Cvbj june2015 final lowres by Central Valley Business Journal

June 2015

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JUNE

2015 VOL 10 • NUMBER 10

Business Journal CENTRAL VALLEY

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STOCKTON • TRACY • LODI • MANTECA • LATHROP • ESCALON • RIPON MERCED • LIVINGSTON

MODESTO • CERES • TURLOCK • OAKDALE • PATTERSON LOS BANOS • ATWATER

Tourism reaches a new high Green greens? Valley golf courses strategize to conserve water.

Page 7

Valley cities see higher revenue, more tourism jobs By PATRICIA REYNOLDS Business Journal writer preynolds@cvbizjournal.com

Hot career TV chefs make cooking look cool. Find out what it’s really like.

Page 24

Tech Top 5 How to keep data safe when you’re mobile.

Page 34

WHAT’S INSIDE Publisher’s Notes.............Page 2 On the Web.......................Page 4 Briefs......................Pages 42, 43 Legals.....................Pages 44, 46

STOCKTON — California’s tourism industry enjoyed an upswing during 2014 and the Central Valley contributed its part to the growth. Stanislaus, San Joaquin and Merced counties all experienced increased revenues, tax receipts and jobs resulting from travel to the region. “Tourism is increasing in our area. The Modesto market is poised to have its best year since about 2007, so before the recession,” said Jennifer Mullen, executive director of the Modesto Convention and Visitors Bureau. The economic recovery brought with it a resurgence in all travel including business, conventions, sporting events and leisure trips. The influx of visitors drove bookings for hotel rooms up enabling the area’s average daily

The Hilton Stockton said it saw an influx of business and leisure travelers in 2014.

rates for rooms to increase, a trend consistent with markets throughout the United States. “It’s a matter of demand that allows us to lift rates and allows all the hotels in the market to be able to lift their rates,”

said Hilton Stockton General Manager George Kaplanis. Making up for travel foregone during the economic downturn, corporations began booking meeting space and rooms again during 2014.

BUSINESS JOURNAL PHOTO

“As we come out of the recession companies are beginning to travel again and catch up on meeting their customers and also on training,” said Please see TOURISM Page 10

Water Board accepts farmers’ water cut offer SACRAMENTO — California farmers with some of the strongest water rights will voluntarily curtail their use by 25 percent under an agreement with the State Water Board. The farmers offered to make the cuts to avoid deeper, mandatory cuts. “This proposal helps Delta growers manage the risk of potentially deeper curtailment, while ensuring signifi-

cant water conservation efforts in this fourth year of drought,” said State Water Board Chair Felicia Marcus. Growers who participate in the program have two choices, the Water Board said. They can reduce water diversions under their riparian rights by 25 percent, or fallow 25 percent of their land. In both cases, the reductions would be from 2013 levels.

Riparian water rights holders who choose not to participate in the program may face enforcement of riparian curtailments later this year, though the Water Board said risk of curtailment would not be any greater than it would have been if the program were not approved. Farmers who wanted to participate in the program had until June 1 to submit their plans. The Water Board said it would

conduct spot checks throughout the growing season to confirm compliance. Agriculture came under fire earlier this spring when Gov. Jerry Brown called for mandatory water use cuts for Californians but exempted agriculture, even though farming accounts for 80 percent of human water use in the state. The state is in the fourth year of the driest period on record.

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Valley cities shift focus to bright future plans What a busy month May proved to be! From Stockton’s 17th annual State of the City luncheon at the Port of Stockton to United Way’s 13th annual Power of One luncheon, we were busy. Good news came from Stockton’s Mayor Anthony Silva about our local economy. Our Port is booming, real estate is on the rise, and Sharon more police ofAlley Calone ficers are being hired. The city seems to be thriving as we close the chapter on bankruptcy. There is actually a surplus in the general fund, and it’s growing. We’re also seeing the preservation of some city traditions, with the San Joaquin Asparagus Festival, as well as the return of others: the Independence Day fireworks show. Silva’s speech on page 11. It has been encouraging to hear from our mayors throughout the Valley this spring as they talk about

Publisher’s Notes

wins for our cities and plans for the future. There are plans for a new courthouse and transportation center in downtown Modesto. A new overpass will start construction soon in Tracy. And Merced is partnering with UC Merced to open a business incubator downtown. We want to give a shout out to Lodi for putting on such a fantastic Stage 2 finish for the Amgen Tour of California. Thousands of people gathered in the streets and at Hutchins Street Square to cheer on the racers and maybe get inspired to get out on a bike this summer. What a great way to show off Lodi! It seems like Stockton’s State of the City theme could apply to all our cities: Ready, Set, Go! At the Power of One luncheon, which celebrates women who make a difference, I was so impressed listening to Tori Verber Salazar, San Joaquin County’s district attorney and guest speaker. What a champion for women, a superhero in fighting crime. Born and bred in Stockton, Tori is committed to making San Joaquin County a better place to live and raise a family. She spoke specifically about fighting human trafficking in the county and the importance of empowering our young women to keep them from being victimized. Keep a

close watch on your kids’ devices, who they talk to and what they’re watching. They’re dealing with influences we couldn’t even imagine when we were growing up. I had the pleasure of meeting with entrepreneur Dan Costa. You no doubt know him from 5.11 Tactical and his other businesses that have Dan Costa reached worldwide. We featured him in our May issue. Now he’s created Innov8 in Modesto to inspire the next generation and help other entrepreneurs get a start. What a thrill to bounce my nephew’s new invention off Dan and pick his brain on how to bring his product to market. Dan listened, asked a few questions, thought briefly about the product and immediately had the pathway for my nephew to follow. It’s like having our very own “Shark Tank” in Stanislaus County! I couldn’t have been more excited. It’s easy to see how Dan hits home runs with his own ideas. In this month’s issue, we’re taking a look at the restaurant industry in the Central Valley. Thanks to televi-

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San Joaquin County District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar was the keynote speaker at the Power of One luncheon May 20.

sion, especially the Food Network, chefs have become rock stars. We talk to three local chefs, who have taken three different career paths, and find out what it takes to be the head of your own kitchen in a great restaurant. That’s on page 24. Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there! God bless America, Sharon Alley Calone

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News-Sentinel sold to Canadian group LODI — The Lodi News-Sentinel has been sold to a new corporation, Central Valley News-Sentinel Inc., led by veteran newspaper publisher Steven Malkowich, the Weybret family announced May 28. The sale becomes effective June 1. A sales price was not disclosed. “Now is the time for the Weybrets to make way for others with greater resources than ours,” publisher Marty Weybret said May 27 in a press statement. He shared ownership with his father, Fred Weybret, and brother, Jim Weybret. Malkowich owns newspapers throughout the United States and Canada, including several in California. Weybret said he’d been assured that the News-Sentinel’s general manager Theresa Larson and editor Rich

Hanner would stay in place. “Central Valley News Sentinel leaders may put a publisher in place to direct them, but Rich and Theresa will assure continued local accountability for Lodi’s main news source,” Weybret said. Weybret said he had to find new owners for the newspaper because his children have careers outside the media business. “A family newspaper has to find family successors or find a new owner,” Weybret said. “As parents, we are proud to see our children focused and successful. However, the situation leaves the Lodi News-Sentinel without a succession plan.” The News-Sentinel was founded in 1881 and has provided news to Lodi and nearby communities in San Joaquin and Sacramento counties. The newspa-

per now publishes five days a week and has a daily circulation of 10,600. Fred Weybret bought the newspaper in 1959, was publisher for many years, and had been chairman until the paper was sold at the end of May. Marty Weybret became publisher in 1998. “The sale of the Lodi News-Sentinel to Central Valley News-Sentinel, Inc. means retirement for me and my father Fred — not an easy thing,” Marty Weybret wrote in his final column. “Steven Malkowich and his investors have a track record of commitment to local community newspapers,” Weybret said. “He has been professional and considerate of me and my family throughout this negotiation. The News-Sentinel now has the financial support to stay alive and thrive.”

Three generations of Weybrets in 2009: Marty (left), Fred (middle) and grandson, Michael (right) celebrating Fred’s 50th year as a publisher.

SALIDA — After 18 months of work, Heald College student Cathy Oubachak was just nine weeks from graduating and three weeks from being hired at the business where she’d served her internship. And then the email arrived. “I was shocked,” said Oubachak, who was not just a student but a Heald staffmember as well. The email said Heald was closing all

its campuses immediately. The problems plaguing its parent company, Corinthian Colleges, were taking down Heald as well. Oubachak has been talking to other colleges to see if her medical assistant program credits will transfer to another school, but it isn’t looking good. Between grants and loans, Oubachak has spent about $22,000 on her education, and now it looks like she’ll have

to start over. “I’m angry,” she said. “I’m angry. I’m crying. But ...” Oubachak was one of about 50 students, faculty and staff who attended a workshop May 7 in Salida coordinated by Sen. Cathleen Galgiani’s office to help those stranded by the Heald closure. Her office set up a similar one earlier that day in Stockton as well. “We realized the announcement of

the closure was abrupt and caught everyone off guard,” said Galgiani. “It presents so many problems all at once for students to have to tackle.” Administrators were on hand from Modesto Junior College and Humphreys College. There were also representatives from the state’s Employment Development Department, the Student Aid Commission and the Human Services Agency.

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Help offered to stranded Heald College students

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June 16, 7:30 a.m. Stockton Arena ► Merced Chamber Installation June 25, 5:30 p.m. Gateway Gardens ► Civics Summit: “Critical Condition: Can American Healthcare be Saved?” July 31, 9:00 a.m. Modesto Centre Plaza

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Zin and zoom Lodi welcomes bike race, focus on wine region By SIM RISSO Business Journal writer srisso@cvbizjournal.com

LODI — It’s not often that the city of Lodi can put itself on the world stage. But it got that opportunity on May 11 when it hosted the second-stage finish of the Amgen Tour of California, the biggest bike race in the United States. Because of the enormity of the event, it was broadcast worldwide. It was publicity that Bob Colarossi, coorganizer of Lodi’s effort and owner of Estate Crush Winery, said couldn’t be overstated. “When you’re talking about an event that’s broadcasted in over 200 countries, that’s a pretty big price to buy in media if you’re looking to buy it straight out,” said Colarossi. “Lodi doesn’t have a really high awareness when you get outside of the Central Valley. This is an opportunity for us to put Lodi on the world stage and showcase what we are, who we are and how we do it, and I think we can check off all of those boxes and call the day a success.” Organizers were pleased with the support the city and community gave. Local sponsors and city staff worked to make the event run smoothly. “The city was a great partner,” said Colarossi. “They did everything they could to help us out with police, public works and a lot of staff hours. Then on top of that, we were really able to pull the community together and have the community step up and provide the funding that we needed in the form of sponsorships to be able to pay for the event.” The Amgen Tour is an eight-stage race featuring world-class cyclists who ride throughout California. Lodi hosted the finish of the race’s second stage, which started in Nevada City. Mark Cavendish of Great Britain won the stage in a time of four hours, 47

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minutes and two seconds. The finish line was downtown at Hutchins Street Square, where the city had a Lifestyle Festival set up that included vendors, a wine tent featuring local wineries and three large-screen TVs so visitors could follow the race. Jeff Hood of the Lodi Parks and Recreation Department estimated between 5,000 and 6,000 people attended the festival, with a total of 10,000 people throughout Lodi watching the race. “As the race went through residential areas, there were lots of people that had parties in their yard, had friends over, had a picnic and bottle of wine and watched the racers go by,” said Lodi Chamber of Commerce CEO Pat Patrick. “I think Lodi really didn’t know what to expect, but all of the comments I did hear from people who did see the race were very impressed. They had no idea it was that big, no idea there were that many cyclists, no idea they were going that fast.” The crowds brought business to local restaurants and hotels. According to Colarossi, all of the city’s bigger hotels were completely booked and had been for weeks. Patrick spoke with the owners of Pietro’s, an Italian restaurant, who mentioned the uptick they saw on what’s usually one of their slowest days. “It was the day after Mother’s Day, and in the restaurant business they say the day after Mother’s Day is usually the slowest day of the year because everybody takes their mother out for dinner on Sunday,” said Patrick. “They said they had several people from out of town that were here to see the race that stopped off for dinner.” While the event went off without any hitches, local organizers aren’t sure if they’ll host the event again in the future. However, the feedback they got from the tour organizers on the city’s efforts have been positive. “Everyone I spoke to from Medalist, who puts on the race on behalf of AEG, is that they were really happy with the event,” said VisitLodi CEO and President Nancy Beckman, who co-organized the event. “They were pleased

June 2015

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An estimated 10,000 people lined streets throughout Lodi to watch the riders race to the the finish line.

