Internet and all email systems, this is a high-risk decision. Second, you can upgrade the server. Again, this takes planning and experience in order to minimize business disruption and to help ensure there are no compatibility and stability issues. Third, you can explore moving core applications and data into the cloud. Many software developers offer an Internet-accessible version of their software. Unless you have a lot of experience with cloud hosted solutions, I recommend engaging an expert and getting a little advice, first. If you made the decision to spend the money on the acquisition and implementation a Windows Server 2003 box in the first place, there had to be clear, driving reasons. Typically, these would be increased security, or the need to host a really business-important program. After July 14, 2015, the security benefits of Server ’03 become highly questionable, and if you are hosting a program that is critical to your business, I suggest ensuring it is on a stable, safe server. Upgrade now.

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August 2014

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More customers take to mobile phones for search Staying on top of online search is a must in my business. Change happens almost daily and it can affect your business if you fall too far behind. In June, I attended the Search Marketing Expo Advanced conference in Seattle. One of the most valuable presentations was a question and answer session with Google’s head of web spam, Matt Cutts. Cutts and his team Jerad Hill are responsible Owner for a variety Hill Media Group of aspects of Google search including the infamous Panda update of 2013 which affected the traffic of many websites. Google wants to make sure it is delivering the best possible search results for the search query entered. That means making sure spam is filtered out. Many sites use spammy tactics to rank well in search in an effort to lure people in. Over the years, Google has become really good at blocking out the noise. With that, Google has also made a lot of changes over the last few years in the mobile space. For example, Google recently added conversational search into regular Google Search.

Social Maverick

Google can see the future and the future includes us talking to our devices. We already see this with Siri, Google Now and the way people interface with Google Glass. At the same conference, Bing gave a lackluster demo of its Siri/Google Now competitor Cortana. Search is changing. I have seen reports stating that mobile search will outrank desktop search by the end of 2015. At Hill Media Group, we manage websites for local small businesses and organizations, and I have already seen some of our clients’ websites receive more traffic from mobile devices than desktop computers. To give you an example, during his Q&A keynote, Matt Cutts performed an on-the-spot demo of conversational search in Google using his mobile device. You can watch the video at http://bit.ly/conversationalsearch (fast forward to 47:45). Ten years ago, it would have been weird to see someone walking down the street staring at their phone. That has changed with the adoption of smart phones. It won’t be long before people will talk to their smart devices instead of thumbing in their search queries or text messages. I have already adopted this as it is much faster than typing in my text messages. What does this mean for local businesses? It means that all of us need to step up our game with our websites. Google wants to produce the best possible results in search, and if the best possible result is your cor-

porate competitor, that is what will be displayed. As local businesses, we have the upper hand because we have physical locations and phone numbers in the cities and towns where we do business. That puts many large corporations who may not have a physical location in your town at a disadvantage. Last year I wrote an article on my blog titled “5 Tips for Thriving in Online Local Search.” I mentioned the importance of keeping data up to date. These days, you will not get as many customers coming into your business to look around or ask questions. Potential customers want answers to their questions online. They will research what they are looking for before making the trip. People are much busier than they used to be and expect answers to be easy to find. That means that you need to have those answers on your website for your potential customers. Failure to provide information will drive them into the arms of your competitors. It is also important to monitor your web traffic. You need to know what people are doing when they come to your website. If they are leaving prematurely, you need to figure out why. We recently redesigned a website for a law firm whose website was experiencing a 92 percent bounce rate. That means that 92 percent of the people visiting their website were leaving without taking a single action on that website page. Knowing this information helps you make changes. Failure to recognize

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these changes can lose you business. In the ever changing world we live in, it is important to stay on top of mobile. We are smart device people now and rely heavily on these devices to research and find what we are looking for. Do your own research. Pay attention to what your competitors and others in your industry are doing. It is important that you produce content that helps answer your potential customers’ questions. In the next year or two, everybody will be talking to their smart devices. Siri, Google Now and Cortana will be our personal assistants who will help us stay organized, keep connected and research just about anything imaginable.