MARK RICHEY/CVBJ

Residents near Hutchins Street Square got a view of the excitement from their front yards.

An estimated 10,000 throughout Lodi turned out to watch the Stage 2 finish.

with the turnout—you know the people in the community came out to watch the race. They were really pleased with Hutchins Street Square as a venue to host the race, the Lifestyle Festival. They were very impressed with our local organizing committee.” Despite the increase in business at hotels and restaurants, Patrick wasn’t sure how well the city cashed in. However, he and other organizers are taking a big-picture approach in evaluat-

ing the event. “It’s a long-term payback,” said Patrick. “You don’t want that day to get your money back, so to speak. It’s more exposure and on a world stage really because the race was broadcast to 200 countries around the world and many of them wine-oriented countries like Italy and France that are very big into cycling. Here’s Lodi that’s on a global stage, so it’s a huge opportunity for us.”

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Golf courses work to stay green By NORA HESTON TARTE Business Journal writer nhestontarte@cvbizjournal.com

MODESTO — California’s 921 golf courses make up 3.5 CALIFOR N percent of all DROUGHT IA turfgrass in the state. That leads people to believe golf courses use a significant amount of water. That’s a perception the California Golf Alliance is trying to change. It issued a report saying golf courses use less than 1 percent of total fresh water in the state. “Especially in the case of the drought situation, we’re forced to be good stewards with our water,” said the Sacramento Golf Industry’s Water Task Force spokesman Curtis Wolford. The drought affects water management for Central Valley courses, not only because members and management say they want to do the right thing, but because of cost. “All of the golf courses out there have to be effective managers of their water because of how it affects the bottom line,” Wolford explained. Del Rio Country Club in Modesto

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Del Rio Country Club in Modesto has cut watering on the fairways and greens by 10-15 percent. Out-of-play areas have been cut by 30 percent.

put a plan in place in 2014 to use 20-25 percent less water than in 2013. “Last year we recognized the drought, and so we went ahead and put together a drought contingency plan,” said Del Rio golf course superintendent David Bermudez, who also

serves on the task force. Bermudez said groundskeepers identified in-play areas of the course that could manage a 10-15 percent decrease in water. They are still irrigatPlease see GOLF Page 14

Stevinson Ranch to close in July STEVINSON — After surviving the Great Recession, Stevinson Ranch Golf Club was finally done in by shifting recreational interests and the drought. The golf course, ranked one of the top five courses by readers of Golf Digest magazine, will close July 18. “The golf course was doing everything possible to survive in a tough economy. Never giving up,” said Stevinson Ranch spokesman Pete Wlodkowski. “Everybody that played there loved it. They provided the Central Valley with 20 years of great golf experience.” Wlodkowski, the founder of amateurgolf.com, said Stevinson Ranch has a reputation as one of the best golf courses in California’s Central Valley, but the times caught up with it. Rounds of golf are down throughout the industry. The drought also took its toll. For years, Stevinson Ranch relied on surface water to irrigate the golf course, but starting last year groundskeepers had to pump well water for the course. The owners decided the business couldn’t go on. Wlodkowski was careful to point out the course is not going bankrupt. Managing partner George Kelley and the company’s other principals will make sure members will receive refunds and anyone who has scheduled an event at the golf course will be notified, Wlodkowski said.

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UP trains firefighters on crude oil incidents By SIM RISSO Business Journal writer srisso@cvbizjournal.com

MODESTO — Domestic oil drilling has risen dramatically in recent years as oil companies coax crude out of shale deposits in North Dakota, Texas, Wyoming and other states. Much of that oil moves from fields to refineries by rail, and there are concerns about safety after a string of derailments. In mid-February to mid-March alone, there were four derailments of trains moving crude oil, according to the Los Angeles Times. While the damage from derailments is usually limited, the possibility of a major incident is real. In 2013, a train carrying crude oil derailed in the Canadian town of Lac-Megantic in Quebec, killing 47 people and destroying 30 buildings. Every month about 1,000 cars of crude oil move on Union Pacific lines through California cities, including those in the Central Valley. Union Pacific held training for firefighters from Modesto, Manteca, Lodi and Tracy at its center in Pueblo, Colorado in April to show them what to do in case of an incident in their towns. “Most of these cars they’re hauling

down the railway, it’s 30,000 gallons per car, and they can haul them in a 100-car configuration, so you can just see the magnitude of what they’re bringing down the rail,” said Ed Bartley of Modesto Fire Department’s Hazardous Materials team. “It was good awareness for us and kind of drove us to develop a very comprehensive response plan for it. We’re capable and ready, and we’re going to do more training, and it will be a priority to get everybody else trained on it also.” The training took place over three days. Half was spent in the classroom learning about the properties of crude oil, the safety aspects and how the oil is transported. The other half was hands-on training aimed at simulating what safety workers might encounter in the case of a derailment. “First of all, for Union Pacific, safety is our top priority—across the board,” said Union Pacific’s Director of Corporate and Media Relations Jeff DeGraff. “We live in those communities as well, so we’re always trying to make things as safe as possible. This particular training that we offer is really beneficial. It’s beneficial to the communities that we’re traveling through because it helps them to be

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About 1,000 cars of crude oil moved on Union Pacific lines through California each month in 2014.

prepared not just for an incident that involves a train, but it’s educational for any emergencies they might face.” Beyond safety, Union Pacific also has financial interests in quickly responding to an incident. At the training, Bartley learned a one-hour closure of the rails costs Union Pacific roughly $1 million in lost profit. Because of that, the railroad has a team of first responders who are trained on how to handle potential incidents. Bartley acknowledged that an accident could have catastrophic ramifications for the city. Some derailments

and subsequent explosions have taken multiple days to extinguish. In some cases safety crews have opted to allow the material to burn itself out. “Those are isolated incidents where it’s in the middle of nowhere. Out on the frontier, I could see where you’d try to extinguish it but without any type of risk,” said Bartley. “In downtown Modesto, that’s a different story. I couldn’t give you a dollar amount, but I know it would tie up considerable resources.” Apart from training first responders, Please see CRUDE OIL Page 15

June 2015

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TOURISM Continued from Page 1

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The tourism boost in Stockton was driven in part by sports events including the National Baton Twirling Championship.

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Modesto’s Doubletree Hotel General Manager Kole Siefken. New businesses opening or expanding in the region also contributed to increased bookings. “Companies like Amazon in Patterson, Restoration Hardware in Patterson have provided us with room nights,” Siefken said. Flowers Baking Company and Gallo also increased bookings to support work associated with new product lines. Leisure travel contributed to the upturn in the area’s hotel bookings as well. The Central Valley’s proximity to popular travel destinations such as the Bay Area and Yosemite National Park offers tourists and other visiting groups a cost-effective alternative to higher priced areas. “The tour market has also increased mainly due to the San Francisco market as they are growing at an alarming rate, especially in average daily rates, and it has pushed many of the lower rated tours out of that market. They have decided to come to the Valley, which is a little bit cheaper for them,” Siefken said. Once travelers visit the region, they often discover local attractions and opt to stay longer or return. “The California Welcome Center, Merced draws people off of the freeway looking for assistance with their vacation planning, and they end up extending their stay up to three days, enjoying what Merced County and the Central Valley have to offer,” said Karen Baker, development associate for Merced Visitors Services and California Welcome Center, Merced. University of California, Mercy Medical Center’s construction projects and Yosemite National Park drive visitors to Merced, and the Merced Visitor Services has taken advantage of developing partnerships with Visit California, Yosemite Gateway Partners and Central Valley Tourism to support the influx. As the university grows, Baker expects additional partnerships to develop. Another segment of the travel market that saw significant growth in

this region involved the booking of sporting events. “For us it was a big year in nationwide sporting events — things that we brought in that were signature events for us,” said Visit Stockton’s CEO Wes Rhea. “The National Baton Twirling Championships were a big one for us, and also the National Roller Derby Championships.” More than 500 baton competition participants, their families and coaches traveled from all over the country to Stockton, providing the city with the perfect opportunity to show off the region and its attributes. “It was one of those things we had to do well at so we could prove ourselves to this organization. Because of the negative reputation that Stockton has, sometimes you have to over-deliver on things,” Rhea said. “We were pleased at the end by how pleased the United States Baton Twirling Association was, and of course it’s already reflected in some business we’ve gotten from them and their decision to come back to Stockton in the future.” The perception of Stockton and the surrounding Central Valley as a travel destination is indeed changing for the better. Hotels have seen a shift in consumers reserving rooms via online booking channels such as Orbitz, Travelocity and Expedia as well as from their own brands and can track customer satisfaction. “If you look at Trip Advisor, you’ll see that for the region that it’s a very telling positive trend when you see multiple comments about Stockton that are more positive,” said Kaplanis. Visit Stockton also is in the early stages of soliciting proposals from experts nationwide that focus on developing destination branding. What is expected to be a community-wide effort and an estimated six-to-ninemonth process, the goal is to determine how to position Stockton as a choice travel destination in the future. “We feel it’s an opportune time right now. It’s almost an expectation that there will be a lot of rebirth with Stockton,” Rhea said.

June 2015

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Mayor declares Stockton “extremely strong” By ELIZABETH STEVENS Business Journal editor estevens@cvbizjournal.com

STOCKTON — In the past, when Mayor Anthony Silva has addressed the business community about the state of Stockton, any optimism was based on hope and faith that things would get better. This year, however, Silva had concrete examples to point to. At the top of the list was redevelopment underway in downtown Stockton. “Just a few weeks ago the CalWeber 40 project broke ground and will lead the way for more affordable housing projects,” Silva said. Among other positive developments Silva cited were the revival of the Asparagus Festival, the upcoming community fireworks show in July and various sports events that have boosted tourism in Stockton. He said the city’s credit is improving, there is a $20 million surplus and the city is hiring police officers. The State of the City event is presented by the Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce and the Port of Stockton. The Chamber’s CEO, Doug Wilhoit, said it’s good for Stockton to be reminded of positive developments. “I think the top priority has always been getting the people of Stockton to believe in Stockton, come out and support

Stockton whether it be through the arts, or the business community with shop local,” Wilhoit said. “We need Stockton people to set up to the plate also. We need them to believe in themselves. That’s the most important thing.” Before Silva spoke, the business community heard from Port Commission Chairman Gary Christopherson who said that for just the second time in the Port’s history, exports exceeded imports last year. “Revenue has set a new record of $57 million with 300 jobs added,” said Christopherson. San Joaquin Partnership President and CEO Michael Ammann followed Christopherson and said the work the county has put in to develop industrial, commercial and residential projects and to promote itself is paying off. “It’s time to make Stockton the comeback city in Northern California!” Ammann said. In addition to talking about the Stockton’s successes, Silva also drew attention to issues the city is still grappling with, and highlighted homelessness. Silva brought Timothy Barfield, a 50-year-old man who lives with his girlfriend in an encampment under the freeway, up to the stage. Silva explained Barfield’s story and called on the business community to help find him a job. Anyone able to do that was

ELIZABETH STEVENS/CVBJ

Mayor Anthony Silva told Stockton’s business community the city has turned a corner after bankruptcy.

asked to contact the mayor’s office. “He wants to turn his life around. He wants to get a small apartment for his fiancee so he can save up some money and support his daughter. This is not a movie. This is not a Third World country. This is right here in your backyard,” Silva said. After holding up Barfield as a human face for Stockton’s homeless problem, Silva also called for the city to do more

by creating temporary, emergency housing for the homeless in a warehouse where services could be provided. Silva also issued a plea to Stockton’s residents to become part of the solution to the problems the city still faces. “We’re a complicated city,” Silva said. “We need residents of Stockton to stand up and take responsibility for their own actions. Make the city better.”

Central Valley Business Journal

June 2015

GOLF COURSES

In San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced Counties. Ranked by Longest Slope. Ties are Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Private

134

Private

Restaurant

Putting green

Club house

Driving range

Manager Head golf pro Phone number

Instruction

Access

135

Green fees

Chipping green

Par

Holes

Tracy Golf & Country Club 35200 S. Chrisman Road Tracy, CA 95377 tracycountryclub.com Oakdale Golf & Country Club 243 N. Stearns Road Oakdale, CA 95361 oakdalegcc.org

Longest slope

Features

Golf course name Rank Address Web address

$30 with member

$40 with member

Shaun McCarty Shaun McCarty, PGA (209) 835-9320

$50 with member

$55 with member

Rick Schultz Mike Dowd (209) 847-2984 Duncan Reno Fred Rodriguez (209) 545-0723

Weekday

Weekend

Del Rio Country Club 801 Stewart Road Modesto, CA 95356 delriocountryclub.com

133

Private

$40 Members only

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

131

Private

Members only

131

Public

$31 (seniors & juniors discount-$12) $36-46 cart

$38 ($15 discountJrs.) $33-$53 cart

131

Semi-private

$47

$59

Tim Walsh Jeff Palmer (209) 477-4653

131

Private

$60 $12 cart fee per player

$90 $12 cart fee per player

Earnie Micelli Bob Vocker (209) 369-2371

130

Public

$49.00

$69.00

Michael Danlop Joshua Clay (209)892-4653

128

Public

Varies

Gary Reiff Trent Marsh (209) 333-6275

128

Private

$40 plus cart

$45 plus cart

Michael Blevins Doug Hanson (209) 634-5471

127

Private

$45 plus cart

$55 plus cart

Bob Young, PGA Kelley Spooner (209) 466-4313

126

Public

$8 - $21

$10 - $28

Alan Thomas (209) 825-2500

Kitchen and Outdoor BBQ

$42 Min. 40 players

$48 Min. 50 players

Carol Lee Moore n/a (209) 943-1983

$40 with member

$50 with member

Jim Toal Shea Rollins (209) 599-3258

$38

$50

Matt Rascoe Karan Suprai (209) 369-4410

Elkhorn Golf Club 1050 Elkhorn Drive Stockton, CA 95209 www.elkhorngc.com The Reserve at Spanos Park 6301 W. Eight Mile Road Stockton, CA 95219 reserveatspanospark.com Woodbridge Golf & Country Club 800 E. Woodbridge Road Woodbridge, CA 95258 woodbridgegcc.com Diablo Grande Golf and Country Club 9521 Morton Davis Drive Patterson, CA 95363 diablogrande.com Lockeford Springs Golf Course 16360 N. Hwy. 88 Lodi, CA 95240 lockefordsprings.com Turlock Golf & Country Club 10532 N. Golf Link Road Turlock, CA 95380 turlockcountryclub.com Stockton Golf & Country Club 3800 W. Country Club Boulevard Stockton, CA 95204 stocktongolfcc.com Manteca Park Golf Course 305 N. Union Road Manteca, CA 95337 golfadvisor.com

Alecia Escajeda, Asst. GM Tim Sands (209) 956-6200 Sierra Golf Management Greg Feddersen (209) 474-3900

Oakmoore Golf Course 3737 N. Wilson Way Stockton, CA 95205 oakmooregolfcourse.com

125

9/18

36/72

Private Grp-events kitchen/out door BBQ Tournaments only

Spring Creek Golf & Country Club 1580 Spring Creek Drive Ripon, CA 95366 springcreekcc.com

125

Private

Micke Grove Golf Links 11401 N. Micke Grove Road Lodi, CA 95240 mickegrove.com

124

Public

Van Buskirk Golf Course 1740 Houston Avenue Stockton, CA 95206 stocktongolfcourses.com

123

Public

$20 - $34 Varies

$40 - $48 Varies

Tom Nelson, PGA Joe Reilly (209) 937-7357

Merced Golf Club 6333 North Golf Road Merced, CA 95340 mercedgolfandcountryclub.com

120

Private

Members

Berma Lucas Andy Aubertin (209) 722-6268

Swenson Park Golf Course 6803 Alexandria Place Stockton, CA 95207 stocktongolfcourses.com

120

Public

$20 - $35

$25 - $35

Tom Nelson, PGA Patty Largent (209) 937-7360

Old River Golf Course & Practice Center Hiram Sibley $28 $35 18007 MacArthur Drive 118 18 72 Public x x x x x x Brad Wubben Specials Specials Tracy, CA 95304 (209) 830-8585 oldrivergolf.com Jack Tone Golf George Buzzini, owner 1500 Ruess Road 88 18 62 Public x x x x x $18 $22 Aaron Heether 20 Ripon, CA 95366 (209) 599-2973 golflink.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 05/2015

June 2015

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Central Valley Business Journal

June 2015

Port of Stockton to double rail capacity By KENT HOHLFELD Business Journal writer khohlfeld@cvbizjournal.com

STOCKTON — The Port of Stockton will add more than 22,000 feet of new railroad track over the next year — more than double its current rail capacity. The $7.4 million project will allow the port to handle up to 12 bulk trains per week, up from its current six. The improvements will be paid for through a loan Mark Tollini from the Federal Railroad Administration’s Railroad Rehabilitation & Improvement Financing (RRIF) program. “This sets the port up for long-range development,” said Senior Deputy Port Director Mark Tollini. “Right now we have seen a lot of businesses opting for rail-based transport.” Each bulk train that comes into the port can be miles long and made up of hundred of cars. The port managed more than 97,000 rail cars last year. Tollini said that most of the shipments the Port of Stockton manages are “unpackaged” products such as

WAYNE DENNING/CVBJ

The Port of Stockton managed more than 97,000 rail cars in 2014.

minerals and agricultural products. So-called “high value” containers with items such as finished products are largely shipped through ports in Oakland or Southern California. “A lot of commodities come in and out by rail,” said Tollini. “Natural gas, ethanol and ag products all go out by

rail. It’s grown over the last few years.” In fact, the port is so busy crews are currently working at 120 percent of the facility’s stated capacity. “You should never be running at 100 percent of capacity,” said Dave Buccolo, general manager of Central California Traction Company. “It hurts efficiency.”

CVBJ

Central California Traction Company is in charge of getting rail cars that enter the port from railroads like Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) and Union Pacific to the various customers at the port. The cars are then either loaded with goods for shipment out or unloaded onto ships for export around the world. “We do thousands of loaded rail cars (per week) here,” said Buccolo. “We export a lot of minerals and steel products.” He said the trains come from all over the country, but a large number come from the Midwest and Southwest. He said the new expansion will boost the port’s capacity and add jobs to the local economy. “We will probably add eight to 10 people over the next five years,” said Buccolo, whose company currently employs 27 people. Tollini said the new expansion should also help secure dockworkers’ employment and even add to their ranks in the coming years. “It won’t do much to the administrative staff,” said Tollini. “But I’m sure the dock staff will be increased.” The added work will likely also lead to more jobs with the rail lines. BNSF and Union Pacific are the two biggest beneficiaries of added rail business in the area. Please see RAIL Page 15

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ing those areas but not freely. The out-of-play areas will get 30 percent less water to make up the difference. Those areas include the course’s perimeter and the driving range. Last year Bermudez said the course was close to meeting its goal. This year, the situation is more urgent, and the course is tracking a slightly behind its goal. Bermudez blames the dry spring and said Del Rio plans to catch up later in the year. Stockton Golf & Country Club gets its water from the San Joaquin River, according to General Manager Bob Young. The course has been allotted 659 acre feet, but Young said in recent years it’s been pumping only 300 to 340 acre feet. “Our pumping of the water has been curtailed by the state of California just like everybody else,” he said. The course’s goal is to cut its water use by 25 percent. The maintenance team has restricted golf cart use on areas that need more growth. It has raised mowing heights because longer grass needs less water. Crews are hand watering and cutting down on irrigation for out-of-play areas. Timing also matters. Most golf course watering is done at night to reduce evaporation. Technology plays a part in water reduction, too. Moisture meters at Del Rio allow maintenance teams to know

exactly how much water is in the soil. Drought-specific computerized irrigation programs are also used. Getting water to the soil more efficiently is another goal. To increase aeration, wetting agents, loosened soil and hand watering are all used. “We are very proactive here at Del Rio to conserve water,” Bermudez said. Golf courses across the state use different types of water. According to Wolford, most courses in the Central Valley use well water. They may avoid additional costs if the price of city water rises, but there is still a cost difference. Additionally, about one third of all golf courses in California use recycled water. “There’s a lot of political pressure being put on a lot of municipal golf courses to make sure we go above and beyond in regards to water management, especially,” Wolford said. However, he added that he hasn’t noticed any additional cost strains on municipals. In fact, according to Wolford, some private courses may feel pressure to keep their fields nicer because of the cost of belonging to a club. There is a higher expectation to have excellent turf and a premium product on a private course while public golf courses tend to have reduced expectations that match their lower prices.

June 2015

CVBJ

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RAIL

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CRUDE OIL

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“I’d guess the railroads will each probably add five to 10 people in the next few years,” said Buccolo. “A lot of the customers [shippers] will also have to add staff.” While the port is adding the biggest current rail expansion, it is only part of what has been a boom in rail construction in the area during the last decade. Union Pacific plans to expand and modernize its existing intermodal facility in Lathrop over the next decade. The facility was built in 1993 and will expand from 132 acres to 154 acres. Capacity will increase from 270,000 container lifts [putting containers on or taking them off rail cars] to 730,000. BNSF announced in February that it plans to add more truck capacity at its intermodal facility in Stockton. The plan is to increase truck and container parking by about 20 percent. “Rail traffic has tripled or quadrupled here [since the 1980s],” said Buccolo, who has been in the railroad industry for 46 years, including two times in Stockton from 1979 to 1983 and his current tenure which started in 2004. “The port used to do 3,000 cars back in the ‘80s and now there are two intermodal facilities in San Joaquin County.” The expansion in rail traffic stems from better, cheaper and more efficient methods rail companies use to transport goods. “We are the most fuel efficient way to transport products,” said Buccolo. “Railroads get about 700 miles per gallon for a ton of freight. It is the most energy efficient way. There is also a shortage of truck drivers.” San Joaquin County’s rail facilities have been huge aids in helping expand current businesses and lure new business to the area. “In most places you won’t find an intermodal facility,” said Mike Ammann, president & CEO of the San Joaquin Partnership, an economic development organization. “We have two. If you are a shipper and you are mixing stuff from overseas, you can choose between Union Pacific or Burlington (BNSF). We also have short-haul railroads. So if it is in a unit train, we can move it. All this is really unique.” That, combined with improvements to infrastructure ranging from the area interstates to improvements at the airport, has helped turn the Valley into a hotbed of shipping opportunities, Ammann said. It has also helped add employment to an area in desperate need of quality jobs. “These jobs aren’t minimum wage jobs,” said Ammann. “We take it for granted. It’s unique what we can offer now when it comes to selling new business projects. The availability of land, intermodals and the port. You just don’t find that in Sacramento, Modesto or Pleasanton. We are unique in that all this stuff is right here. We have got an economy that is going to run for the next few years. We are prepared for the long awaited recovery. We are ready to rock and roll.”