Local schools get state grants for manufacturing, logistics training MODESTO - A regional educational consortium that includes Modesto Junior College, San Joaquin Delta College, the Stanislaus County Office of Education and some county school districts was among the first in California to receive a state grant for nearly $5 million to keep children in school and work toward college or career training. The California Career Pathways Trust is distributing $250 million in grants statewide. The Central Valley consortium consisting of Modesto Junior College (MJC), San Joaquin Delta College, Stanislaus County Office of Education, Newman-Crows Landing School District, Modesto City Schools and the Patterson Unified School District, was notified at the end of June it had received the grant. The consortium also includes Columbia College, Merced College and Merced County Office of Education. The grant will be coordinated by MJC, with Yosemite Community College District serving at the fiscal agent. Ceres Unified School District has also received an additional Career Pathways grant of $600,000 for manufacturing career training. The community colleges will part-

ner with Ceres High School, Patterson High School, Merced and Stanislaus County Offices of Education and local logistics industry to develop and implement high school courses, career technical education (CTE) pathway programs, community college certificates and degrees and industry-based certifications that support careers in material handling, business logistics as well as maintenance and repair. “The overall goal will be to develop the infrastructure and alignment among schools to support the growing needs of distribution centers and warehousing operations in the region,” said, MJC Dean of Public Safety, Technical Education, Workforce Development and Community Education Pedro Mendez. The California Career Pathways Trust award will also allow Modesto Junior College’s veterinary technician program to further develop to include large animal veterinary technician training, a veterinary technician Associate of Science degree, preveterinary medicine preparation for transfer, and veterinary career pathway development with MJC’s partnering high schools and universities.

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Local public school districts and community colleges will share nearly $5 million in a state grant for manufacturing and logistics training.

“The Agriculture & Environmental Sciences Division is excited about the prospect of expanding our already successful veterinary technician program,” said Mark Anglin, Dean of Agriculture and Environmental Science at MJC. “The overall goal of this program is to prepare individuals to enter the ever expanding field of veterinary medicine.”

The California Career Pathways Trust was spearheaded last year by Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg, and established a one-time $250 million competitive grant program in the state’s 2013-14 budget. Grant recipients this year include 12 consortia receiving up to $15 million each, 16 receiving up to $6 million each, and 11 receiving awards of up to $600,000 each.

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qualified substitute teachers. Job seekers should take their resume and unofficial college transcripts that show where they earned a Bachelor’s Degree. The job fair is from 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 23 at the San Joaquin County Office of Education, located at Wentworth Education Center 2707 Transworld Dr. in Stockton.

Ag Hall of Fame nomination deadline is Aug. 15

SJ COUNTY

BRIEFS Women’s Center welcomes new board members STOCKTON – The Women’s CenterYouth & Family Services Board of Directors has two new members. Jesse Pataria and John Williams joined the agency’s board of 15 directors effective June 17. Pataria is the vice president and commercial account officer for F&M Bank in Lodi. He is involved Pataria in the American Cancer Society and is a member of the 2014 Leadership Lodi Class. Pataria lives in Stockton with his wife and two sons. John Williams is a captain with the San Joaquin County Sheriff ’s Department. He joins the board with more than 23 years in law enforcement. He has served on the Children Services Coordinating Commission as vice chair, where he learned about the services and benefits Women’s CenterYFS provides. Women’s CenterYFS is San Joaquin County’s only provider of free, confidential shelter and services specifically designed to meet the Williams needs of victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and homeless and runaway youth. Each year more than 20,000 individuals benefit from the center’s direct services and community outreach, including more than 700 women, children and youth who stay in its shelters annually.