Union Pacific said it has also been encouraging oil companies to improve the cars the oil is shipped in. Those cars are owned by the oil companies, not the railroads. At the beginning of May, the Department of Transportation issued new regulations for transporting crude oil by rail. Among them was a new standard for tanks and what it called “an aggressive, risk-based retrofitting schedule for older tank cars carrying

crude oil and ethanol.” The new regulations prompted praise from Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Turlock, who is the chairman of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials. “Tank cars manufactured in the 1970s should have been phased out or retrofitted long ago,” Denham said in a press statement. “We will continue to push the rail supply industry to hire, add new capacity and aggressively transition to the new, safer design.” Another concern is the potential sabotage of rail cars left unattended.

Even though the cars are owned by the oil companies, Union Pacific takes care of them when they’re in the railroad’s possession and has measures in place to prevent tampering. “We provide security screenings,” said Union Pacific’s DeGraff. “We have regular patrols. If a train is to be left somewhere overnight, it’s not unattended. We also have regular inspection checkpoints as trains are rolling across our network that check the cars as they go by to make sure there are no defects that are either from natural wear and tear or actually intentional purposes.”

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Central Valley Business Journal

June 2015

Housing project hopes to kickstart downtown

By ELIZABETH STEVENS Business Journal editor estevens@cvbizjournal.com

STOCKTON — Construction is underway on Cal Weber 40, the first housing project in downtown Stockton since before the Great Recession. The partners involved in the project held a groundbreaking ceremony in the building at California Street and Weber Avenue for city officials, business leaders and reporters on May 14. No actual ground was broken, however. Construction on the project began March 23, and visitors were invited to tour the rooms that had been framed on the project’s third floor. The partners, Cal Weber Associates LP; DFA Development LLC; Riverside Charitable Corporation, Inc.; and PNC Real Estate, hope the affordable urban housing development will spur more projects in downtown Stockton. “We’ve seen in other cities a workforce housing or an affordable housing project is usually the catalyst to bringing not only families downtown, but it also allows people to see that it will work,” said Chris Flaherty of DFA Development. “It’s an exciting project,” said de-

veloper Anthony Barkett, one of Flaherty’s business partners. “It’s going to serve families in the $30,000 - $35,000 range — good, hardworking families with kids who can walk to school. It’s got an urban feel to it.” Two other developments are also in the works. The Open Window Project by Zac Cort’s company, Ten Space, is seeking to develop 15 acres in the eastern section of downtown. That project will include market-rate housing as well as restaurants and retail. The nonprofit group, Visionary Home Builders, is planning an affordable housing development at San Joaquin Street and Miner Avenue. It will feature about 100 apartments as well as a grocery store. The Cal Weber 40 development, at the southeast corner of California Street and Weber Avenue will provide 40 units — 28 apartments with two bedrooms and one bathroom and 12 larger apartments with three bedrooms and two baths. It’s expected to open early next year. The project is a mix of old and new. It involves the renovation of the 123-year-old Cal Weber Building and the 88-year-old McKeegan Building. There will be exposed brick and the

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ELIZABETH STEVENS/CVBJ

Developers hope the Cal Weber 40 project will be a catalyst to bring more families to live downtown.

trusses on the top floor will be visible. Apartments on the third floor will have ceilings 12 feet or higher. The exterior, however, has been redesigned to give the buildings “residential scale,” said architect Lars Fredrik Gullberg of Artifex West Studio. Each unit will have its own balcony. The apartments will be solar powered. The building will have a computer lab, a private playground and dedicated parking. “It’s going to be something that I

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think any of us would want to live in,” said Flaherty. Stockton Mayor Anthony Silva said the development sends the signal that the city is moving forward out of its bankruptcy. “Nothing says a city is healthy again than when we start building again,” he told those gathered for the groundbreaking. The city of Stockton, PNC Bank, Farmers & Merchants Bank and the Bank of Stockton were involved in financing the development.

June 2015

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Central Valley Business Journal

June 2015

Colleges rely on technology to cut water use By CRAIG W. ANDERSON Business Journal writer canderson@cvbizjournal.com

STOCKTON — For colleges and universities throughout CAL IFORN the Central ValDROUGHT IA ley, managing water during the drought is a balancing act. How do they do their part to conserve this diminishing resource while keeping campuses presentable? Colleges say the visual impact of a campus, drought or not, is important to potential students who are deciding where to go to school. “The challenge with this campus, is the balance we try to strike between the general campus aesthetic and the governor’s water edict, said UC Merced Facilities Management Senior Mechanical Engineer Jim Brugger. Like parks and golf courses, colleges have expanses of lawn and landscaping. Many are well known for their campus greenery. “With the current campus footprint of 108 acres, we have a big turf presence,” said Brugger. “It comprises our soccer and recreation fields, the bowl where we hold commencement ceremonies, the

quad and amphitheater and the ancillary turf areas that border streets.” In February 2013, campuses in the California State University system took steps to cut water consumption by 20 percent. In May 2014 CSU trustees set the goal for all campuses to reduce water use an additional 10 percent by 2016 and 20 percent by 2020 across the 23-campus system. “We’ve harnessed the knowledge of 250 water researchers throughout the CSU system to help our campuses boost water conservation,” said CSU Executive Vice Chancellor and CFO Steve Relyea. Water use on every level is changing both inside buildings and outside at CSU Stanislaus in Turlock. For example, separate irrigation systems for lawns and landscaping are being implemented. “[Campus] housing has replaced their showerheads and sink areas to low-flow versions,” said Tim Overgauuw, director of facilities operations for CSU Stanislaus. “All the campus restroom faucets have been changed out to low-flow, and we’ve done conservation kits for toilets and urinals where possible.” The university recently began installing a new computer network-based system to controll irrigation that includes a weather station to prevent over-watering. The school also uses predictive technology for incoming storms so watering will stop system-wide, al-

WAYNE DENNING/CVBJ

The John Muir Botanical Area near John Ballantyne Hall at the University of the Pacific has been planted with native grasses and is watered sparingly with drip irrigation.

lowing Mother Nature to take over. At the University of the Pacific, which has been recognized as one of the most beautiful campuses in the United States, water conservation has been strategic and on-going. Overall potable water use has been cut by 25 percent since 2013, Pacific’s Associate Vice President for Communications Richard Rojo said. “President Eibeck and our entire university community are absolutely

committed to not only meeting the state water reduction requirements but beating that requirement,” he said. “We are working actively to identify more ways to reduce our use of water on our campus.” Pacific is also taking advantage of technological advances by installing computerized irrigation and evapotranspiration monitoring systems. Please see DROUGHT Page 21

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June 2015

Tracy starts replacing Stockton’s entrepreneur 11th Street overpass lab taking applications TRACY — Tracy is saying goodbye to a landmark, but it is very much looking forward to its replacement. The 11th Street bridge has been the eastern entryway to Tracy since 1936. It was widened in 1960, but the city’s traffic has outgrown the bridge. It’s also showing Michael Maciel its age. “For the last 15 years it has been deteriorating very much faster than normally bridges do,” said the city’s Utilities Director Kul Sharma. Rather than simply retrofitting the bridge, the city has decided to tear it down and build a new one. The project will cost $36.1 million. The federal bridge retrofit program will pay $32 million. Proposition 1B funds will provide $2.1 million. The city will pay the remaining $2 million from the gas tax. Mayor Michael Maciel said when the project is finished two-and-a-half years from now, the city will not only have a better looking bridge but one that sets the table for economic development. “We’re going to be looking at devel-

opment to the east probably,” Maciel said. “We have all the northeast industrial area -- Amazon and everything right over here. It’s conceivable there will be more growth and available land here.” He also said there is talk of increased rail traffic. Plans call for the new bridge to be part of an elevated intersection that will provide Tracy with its first above-grade rail crossing. The new bridge will be wider than the current one with bike lanes and pedestrian walkways. Designs call for landscaped retaining walls, historical monuments and street lights. Crews will construct a prefabricated temporary bridge while construction is underway on the permanent bridge. There will be one lane of traffic in each direction, and the speed limit will be lower. The old bridge will be dismantled and then construction will begin on the new bridge. While Maciel is looking forward to the new, better-looking bridge, he said people in Tracy may miss the old one. “It’s a real landmark that’s going away,” Maciel said. “It’s something that for most of us has always been there, and now it’s not going to be there anymore. It’s going to be something else.”

STOCKTON — Stockton’s Downtown Stockton Alliance Entrepreneur Lab (DSAEL) is accepting applications from entrepreneurs for the coming year. The lab, formerly called the Business Technology Incubator, is funded through a PG&E Economic Vitality Grant as well as funds from the city of Stockton, run by the Downtown Stockton Alliance and housed at the cooperative workspace Huddle. “We rebranded the name of the business tech incubator just to kind of open it up a little bit more to different industries because we got some feedback that maybe it might turn some people away or keep them from applying,” said Huddle Executive Director Jasmine Leek. The lab is accepting applications through June 21. Those who pass initial vetting will be invited to pitch their ideas on June 25. Six will be invited to join the lab for 12 months. “We’re looking for businesses that have scalable potential,” said Leek. Categories of the most interest include technology-based startups; companies that are focusing on agricultural technology; digital marketing, web or graphic design companies; and

social entrepreneurs. DSAEL will consider anyone from the region, but entrepreneurs need to be willing to headquarter their businesses in downtown Stockton and participate in the community. Leek recommends that entrepreneurs who make it to the June 25 pitch event show up ready talk about their business idea and explain how it can be an asset to the Stockton area. Leek said the benefits of belonging to the lab started with Huddle services. “We host monthly business mixers every second Thursday of the month, and our participants in the program will have a chance to co-host with us,” Leek said. “So they’ll have an opportunity to showcase their venture and really get some spotlight at each of those mixers.” The winner of the pitch event will get a private office the 12-month term of the program. Five runners up will get space in the larger co-working area. At the end of the 12-month term, there will be another pitch competition, and the winner will receive $5,000. Anyone interested can apply at www.dsael.com. Scroll down and click on the “apply” button.

June 2015

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Almond crop projected down 1 percent from last year MODESTO — California’s current almond crop has been projected at 1.85 billion kernel pounds, according to the Almond Board of California. That’s down 1 percent from 2014 and 8 percent below 2013’s production of 2.01 billion pounds. The subjective estimate is prepared by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Pacific Regional Office. The subjective report is an early estimate about the upcoming crop. It’s

CVBJ

DROUGHT Continued from Page 18

Staff has installed landscape elements designed to remove silt and pollution from surface runoff water as well as a water recycling system for the university’s greenhouse. Colleges said staff and students will be key to really making a dent in water usage. The University of the Pacific will launch a campaign next fall to encourage everyone to be conscious of the water they use. “Education is a very important part of water conservation planning if we want to change behavior,” Pacific’s Rojo explained. “We have wonderful resources on campus such as faculty and students who’ve stepped forward to help design a campaign to help people think about how we can improve water use.” San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton has been working on water conservation since 2009. It’s made changes in buildings and landscaping. Its groundkeepers water only two days a week and have converted to targeted irrigation and installed low-water fixtures in campus facilities. The drought has prompted colleges to work together to share what they’ve learned about water conservation. “We’re networking and sharing with other schools, using online presentations, workshops and conferences to exchange ideas,” said San Joaquin Delta College Vice President of Operations Gerardo Calderon. “This is perhaps a benefit of the drought: schools are communicating, and we’re all looking at things from an entirely different perspective — both short and long term.” Merced Community College is relying on a series of small changes that add up to bigger water savings. For example, it turned off its fountain and drained it last year. Irrigation has been cut to two days a week at each station and maintenance staff are no longer allowed to hose off concrete and asphalt surfaces. Restrooms are equipped with reduced flow flush valves and faucet aerators. Leaks in irrigation systems have been repaired. “We’re installing drip irrigation for trees to protect our long term investment – trees. And this will allow us to continue providing the benefits of cleaner air, cooler temperatures and habitat for nature,” said Bryan Tassey, professor of plant science. “The trials of small turf alternatives will continue at the horticulture unit for potential future large scale applications.”

made by contacting a random sample of growers by phone to provide an opinion of their estimates. This year, responding growers represented 29 percent of the total bearing acreage, which is estimated at 890,000 acres. The report noted this year’s almond bloom in early February was one of the earliest in recent memory. “Nuts were sizing well with the crop pace at least two weeks ahead of nor-

mal and also ahead of last year’s early crop,” the USDA report said. The USDA also acknowledged California’s drought will be a major issue this year. “Water is a problem for many growers with limited amounts available for purchase,” the report said. “Growers irrigating with well water expressed concern regarding salinity.” An objective forecast, based on actual counts and measurements taken

BUSINESS JOURNAL PHOTO

in 940 randomly selected orchards throughout the state’s almond growing region, will be released on July 1.