Job fair for substitute teachers set for Aug. 23 STOCKTON -- People interested in serving as substitute teachers in San Joaquin County can learn more at a recruitment fair on Aug. 23 in Stockton. Local K-12 schools are looking for

STOCKTON -- The San Joaquin County Agricultural Hall of Fame is accepting nominations for outstanding local agricultural leaders and mentors. The Agricultural Hall of Fame, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary, honors individuals who have contributed to agriculture and to their community in significant ways. Each year, awards are given to at least three living recipients, as well as posthumous ones. All previously recognized members in the Agricultural Hall of Fame have their photographs and biographies on display at the San Joaquin Historical Society & Museum in Micke Grove Park and in the lobby of the Robert J. Cabral Ag Center. Nomination forms are available from the Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce website, and need to be submitted by Aug. 15 in order to be considered. For more information, call Timm Quinn at (209) 292-8423 or visit the Stockton Chamber of Commerce’s website at www.stocktonchamber.org and click on the Ag Hall of Fame link in the events drop down menu.

Pacific’s pharmacy program receives medicine info award STOCKTON -- The University of the Pacific’s pharmacy program received an award in July for a program that delivers information about medication use to consumers. The Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Medicare Part D program was one of just four student-led community engagement programs to receive the 2013-14 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Student Community Engaged Service Award. Each year during the Medicare Part D open enrollment period (Oct. 15-Dec. 7), Pacific student pharmacists, with oversight by faculty advisor Dr. Rajul Patel, conduct a series of Medicare Health Clinics that provide services such as helping patients effectively navigate the health care system, better understand their part D prescription drug benefit, minimize out of pocket costs, optimize medication use and avoid vaccine-preventable diseases, the university said.

The award was presented July 29 and includes $10,000 to expand the program.

Attorney joins Stockton’s Herum Crabtree Suntag firm STOCKTON -- A recent graduate of the University of the Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law is joining the law firm of Herum Crabtree Suntag in Stockton. Shari Borba practices in the areas of water law, probate and estate planning, public agencies and Borba bankruptcy litigation. Borba earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Sciences, Cross-cultural Studies from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo and graduated cum laude in 2010. She earned her law degree from McGeorge in 2010. While there, Borba received a Witkin Award in International Protest of Human Rights, was inducted into the Traynor Honors Society and worked as a Certified Law Student at the Elder and Health Law Clinic.

Christophersen appointed to Apprenticeship Council Gov. Jerry Brown has appointed Christopher Christophersen Sr., of Tracy, to the California Apprenticeship Council. Christopherson, 54, has been business manager at the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 16 Northern California since 2002. He was president of the Auto, Marine and Specialty Painters Local 1176 from 1998 to 2002 and an apprenticejourneyman at Forman Automotive Painter from 1980 to 1998. The compensation is $100 per diem. The position does not require Senate confirmation. Christophersen is a Democrat.

Tracy Chamber unveils new events app TRACY -- The Tracy Chamber of Commerce has a new app for festivals and events. The first community event to use the app is the upcoming Taste of the Valley Art and Food Festival. The app, available for iPhone, contains the official schedule of events, activities, as well as listings for all vendors and event sponsors for the festival. Users will receive exclusive, live updates, have the opportunity to rate favorite activities, vote in contests and participate

August 2014

in a scavenger hunt for prizes. The app also supports Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for sharing photos and spreading the word about the new festival. Later, the Chamber will use the app for other events including the Winter Gala, State of the City, golf tournament, 4th of July and other highly anticipated community events.

ACE announces 49ers train schedule The Altamont Corridor Express is partnering with the San Francisco 49ers to provide transportation to 49ers ticket holders for this NFL season. ACE will travel to 10 home games and drop fans off near the 49ers new Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. Ticket holders will be able to board ACE at current stops along the corridor, which include: Stockton, Lathrop/ Manteca, Tracy, Vasco Road, Livermore, Pleasanton, and Fremont stations. To see the schedule and learn how to buy tickets, go to the 49ers and ACE website at www.acerail.com/ tickets/49ers.