TIME. MONEY. And how the Port of Stockton helps your business save on both.

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portofstockton.com 888-635-8143 Chair Gary Christopherson, Vice Chair R. Jay Allen, Commissioners Sylvester Aguilar, Elizabeth Blanchard, Michael Patrick Duffy, Stephen Griffen, Victor Mow and Port Director Richard Aschieris.

Central Valley Business Journal

June 2015

FINE DINING ESTABLISHMENTS In San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced Counties. Ranked by Total Capacity. Ties are Listed in Alphabetical Order. Rank

Restaurant name Address

Owner Cuisine Phone Hours Web address Total/banquet capacity Robert Campana (209) 545-9248 redwood-cafe.com

Year Established

American, casual/formal indoor and plush outdoor garden seating with night lighting Tue-Sat 11 am to 9 pm; closed Sun-Mon; live music and wine events 400 total capacity; 400 banquet

2012

Mediterranean Cuisine Mon-Fri 11 am to 9:30 pm; Sat-Sun 12 pm to 9:30 pm 350 total capacity; 150 banquet

2003

Rustic Cuisine Mon-Fri 11:30 am to 10 pm; Sat 4:30 pm to 10 pm; Sun 11 am to 9 pm 300 total capacity; 120 banquet

2001

American Continental and Greek Sun-Thurs 11am to 9 pm; Sat-Sun 11am to 10 pm 300 total capacity; meeting rooms available

1989

California-Italian Cuisine, casual indoor and outdoor Mon-Thurs 8 am to 10 pm; Fri 8 am to 11 pm; Sat 5 pm to 9 pm 240 total capacity; 160 banquet

2006

Fine Dining including: prime rib, steak, seafood, ribs and Sunday brunch Mon-Thurs 11 am to 9 pm; Fri- Sat 11 am to 10 pm Sunday brunch 10 am to 2 pm, dinner 5 am to 9 pm 200 seating outdoor garden area, 55 meeting room capacity, 24 casual room capacity 200 total indoor capacity; Live music Fri-Sat nights and Special Outdoor music events

1970

Italian Crusine; casual/formal indoor, outdoor garden patio seating Mon 4:30 to 9, Tues-Sat 11am to 9 pm (Closed Sunday) Local wines available 184 total capacity; 60 banquet

1985

David & Valentin Alonso (209) 848-1545 papapolloni.com

Greek-Italian-American Sun-Thurs 11 am to 9 pm; Fri-Sat 11am to 10:30 pm 180 total capacity; 30 banquet

2012

Michael Midgley (209) 474-7700 midgleyspublichouse.com

Modern Chop House, steaks and seafood Mon-Fri 11 am to 10 pm; Sat-Sun 9 am to 10 pm 160 total capacity

2014

Southern influence menu: blackened cat fish, Shrimp and goat cheese grits Tues-Sat 11:30 am to 2 pm; Tues-Sat 5:30 pm to 9 pm; Closed Sunday and Monday 151 total capacity

2002

Italian Mon 11am to 3 pm bar & deli only; Tues-Thurs 11am to 8:30 pm; Fri 11am to 9:30 pm Sat 4 pm to 9:30 pm; Sun 12 pm to 8 pm 150 total capacity; 60 banquet

1976

New American and French influenced dishes; Casual indoor and cozy outdoor setting Tue-Sat 11am to midnight 120 total capacity

2001

New American Cuisine with influences from France and Asia Mon-Sat 11am to 3 pm Mon-Thurs 4:30 pm to 9:30 pm; Fri-Sat 4:30 pm to 10:30 pm 120 total capacity; 40 banquet

2001

Greek-Italian-American Mon-Thurs 11am to 9 pm; Fri-Sat 11am to 10 pm; Sun 11am to 8:30 pm 120 total capacity; 70 banquet

2001

Asian Fusion Influence; live music and dancing Tue-Fri 11:30 am to 2 pm; Tue-Wed 5 pm to 9 pm; Thurs-Sat 5 pm to 10 pm Sunday Brunch Buffet 10 am to 2 pm 108 total capacity; 100 banquet

2009

Regional Italian/Mediterranean Tue-Fri 11:30 am to 2:30 pm; Tues-Sat Bar open at 4 pm, Dinner 5 pm to 9 pm 100 capacity indoor, 30 outdoor

2010

California Fine Dining; live music every evening in lounge, gardens and spa available Mon-Fri 7 am to 10:30 am; 11 am to 2 pm; (Sat - Sun Brunch) Sun-Thurs 5 pm to 9 pm; Fri-Sat 5 pm to 10 pm; 70 Lodi Wines available 100 total capacity; 20 banquet

1988

Family Friendly All American Bistro; fine dining and casual family Sun-Thurs 11 am to 9 pm Fri-Sat 11 am to 10 pm 80 total capacity

2013

Steakhouse; formal/casual, indoor and patio seating Tue-Thurs 5 pm to 9 pm; Fri-Sat 5 pm to 9:30 pm; Closed Sun an Mon 80 total capacity; 50 banquet

1920

Fresh seafood variety of chicken, beef entrees, salads and homemade desserts Mon-Sat 11am to 9 pm; Sun 10 am to 9 pm 60 total capacity; 45 banquet

1993

Redwood Cafe at Vintage Gardens 4342 Dale Road Modesto, CA 95356

Skewers Kabob House 906 J Street Modesto, CA 95354

Galletto Ristorante 1101 J Street Modesto, CA 95354

Papapavlo’s Bistro & Bar 501 N. Lincoln Center Stockton, CA 95207

Toscana’s Ristorante 1801 Colorado Avenue, Ste. 190 Turlock, CA 95380

Woodbridge Crossing 19939 N. Lower Sacramento Road Woodbridge, CA 95258

Pietro’s Trattoria 317 E. Kettleman Lodi, CA 95240

Papapolloni Mediterranean Bistro/Bar 1214 West F Street Oakdale, CA 95361

Midgley’s Public House 296 Lincoln Center Stockton, CA 95207

School Street Bistro 116 N. School Street Lodi, CA 95240

Angelina’s Spaghetti House 1563 E. Fremont Street Stockton, CA 95205

Bistro 234 234 E. Main Street Turlock, CA 95380

Jennifer Bethel (209) 668-4234 bistro234.com

Dewz Restaurant 1505 J. Street Modesto, CA 95354

Judy and Scott Aspesi (209) 549-1101 dothedewz.com

Papapavlos Mediterranean Bistro/Bar 1320 Standiford Avenue Suite #2 Modesto, CA 95350

Surla’s Restaurant 431 12th Street Modesto, CA 95354

Mezzo Restaurant 3499 Brookside Road #A Stockton, CA 95219

Towne House Wine and Roses Restaurant 2505 W. Turner Road Lodi, CA 95242

Mike’s Grillhouse 3801 Pelandale Avenue Ste. B-11 Modesto, CA 95356

Woodbridge Inn Steakhouse 18878 N. Lower Sacramento Road Woodbridge, CA 95258

Bud’s Seafood & Grille 314 Lincoln Center Stockton, CA 95207

Brad Morad (209) 525-3611 skewerskabobhouse.com Tom & Karyn Gallo (209) 523-4500 galletto.biz Andy & Jennifer Pappas (209) 477-6133 papapavlos.com Stanley Diamond (209) 216-3555 toscanas.net Steven J. Ding (209) 366-1800 woodbridgecrossing.net Jim and Annette Murdaca (209) 368-0613 pietroslodi.com

David Akiyoshi (209) 333-3950 schoolstbistro.com Steve Coppello & Sam Taylor (209) 948-6609 angelinas.com

David & Valentin Alonso (209) 525-3995 papapavlos-modesto.com John Surla (209) 550-5555 surlasrestaurant.com Tutto Bene Foods (209) 473-7300 mezzostockton.com Russ & Kathryn Munson (209) 371-6160 loditownehouse.com Mike Nelson (209) 545-4500 nujesgrillhouse.com Andy & Tammy Delemos and Chuck & Debbie Stevens (209) 368-2346 woodbridgeinnsteakhouse.com Bud Millsaps (209) 956-0270 budsseafood.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 (209) 477-0211 or email Research Dept. at research@cvbizjournal.com. Copy right Central Valley Business Journal. Researched By Alyssa Larson 05/2015

June 2015

www.cvbizjournal.com

Central Valley Business Journal

INSIDE THE KITCHEN

Central Valley’s best chefs talk about making it in restaurants

Inside the kitchen at Turlock’s Bistro 234 with Nick Brocchin, Karli McCaskill and chef Leroy Walker.

ALL PHOTOS BY PHILIP JOHNSON/CVBJ

June 2015

www.cvbizjournal.com

“You need passion and a strong work ethic. Otherwise, you’re in the wrong business.” – Vincent DeAngelo, Bella Bistro and Bar By PATRICIA REYNOLDS Business Journal writer preynolds@cvbizjournal.com

MODESTO — Passion, commitment and hard work. These are the ingredients necessary for success in the culinary industry, say local professional chefs. Those whose aspirations are driven primarily by money or fame won’t last long in the business. “You can make anywhere from minimum wage to millions of dollars, but you have to love it or there’s no way you’re going to make it. You can’t think of it as a job or career. It’s like a relationship you have with food, service and feeding people and taking pride in it,” said Michael Midgley, chef and owner of Midgley’s Public House, a pub and steakhouse that opened in Stockton’s Lincoln Center last November. The journey to becoming a professional chef varies. Some prospects attend culinary institutes, spending up to two years learning the essentials of kitchen safety, health and sanitation, food preparation and restaurant business basics. Others work their way up from the lowest paid kitchen jobs in fast food establishments and dine-in restaurants. Regardless of the path taken, one key characteristic shared among area chefs is an intimacy with food that has compelled them to spend countless hours in the kitchen creating cuisine for the satisfaction of others. Vincent DeAngelo is the owner and head chef of Bella Bistro and Bar in Merced. He attended the Culinary Institute of America in New York after working in restaurants during his teens. The two-year program gave him intensive training and work experience that enabled him to start work at New York City’s Rainbow Room when he graduated. After working a couple of years in New York, DeAngelo decided he wanted to own his own place. So, he headed west where he opened a bakery and cafe. He credits his own success to dedication to the craft and a willingness to work hard. “You have to have a lot of passion to be a chef. That’s the No. 1 thing you need is passion and strong work ethic. Otherwise you’re in the wrong busi-

ness,” DeAngelo said. He obtained an Associate of Occupational Studies degree, but DeAngelo believes it is definitely possible to become a chef without attending school if a candidate is dedicated and not afraid to work. “Some people have a natural instinct for cooking. You can get underneath a couple of ‘A’ chefs and work your way up,” he said. “If you get in a good establishment, a good restaurant or a hotel, a lot of times they will have a program and you can start at the bottom and work your way up.” That was the direction Leroy Walker chose. Walker has been the executive chef at Turlock’s Bistro 234 for 15 years. “I never went to school. I just worked my way through the ranks. I started out dishwashing at the age of 14. I started catering, took a couple of small jobs in odd kitchens, different restaurants. I just worked my way through the system,” Walker said. A Turlock native, Walker spent his entire career in the Central Valley and built his reputation though long stints at each establishment he worked at along the way. “I didn’t jump around from restaurant to restaurant,” he said. “I built a consistency with my name and the product that I served.” While he believes education is always a positive ingredient, all the great chefs he’s hired for his kitchen started without schooling. “They start out as a dishwasher. They learn how to chop and prep the way I want it done. After six months of dishwashing, they work into the salad area, and after the salad area they work in the broiler area, and after the broiler area they work in the stove area,” Walker said. Michael Midgley combined early work experience with a formal education and enjoyed a bit of fame along the way. He competed on the second season of Bravo’s Top Chef, a reality television show where chefs compete and are judged by a panel of professional chefs. Midgley survived through eight of 12 rounds but was voted out on the program’s ninth episode. Even with some national notoriety, Midgley agrees that putting in your dues

Michael Midgley opened his own restaurant in Stockton’s Lincoln Center last November.

BUSINESS JOURNAL PHOTO

PHILIP JOHNSON/CVBJ

is a reality of working in the industry. “If you go to culinary school, you still have to work your way up. What I look for in a kitchen staff is just someone that wants to come in and do things my way. I don’t care where they’ve been. What I look for is people with kitchen knowledge, how to behave in a kitchen, that have good habits and have kitchen common sense,” he said.

For these chefs, the ultimate payoff for the long hours of work in the classroom, the kitchen or both is serving the customer. “Once you finish that plate of food, put it up in the window and you actually go out there and it’s an emotional thing to see people enjoy your food. And they’re smiling and they’re taking pictures of it,” said Midgley.

QUICK FACTS

CALIFORNIA’S RESTAURANT INDUSTRY - BY THE NUMBERS

65,094 Places to eat and drink.

72.3 billion

Projected restaurant sales for 2015.

23.6 Number of jobs created for $1 million spent in California restaurants.

1.6 million Jobs provided by restaurants. SOURCE: National Restaurant Association

Central Valley Business Journal

June 2015

Merced nonprofit pairs assistance dogs with people with disabilities By NORA HESTON TARTE Business Journal writer nhestontarte@cvbizjournal.com

MERCED — Since being diagnosed with post-polio syndrome, Kathy Jo Dennison has struggled with balance. Walking long distances and picking up objects is difficult for her. She began to search for a companion to help her with daily activities and found California Canine Academy’s Assistance Dogs program. “I am probably the most blessed person in the world. My dog has changed my life,” Dennison said of her 5-yearold golden retriever/golden Labrador mix. “If I didn’t have him, I would be home all the time.” Judy Warren, master dog trainer and CEO at California Canine Academy (CCA), has been training dogs as part of the assistance program since 2001. She breeds her own dogs – halfgolden retriever, half-Labrador – for the program. “They seem to make the better service dogs,” she said. The only dogs CCA will not certify are

pit bulls, but Warren said it doesn’t have anything to do with the breed’s temperament. It’s about public perception. For example, if a pit bull is brought on a public bus, people may get scared. “Animals have been her whole life,” CCA office manager Jenea Steen said of Warren. As a police officer Warren worked with German shepherds for protection training. Steen said German shepherds are Warren’s breed. The mixed pups simply offer a better build and temperament for assistance dogs, she explained. CCA service dogs are not guide dogs. They are granted to people with physical disabilities and other disorders. “These last few years we’ve seen a lot more people with post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety disorders,” Warren said. “We partnered with Wounded Warriors for veterans so we see quite a few through their offices.” In addition to training their own dogs, Warren said CCA trains donated purebred golden retrievers or clients’ dogs. They also offer certification for outside dogs. Warren said to receive

Jenea Steen and Judy Warren of Canine Academy play with Clifford.

certification, any dog must pass both a public access test and CCA’s own test. In addition to their assistance program, CCA offers boarding and training for all dogs. Receiving a dog through CCA is not an easy task. First, a physician must provide paperwork explaining a patient’s need for an assistance dog. Then, hopeful participants must wait for a dog to become available. The dogs go through their own training

PHILIP JOHNSON/CVBJ

before potential owners attend a twoweek boot camp with the dog to learn how to work together. Dennison, who is from Sun City, Arizona, said she stayed in Merced for more than two weeks to complete training and testing with her assistance dog. At the end of the first week, participants were handed a leash with the dog staff had chosen as the best Please see DOG PROGRAM Page 31

June 2015

www.cvbizjournal.com

Tokay student selected to attend Aspen Ideas Festival By KENT HOHLFELD Business Journal writer khohlfeld@cvbizjournal.com

LODI — Julie Fukunaga has been fascinated by science since elementary school. It’s a love that has earned the Tokay High junior a trip to the L.A. Science fair, last year as a sophomore, and led her to be named a Bezos Scholar in her junior year. “I have always had a tendency toward biology,” said Fukunaga. “My favorite part of science is the multidiscipline nature of it. You have all the areas to branch out into other areas.” The Bezos Scholars Program brings 12 of the nation’s top public high school juniors, 12 exceptional educators and six scholars from the African Leadership Academy in South Africa together for the Aspen Ideas Festival from June 27 – July 3. The festival, at the Aspen Institute’s campus in Aspen, Colorado, encourages dialogue and debate on a variety of subjects. “A lot of renowned people in their fields are going to be there,” said Fukunaga who will attend with her teacher Sandra Starr. “It’s good to be near the primary source who is doing the primary research in these areas. It will be really interesting to be involved in this.” The festival, which started in 2005, will include 350 presenters, 200 sessions and 3,000 attendees who study a

PHOTO COURTESY ALENE HASHIMOTO

Tokay junior Julie Fukunaga (right) and her environmental science teacher, Sandra Starr, will attend the Aspen Ideas Festival at the end of June.

variety of disciplines and issues. Fukunaga’s ticket to the festival was punched largely due to her work and community involvement in environmental projects. “Since I had to do my first science project, I’ve been focused a lot on environmental science,” said Fukunaga. “It’s something that is important in an area where the drought is really prominent.”

In order to be selected, she had to submit an application and include three essays that detailed her summer activities, her school activities and her leadership abilities. “I wrote about taking part in Ramadan over the summer,” she said. “I took part in the religious fasting. When the sun was up I didn’t eat or drink. It was an interesting experience.”

Starr, her environmental science teacher, said Fukunaga’s leadership of Tokay High’s Go-Green Club helped her selection. She also worked with the group Tree Lodi which planted more than 40 trees in Peterson Park. “She’s one of those people that doesn’t just have great ideas, but rather someone that has great ideas and actually takes the steps to put them into action,” said Starr. “She recently worked with three other amazing Tokay students to design a drought friendly solar powered hydroponics systems to grow strawberries and other garden plants.” Fukunaga also helped with clean-up efforts Tokay High and Lodi Lake. “My work with all the different clubs has been a good way to branch together all the different clubs,” she said. Following the festival, the program encourages its scholars to create “local ideas festivals” on important and relevant issues in their hometowns. Since 2005, Bezos scholars have launched more than 170 such festivals across the United States and South Africa. “The Aspen Ideas Festival is the perfect forum to inspire young people and educators,” said Jackie Bezos, president of the Bezos Family Foundation. “We continue to be amazed by the remarkable passion and perspective our scholars bring to the world’s most pressing issues.”

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Central Valley Business Journal

June 2015

OLDEST BUSINESSES

In San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced Counties. Ranked by Year Established. Ties are Listed in Alphabetical Order. Rank

Company name Address

Local phone Year Web address Established

Original name Location

Current line of business

Original owner(s)

Current top local executive

Jack Tone Ranch 9649 N. Jack Tone Road Stockton, CA 95215

(209) 931-4972 jacktoneranch.com

1849

Jack Tone Ranch Stockton

Horse ranch Weddings and Events

Jack Tone Marjory Tone

Kathleen Tone Hammer Jerry Hammer

Pacific Storage Company 523 N. Hunter Street Stockton, CA 95201

(209) 320-6600 pacificstorage.com

1856

Pacific Leather Tannery Stockton

Moving and storage, business record storage, shredding

Charles & Jacob Wagner

Greg Tudor CEO

Bank of Stockton 301 E. Miner Avenue Stockton, CA 95202

(209) 929-1600 bankofstockton.com

1867

Stockton Savings & Loan Society Stockton

Banking

Doug Eberhardt President

Douglass Eberhardt Jr. President

Dohrmann Insurance Agency 3255 W. March Lane, Ste. 200 Stockton, CA 95219

(209) 478-1400 dohrins.com

1868

Dohrmann Insurance Agency Stockton

Insurance

Charles W. Dohrmann

Greg and George Dohrman

Connolly Ranch, Inc. P.O. BOX 1122 Tracy, CA 95376

(209) 836-0768 connollyranch.com

1872

Connolly Ranch San Joaquin and Alameda Counties

Cattle Ranch Natural grassfed Angus beef

Patrick Connolly

Mark V. Connolly

V.A. Rodden, Inc. 4000 Ellenwood Road Oakdale, CA 95361

(209) 847-0928 N/A

1878

Jackson Bros. Oakdale

Agriculture - Farming

Vernon Rodden

William R. Jackson

Lodi News Sentinel 125 N. Church Street Lodi, CA 95240

(209) 369-2761 lodinews.com

1881

Lodi Sentinel Lodi

Daily newspaper

Ralph Ellis and Family

Fred Weybret Chairman

Stockton Wheel Service 648 W. Fremont Street Stockton, CA 95203

(209) 464-7771 stocktonwheel.com

1883

Stockton Wheel Service Stockton

Wheels and component parts

Holt Brothers

Andre Chau

F. J. Dietrich & Co. 2155 W. March Lane, Ste. 2-E Stockton, CA 95207

(209) 952-6000 N/A

1887

Diedrich & Leistner Stockton

Personal & commercial insurance, real estate

E. Grunsky, F. J. Diedrich G. Leistner

F. J. Diedrich IV

Modesto Irrigation District 1231 11th Street Modesto, CA 95354

(209) 526-7337 mid.org

1887

Modesto Irrigation District Modesto

Public-owned utility, irrigation, and electricity

Public owned

Roger VanHoy General Manager

A.L. Gilbert Company 304 N. Yosemite Avenue Oakdale, CA 95361

(209) 847-1721 None

1892

Farmers Warehouse Oakdale

Grain and feed

Amos Lawrance Gilbert

Dave Gilbert President/CEO

The Record 530 E. Market Street Stockton, CA 95202

(209) 943-6397 recordnet.com

1895

The Stockton Evening News Stockton

Daily newspaper

Irving Martin Sr.