Chamber taking applications for Rib, Chili Cook Offs TRACY -- The Tracy Chamber of Commerce is accepting applications for cooks who want to participate in the Rib Cook off and Chili Cook Off, which will be part of the Taste of the Valley Art and Food Festival. The Rib Cook Off will take place from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 6 in downtown Tracy. The entry fee is $40. The Rib Cook Off is limited to the first 12 participants. The first prize winner will receive $500. Second and third places will receive trophies and other prizes. The Chili Cook Off will take place from 8:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 7 in downtown Tracy. The entry for that event is $35. The first prize winner will receive $500. There will be trophies and other prizes for second and third place finishers. The public will be able to sample chili from the contestants after 1:30 p.m. The deadline to apply for both the rib and chili cook offs is Friday, Aug. 15.

Pacific researcher gets NIH grant for biochemical study STOCKTON -- Dr. William Chan of the University of the Pacific has received a $367,000 grant to continue his cancer research, the university announced. The three-year grant from the National Institutes of Health will allow Chan to continue researching how the body reacts to environmental pollutants and the role that plays in developing cancer. The grant is the second largest of several NIH grants Chan has received since he arrived at Pacific in 1996.

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August 2014

STANISLAUS COUNTY

BRIEFS Innovation Challenge to test winning business ideas MODESTO — Budding inventors in Stanislaus County are invited to test their ideas in a new competition presented by the Stanislaus Business Alliance. The Stanislaus Innovation Challenge is a series of mini-competitions that will take place in communities throughout Stanislaus County over the next year. They will help determine if an entrepreneur’s idea has commercial potential. The first Innovation Challenge is set for Sept. 17 at the Kirk Lindsey Center at 1020 10th St. Suite 102 in Modesto. More competitions are slated for Oakdale, Patterson and Turlock in coming months. The winners of each of the four local competitions will then compete in a final round competition for the chance to take home a cash prize and professional services to help them develop their concept and move it to market. The winner of the final competition, held on Dec. 10, will receive $2,500 in cash and $2,500 in professional services to help them make their idea into a reality. That winner will also have an opportunity to present their idea in front of the local Stanislaus/Merced Angels group for even more funding consideration. The final winner will also be entered into the Regional San Joaquin Entrepreneur’s Challenge to be held in Stockton in February 2015. To learn more or to enter visit www. alliancesbdc.com or email Lisa Valdez at valdezl@stanalliance.com.

Simile Construction adds to leadership team MODESTO -- Simile Construction Services (SCSI) has added two members to its executive leadership team, the company announced Thursday.

Joe Simile and Robert Becker assumed day-to-day management of the business July 1, according to company founder and president Guy Simile. Joe Simile is vice president of operations, with responsibility to plan, direct and oversee all construction operations. Becker is vice president of business development and will direct all efforts related to marketing, estimates and contract negotiations. “Elevating Joe and Robert into these vital management positions is perfect timing. Gina and I will remain active in the firm; however, we welcome the opportunity to take a step back,” Guy Simile said. “We clearly see the professional growth and success of a great team of people who have developed SCSI in recent years. It is their time and their reward as we set the course for the next 10 to 15 years.”

Galindo elected president of CPA organization MODESTO -- Natalya A. Galindo has been elected president of the San Joaquin Chapter of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants for 2014-15. Galindo is the finance auditor with E. & J. Gallo Winery in Modesto and was previously the chapGalindo ter’s vice president. Galindo has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from National University, Stockton. She is treasurer of the Modesto Sunrise Rotary Club. Joining Galindo on the board of the CalCPA San Joaquin Chapter are Chad Van Houten (vice president) of Grimbleby Coleman, Modesto; and Preston L. Osboum, II, (secretary/treasurer) of Atherton & Associates, Modesto.

Dust Bowl Brewing Company adds Bay Area distributor TURLOCK -- Dust Bowl Brewing Company has added Morris Distributing to its portfolio of distributors servicing California, the company announced in July. Morris Distributing is one of the largest specialty beverage distributors in the San Francisco Bay Area. “We’re really pleased with the relationship we’ve established with Morris Distributing,” said Dust Bowl Brewing Company founder and owner Brett Tate. “As we prepare for increased production, it’s essential to align ourselves with new distribution channels where we can grow our brand and sell more beer. We believe Morris will be a great asset in a very competitive region.”