Roger Coover President/Publisher

Henderson Brothers 217 S. Sacramento Street Lodi, CA 95240

(209) 369-3671 hendersonslodi.com

1896

Henderson Brothers Lodi

Plumbing, HVAC, Sheet metal

Tom & Wood Henderson

James W. Mc Connell

Humphrey’s College 6650 Inglewood Avenue Stockton, CA 95378

(209) 478-0800 humphreys.edu

1896

Stockton Business College Stockton

Business, Liberal Arts and College of Law

F.R. Clark

Robert G. Humphrey President

Tracy Press 131 W. 10th Street Tracy, CA 95376

(209) 835-3030 tracypress.com

1898

Tracy Press Tracy

Daily newspaper

Thomas Duffy

Will Fleet

Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Medical Center 1800 N. California Street Stockton, CA 95204

(209) 943-2000 stjosephscares.org

1899

St. Joseph’s Home and Hospital Stockton

Healthcare/hospital

Dominican Sisters of San Rafael

Donald J. Wiley President

Ward Office Furniture Co. 220 Tully Road Modesto, CA 95350

(209) 523-2815 wardofficefurniture.com

1905

J.L. Ward Furniture Company Modesto

Office furniture store

John L. Ward

John Ward

J.S. West & Co. 501 9th Street Modesto, CA 95354

(209) 577-3221 jswest.com

1909

J.S. West & Co., Feed & Seed Modesto

Propane and egg processing

James S. West

Gary West President

Barton Ranch, Inc. 22398 S. McBride Road Escalon, CA 95320

(209) 838-8930 goldriverorchards.com

1912

Barton Ranch Escalon

Walnut and olive farming

P. F. Barton E. J. Barton

Brent Barton President

Fiscalini Farms 7231 Covert Road Modesto, CA 95358

(209) 545-5495 fiscalinicheese.com

1912

John B. Fiscalini Dairy Modesto

Dairy, farm and cheese company

John Baptiste Fiscalini

John Brian Fiscalini

Mark-Ease Products 132 S. Aurora Street Stockton, CA 95202

(209) 462-8632 markease.com

1912

Mark-Ease Products Stockton

Signs

John Markey

Karl Gassner

Winton, Ireland, Strom & Green 627 E. Canal Drive Turlock, CA 95381

(209) 667-0995 wintonireland.com

1913

G.H. Winton Insurance Agency Turlock

Insurance

G. H. Winton

Mike Ireland Sr.

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

(209) 466-4313 stocktongolfcc.com

1914

Stockton Golf & Country Club Stockton

Golf Course

Local citizens

Bob Young, PGA

Farmers & Merchants Bank of Central California 121 W. Pine Street Lodi, CA 95240

(209) 367-2300 fmbonline.com

1916

Farmers & Merchants Bank of Lodi Lodi

Banking

Shareholders

Kent Steinwert President/CEO

Harder’s Print Shop 132 S. Broadway Turlock, CA 95380

(209) 634-5456 hardersprintshop.com

1919

Harder’s Print Shop Turlock

Printing

Frank Harder

Donna Pierce

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 05/2015

June 2015

www.cvbizjournal.com

"Apparently there is nothing that cannot happen today" Mark Twain

By the time Mark Twain was writing of jumping frogs, the "can do" spirit of the San Joaquin Valley's pioneers ensured that our agricultural economy was already well established. In the following decades the region's visionaries furthered the valley's position as an agricultural powerhouse. New methods of farming, irrigation systems to tame the wild water, and transportation systems over road, rail and river all contribute to the valley’s continued success.

The A. L. Gilbert family is thankful to have had the opportunity to stand shoulder to shoulder with the dreamers and the doers who have nurtured this abundant valley over the last century. In the 21st century our valley remains one of the world’s premier food producing regions. We firmly believe that by continuing to work with our partners and friends, in the San Joaquin Valley there is nothing that cannot happen today.

A. L. Gilbert Company since 1892 Oakdale Commercial • Farmers Warehouse • Lockwood Seed & Grain • Colorado Sweet Gold • Volkman Seed Factory

Central Valley Business Journal

June 2015

Merced farmers market key to downtown reboot By KENT HOHLFELD Business Journal writer khohlfeld@cvbizjournal.com

MERCED — The Merced Certified Farmers Market is on the move. The market, which had been located at the corner of 19th and N streets since its inception in 1980, has moved to Bob Hart Square between Canal and M streets on the 16th Street side. The move served two primary purposes. First, UC Merced is building a facility across the street from the market’s old location. That makes getting to the market difficult for customers, and construction crews wanted to use the market’s old location in their efforts. The second reason for the move is that it allows the market to become the centerpiece of downtown revitalization efforts. “The city and Chamber came to us and said they would like to make us a focal point of downtown revitalization and asked us if we would be willing to move,” said Merced Certified Farmers Market manager RoseAnn Serrano. “It took a few months to do it.” The move had been in the works for more than six months as the farmers market, Merced Main Street Association, the Merced Chamber of Commerce and the city of Merced worked to finalize details and finish needed permits. The move became official on

ELIZABETH STEVENS/CVBJ

Jim Shasky of Shasky Farms in Le Grand helps customers at the Merced Certified Farmers Market.

May 8 when the market debuted in its new location. “The market will probably have more exposure,” Serrano said. “I think it will be a good thing for downtown and for us.” The Merced Main Street Association, a group of downtown businesses aimed at revitalizing the area, also believes the move will be good for everyone involved. The group hopes

“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 their bottom line through print, digital and local Ron & Colleen Winter, Owners events.” “The most trusted source of positive, local business news in San Joaquin and Direct Appliance Inc. and Direct by Flooring & Home Inc. their business, Stanislaus counties. Providing value to readers helping them grow 2424 McHenry Ave., Modesto, CA 95350 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, Advertising in the Business Journal getsprint, ourdigital message grow their careers and increase their bottom line through and local events. “The most sourcebuyers, of positive,and localalso business news in San in” front of trusted qualified supports a Joaquin news and Stanislaus counties. Providing value to readers by helping them grow their business, the local that and arelocal growmedium their careersdedicated and increase to their bottom linebusinesses through print, digital events.”the “Thebackbone most trusted source local business in San Joaquin of ourof positive, communities. Wenews always see and Stanislaus counties. Providing value to readers by helping them grow their business, salesand results the Business grow their careers increasefrom their bottom line throughJournal! 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 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, 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

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to build around the market to create a fair-like atmosphere. Organizers want to include music, art vendors and restaurants in their efforts. “We used to have a Thursday night event with a variety of vendors,” said Merced Main Street Association President Daniel Kazakos. “We hope to have the area school children’s bands and musicians included at some point.”

The vendors hope the new location’s prominence will attract more customers to the market. “It’s a high visibility spot,” said Greater Merced Chamber of Commerce Chief Operating Officer Jennifer Krumm. “It will bring more foot traffic. We are inviting people, not just from Merced, but the whole area to visit downtown and see how beautiful it is.” One concern for the market and its vendors in making the move was the challenge people may have finding the new location. “It’s going to be a change for a lot of people,” said Lesanne Jacobsen, who is a member of market’s board of directors and sells lamb meat. “I am looking on the optimistic side that people will be able to find us, and it will work for everyone involved.” The hope is the change will help separate Merced’s market from its numerous competitors. There are total of 729 certified markets in California, including 33 markets spread from Lodi to Merced, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “It’s kind of tough to keep all the markets going.” said Serrano. “We actually have farmers that would like to come, but we have to make sure we have enough customers to justify having more tents. Hopefully the new location will help with that.”

Community Star

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STOCKTON • TRACY • LODI • MANTECA • LATHROP • ESCALON • RIPON MERCED • LIVINGSTON

MODESTO • CERES • TURLOCK • OAKDALE • PATTERSON LOS BANOS • ATWATER

ELIZABETH STEVENS/CVBJ

Cheryl Francis of the Grace and Mercy Charitable Foundation accepts the Community Star award at the 13th United Way Power of One luncheon. Francis was recognized as “a member of our community who has demonstrated a passion and commitment to making a difference in the lives of those most in need.”

June 2015

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Accelerated nursing program graduates latest class STOCKTON — Two dozen nursing students from CSU Stanislaus’ accelerated nursing program graduated May 2 with a pinning ceremony at the Stockton Center. One at a time, each of the 25 students had their nurse’s pin attached to their jacket by a loved one. The accelerated nursing program was started in 2011 to graduate more nurses with bachelor of science degrees in the Central Valley. Since then,

CVBJ

72 nurses have graduated from the program, including this cohort. Through the accelerated nursing program, students who already have bachelor’s degrees in other disciplines can earn a nursing degree in 18 months instead of the usual three years. “It’s very fast-paced and very intense,” said CSU Stanislaus’ director of the School of Nursing, Dr. Debbie Tavernier. Health care is changing because of the Affordable Care Act. Nurses are

now at the forefront of caregiving, according to Tavernier. She said the demand is growing, not just for nurses, but for nurses with a bachelor’s degree. “They end up getting more critical thinking and clinical reasoning, which is what sets them apart from other RNs,” said Tavernier. CSU Stanislaus was recently recognized by NurseJournal.org as one of the top 5 percent of nursing schools in the western United States.

One of the graduates is Melissa Pereira. She used to work as a teacher, but in 2010 she suffered a herniated disc and underwent three surgeries. She said she met “extraordinary nurses” while she was in the hospital. “That’s when I knew I wanted to be one of those nurses. And I’ve never looked back,” Pereira said. She described the program as long but said it went by “super fast.” Pereira already as a job in Carson City.

DOG PROGRAM

fit for them. Participants in the assistance program are never allowed to choose their own dog. They are paired through assessments conducted during the first week of camp. For Dennison, the experience was emotional. “I just cried so hard,” she said. After the leash was handed to Dennison, she retreated to her hotel room for bonding. For two days, the leash remained around her wrist and attached to her new companion at all times. She even went as far as to shower with her arm stretched out, still attached to the leash. She didn’t leave the room except to take out the dog. “You don’t break that leash,” she said. “It’s your time to bond with the dog.” After week two was complete, a test was administered. Dennison recalled the test lasting approximately three hours as she and her dog, Nate, went out in public and completed several tasks. At the end, they both passed. Nate has been Dennison’s assistance dog for three years. As her condition has worsened, Nate has adjusted to meet her needs. When she started spending part of her time in a wheelchair, she called Warren. Nate had already been trained to assist with the wheelchair, but Dennison needed to know how to command him to do so. Together, they worked it out. “She is always there,” Dennison said of Warren. “It’s like this trainer that you can work with indefinitely.” Dogs and people with disabilities are not the only ones who benefit from CCA’s assistance dog program. The nonprofit trains volunteer at-risk teenagers to train dogs at CCA. They complete an eight-month training program with four-and-ahalf hours of class each week and bimonthly outings. All of the participants come through the county’s human resources department. CCA welcomes local businesses to lend a hand. From sponsoring events to donating gift cards to use as raffle prizes, there is always something they can do to help, Warren said. Businesses can call CCA at (209) 723-2777 to get involved. Community members can also help. Dogs that do not pass the tests for a variety of reasons are available for adoption. The fee is $350 for trained, neutered or spayed dogs.