The brewery said it plans to roll out its brand with Morris Distributing in July starting with its flagship IPA “Hops of Wrath.” Additional styles will be available as inventory allows. The agreement marks the first in an expected wave of new distributors for the growing California craft brewery. The company said its target areas for expanded distribution include the San Francisco East Bay, where Dust Bowl currently has limited self-distribution, San Francisco South Bay and Southern California.

Event Extravagant hires new sales and marketing outreach coordinator Event Extravagant Group has hired a new sales and marketing outreach coordinator for regional offices that include the ModestoTurlock area. Amanda M. Mejia, who has worked in marketing and sales since she graduated from CSU Stanislaus will be the new outMejia reach coordinator. Her expertise lies in delivering focused customer care to all prospective/current clients from start to finish and aiding in the growth of the Event Extravagant Company and volume of events produced yearly, the company said. With 10 companies under one roof, offering 27 services in six primary cities (San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Napa, Modesto and Monterey), Event Extravagant has serviced a variety of events, such as PeopleSoft’s party for thousands on Treasure Island, San Francisco, 49ers’ Christmas party, Pixar movie premier party to intimate weddings and parties.

Save Mart donates 16 tons of peanut butter to food banks MODESTO — Save Mart shoppers donated more than 16.3 tons of peanut butter to 29 food banks in California and Northern Nevada, the Modestobased grocery store announced. The peanut butter was given to 29 local Feeding America food banks, including Second Harvest in Manteca. Sixteen tons of peanut butter can make nearly half a million peanut butter sandwiches and will go a long way toward helping children who often go hungry during the summer, Feeding America said. “Child hunger is an especially critical issue when school is out in the summertime; many children no longer have access to free or reduced priced school meals,” explained Feeding America spokeswoman Cherie Jamason. “We are thrilled to have stocked our shelves this summer with a high protein food like peanut butter. With this we can provide over 2,035 meals to hungry kids through-

out the region.” Save Mart partnered with Jif for the donation campaign. For every jar of Jif sold during May, shoppers could ‘get one’ or ‘donate one’ for free. “We are overwhelmed by the success of this program and the boost it has given to our local food banks. Thank you Save Mart and Lucky shoppers — and thank you to Jif,” stated Steve Junqueiro, COO of Save Mart.

Oak Valley Community Bank pays cash dividend OAKDALE -- The Board of Directors of Oak Valley Bancorp,the bank holding company for Oak Valley Community Bank and Eastern Sierra Community Bank, declared the payment of a cash dividend of $0.065 per share of common stock to its shareholders of record at the close of business on July 14. The payment date will be July 28. In aggregate, the distribution will amount to approximately $524,000. The company currently operates through 14 branches in Oakdale, Sonora, Turlock, Stockton, Patterson, Ripon, Escalon, Manteca, three branches in Modesto, and three branches in their Eastern Sierra Division, which includes Bridgeport, Mammoth Lakes, and Bishop.

An evening with Woz MODESTO -- Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak takes the stage at the Gallo Center for the Arts for an evening of questions and answers Aug. 16. A Silicon Valley icon and philanthropist for more than 30 years, Steve Wozniak helped shape the personal computing industry with his revolutionary designs. Wozniak The event will benefit the Stanislaus County Office of Education’s Destination Graduation initiative, designed to increase graduation rates in the county. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Gallo Center for the Arts. Call 209-3382100 for more information.

Wood Colony to hold fair MODESTO -- Modesto residents can learn more about Wood Colony at a country fair and tour Aug. 16. The fair includes food, petting zoo, hay rides, artisan crafts and live entertainment. There will also be tours of Fiscalini Dairy and the Woodland Fire Station. Fair organizers are also looking for crafters, local farmers produce booths and food fair vendors. The fair is from 10 a.m.-6p.m., Saturday, Aug. 16 at Hart Ransom School at 3930 Shoemake Ave.

Central Valley Business Journal

August 2014