Continued from Page 26

Lighting rebates

HVAC rebates

High efficiency Refrigerator motor rebates recycling program

Central Valley Business Journal

June 2015

HOTELS

In San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced Counties. Ranked by Number of Guest Rooms. Ties are Listed in Alphabetical Order. Company name Rank Address

General manager

Maximum meeting Number of capacity guest rooms Phone banquet-style Number of theater-style Web address meeting rooms stand-up/reception

Amenities

Total number of employees

Kole Siefken (209) 526-6000 modesto.doubletree.com

258 25

1,000 1,800 1,600

Pool and fitness room, wireless lobby, business center, room service, ATM and audio/visual equipment

182

Hilton Stockton 2323 Grand Canal Boulevard Stockton, CA 95207

George Kaplanis (209) 957-9090 stocktonhilton.com

198 15

360 400 500

Full service resteraunt & bar, pool and fitness room, dry cleaning, coin laundry, business center, ATM and a Am onsite Starbucks

110

Clarion Inn Conference Center 1612 Sisk Road Modesto, CA 95350

Mikr Karimi (209) 521-1612 clarionhotel.com

186 14

350 500 400

Bar & Grill, outdoor and indoor pools, business center, wireless room and pet friendly w/fee

Quality Inn 2717 W. March Lane Stockton, CA 95219

Rosa Rojas (209) 477-5576 qualityinn.com

165 0

N/A

Outdoor pool, free breakfast, free weekday paper, and free coffee

La Quinta Inn 2710 W. March Lane Stockton, CA 95219

Greg Hughes (209) 952-7800 lq.com

151 2

20 30 30

Heated pool, coin laundry, breakfast, pets free, 32” TVs, free WiFi and vending machines

Clarion Inn & Suites 4219 E. Waterloo Road Stockton, CA 95215

Champ Patel (209) 931-3131 clarioninnstockton.com

141 5

250 300 300-500

Guest laundry, fitness room, outdoor pool and whirlpool, wireless Internet and pets w/fee

Best Western Plus Heritage Inn 111 E. March Lane Stockton, CA 95207

Pao Vang (209) 474-3301 ramadastocktonhotel.com

136 5

200 250 250

Outdoor pool, hot tub, coin laundry, fitness room, free breakfast, pets and dry cleaning

Park Radison Inn 1720 Sisk Road Modesto, CA 95350

Darlene Davis (209) 577-3825 courtyardmodesto.com

126 3

60 80 100

Ouddoor spa & pool, coin laundry, fitness room, in-room refrigerator and pets allowed

Comfort Inn 2654 W. March Lane Stockton, CA 95207

Amit Patel (209) 478-4300 comfortinn.com

121 2

N/A 25 30

Pool, vending machines, free breakfast, dry cleaning, refrigerators in suites and pets allowed

Best Western Palm Court Inn 2001 W. Orangeburg Avenue Modesto, CA 95350

Trushill Khatri (209) 521-9000 ramada.com

114 3

50 70 70

Pool, spa, fitness room, pets, WiFi, microwave and refrigerator and a free breakfast

University Plaza Waterfront Hotel 110 W. Fremont Street Stockton, CA 95202

Angie Guzman (209) 944-1140 universityplazawaterfronthotel.com

110 6

360 400 450

Oudoor heated pool, fitness room, pets w/deposit, shuttle service, room service and free WiFi

Residence Inn 3240 W. March Lane Stockton, CA 95219

Katie Green (209) 472-9800 marriott.com/sckri

104 2

80 80 80

Outdoor pool & whirlpool, fitness room, laundry room, dry cleaning, pets allowed and a free breakfast

Best Western Executive Inn & Suites 1415 E. Yosemite Avenue Manteca, CA 95336

Trushil Khatri (209) 825-1415 bestwesterncalifornia.com

101 3

160 250 170

Hot breakfast, microwave and refrigerator, 80 channels

Days Inn - Modesto 1312 McHenry Avenue Modesto, CA 95350

Bert Tabrizi (209) 527-1010 modestodaysinn.com

101 2

50 75 60

Outdoor pool, coin laundry, free full breakfast, pets allowed and in-room refrigerator

Hampton Inn & Suites - Lodi 1337 S. Beckman Road Lodi, CA 95240

Martin Murallon (209) 369-2700 lodisuites.hamptoninn.com

101 2

56 72 72

Pool and fitness room, free coffee and breakfast, safety deposit box and business center

Candlewood Suites 1000 Powers Court Turlock, CA 95380

Wannetta Carter (209) 250-1501 candlewoodsuites.com

89 1

8 8 8

Free laundry, fitness room, in-rm refrigerator, dry cleaning p/u, pets and back patio

Courtyard by Marriott - Stockton 3252 W. March Lane Stockton, CA 95219

Katie Green (209) 472-9700 marriott.com/sckst

89 2

40 40 50

Pool and fitness center, coin laundry, dry cleaning, refrigerators and mini market

Wine & Roses Hotel•Restaurant•Spa 2505 W. Turner Road Lodi, CA 95242

Russ Munson (209) 334 - 6988 winerose.com

86 5

350 450 700

Pool and fitness center, gardens and Aveda products in rooms

Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites 15688 S. Harlan Road Lathrop, CA 95330

Dorine Julius (209) 373-2700 bestwesternlathrop.com

81 1

110 110 110

Pool, fitness center, free breakfast buffet, free high speed Internet, business center and laundry facility

Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites 179 Commerce Avenue Manteca, CA 95336

Anan Dhillon (209) 239-5600 mantecahie.com

72 1

64 72 58

Pool and fitness center, free breakfast buffet, high speed Internet, business center and a BBQ pit

Doubletree Hotel - Modesto 1150 9th Street Modesto, CA 95354

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 05/2015

June 2015

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Central Valley Business Journal

June 2015

Funneling customers from start to finish That darn Internet changed everything. It not only changed where people go to shop, but more importantly how people make purchasing decisions. According to the Corporate Executive Board Marketing Leadership Council, the average B2B customer has already gone through 60 percent of the purchase decision-making process before engaging a sales representative. Gone are the days of an uninformed consumer. With readily available information at consumers’ fingertips, leads are actively qualifying vendors and comparing products before they’re on your radar. That’s why the role of marketing and your digital brand is increasingly becoming a more integral part of the sales process. As such, it’s vital for sales departments and the cool guys in marketing to not just co-exist, but to gain alignment in messaging, tactics and process. Choose your funnel In order to align, sales and marketing must use the same terminology and agree on the customer buying journey. If your sales team is regularly complaining about getting bad leads or if it’s secretly creating its own “marketing material,” then most likely you don’t have a well-defined sales and marketing funnel. The sales and marketing funnel

describes a customer’s journey from initial contact to final sale and is different for each organization. At Port City, we define our own funnel using the following lead stages: 1. Suspect, 2. Lead Nurture, 3. Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL), 4. Sales Accepted Lead (SAL), 5. Opportunity, and 6. Customer. Some corporations add a Dan Natividad Sales Qualified Partner Lead (SQL) stage before the Port City Marketing SAL Stage. Suspect: For leads at this stage, most likely we have their name, email address, some demographics but not much else. For these folks, brand awareness is the objective. Lead Nurture: Leads in this stage have shown some interest in our brand. Either they’ve visited our website, attended a seminar or webinar, or downloaded a white paper. In other words, they’re interested, but they’re not yet “sales ready.”

Brand Building

Marketing Qualified Lead: These are leads who have, 1. engaged heavily with our brand, 2. fit our target market demographic profile (i.e. someone who can benefit from and afford our services), and 3. are ready to make a purchase decision. These people fit our MQL profile and are considered “sales ready.” Sales Accepted Lead: In midsized and large corporations, the SAL or SQL stage is where the formal handoff from sales to marketing happens. For high volume sales organizations, an inside sales rep will call the lead to further gauge interest and define specific needs. If there’s a fit, the lead will be passed onto a more senior sales executive (i.e. the closer). If there isn’t a fit, the lead gets kicked back to marketing or removed from the funnel. It’s also important at this stage for sales to document why leads aren’t a good fit. This allows marketing to refine the MQL profile. Opportunity: At this stage our staff has qualified the lead for a specific sales opportunity and is actively working it. We’ll pursue the opportunity until they become a customer. In some cases a lead automatically become an opportunity, for instance when we receive an RPF out of the blue. If the opportunity turns cold, we may remove them from our sales funnel or kick them back to the Lead

Nurture stage. Customer: If you’ve reached this stage, congratulations! Now comes the hard part. Ironically the final stage is just the beginning, and the real work starts. Message and tactics Defining your funnel not only creates common terminology, it also gives marketing direction on how to segment messaging and tactics to specific audiences. For instance, we normally shut down drip campaign emails once a lead enters the Opportunity Stage of the funnel. You wouldn’t want an off topic, automated email to interfere with a sales rep’s efforts. With regard to messaging, distinct goals such as brand awareness, product differentiation, and relationship building are more appropriate for different parts of your funnel than others. We hope that by explaining Port City’s funnel, we’ve inspired you to explore your own. How do you keep track of these leads? Well, as mentioned in our previous article, robust customer relationship management is a good start. – Dan Natividad, a Stockton native, is a partner at Port City Marketing Solutions along with Kristen Dyke and Erin Diego. Dan can be reached at dan@portcitymarketing.com

How to let employees work anywhere and keep data safe It’s 2015. Your employees want their critical business files with them wherever they go, including on their personal smartphones, tablets or even home computers. Industry analysts have dubbed the trend of personal device use in the workplace as “bring your own device,” or BYOD. Unfortunately, the growth in mobility, BYOD and the desire to work anywhere creates a number of new challenges for protecting corporate data. In my opinion, consumer-grade file sync services, such as Dropbox or Microsoft OneDrive, empower users to sync their work data and files with their mobile phones and home PCs, but they can be a recipe for disaster from the perspectives of data privacy, security and compliance. There is an alternate approach for security conscious organizations. Savvy and growth-oriented organizations know that you should enable employees to be productive wherever they go but without compromising the security and control of sensitive corporate data. Business-grade file sync services deliver users all the key benefits they expect, such as the ability to sync files between work PCs, the web and a range of personal devices, such as phones, tablets and home office computers. What’s more, companies with legacy file servers can also sync the

server to the cloud and better connect distributed employees with their corporate data. Here are five ways businessgrade file syncing can boost employee productivity: #1 Don’t fear mobility Nearly everyone has a smartphone and/or a tablet. Businessgrade file sync enables users to David sync their work Darmstandler and corporate Vice President files from their main work PC to of DataPath, Inc. remote computers and mobile devices. Users can confidently go in the field on meetings or a short business trip and leave the laptop at the office since all of their critical files are at their fingertips. #2 Take the limits off In the past it has been very difficult for business users to share large files with colleagues, clients and vendors. Email is the wrong method to share large files because email servers often have file size limitations. To complicate things further, with the state of spam defense in most organizations, large files will get

Tech Top 5

stuck in the send queue without the user being notified that it hasn’t been sent. Business-grade sync solutions enable users to instead share files with web links pointing to files and folders stored in the cloud. #3 Stay sensitive Business users of all types need to send confidential and sensitive business data to colleagues, clients and business partners. In some industry verticals, virtually all external communications may involve highly sensitive documents. Secure sharing capabilities are vital for professionals who must interact with numerous clients and collaborate with people outside their organization. Business-grade sync services enable users to securely share files because the sender can force the recipient to register as a guest user before retrieving the file from the web. #4 Go the distance Organizations today are more distributed than ever. Most businesses are locating employees geographically closer to clients and business partners in order to facilitate better service and business relationships. Therefore, collaboration and effective communication, despite distances, are essential to successful organizations. Business-grade file sync is one critical tool that thriving organizations need to keep employees connected,

productive and happy. #5 Stay collaborative Business-grade sync solutions facilitate frequent collaboration with guest users. A licensed user can set up a special collaboration folder in the cloud and then invite guest users to upload, share, download and manage the content in the shared folder. Because users are collaborating in a secure web folder, file size limitations and security issues are eliminated. Licensed users can simultaneous have numerous different shared, collaboration folders in use at any one time. As a business professional, you know you need to work smarter, not harder. If you’re looking to streamline workflow and enable flexibility in your workforce, consider a business-grade file sync service. – David Darmstandler is vice president of Datapath, an IT services company with headquarters in Modesto. You can reach him at david@mydatapath.com.

June 2015

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Six more steps to implement effective change Great leaders can have a clear vision, strong communication skills, industry knowledge, buy-in and trust from staff as well as all the other skills effective leaders traditionally possess. However, if the leader can’t implement change, then the other skills mean very little. The true measure of a leader is the success he or she has in implementing change in organizations. Sometimes it’s a small, corrective change and sometimes it’s a drastic, gut wrenching change. Last month I began sharing ways to implement change within your organization. This month I will share with you six more steps to implementing effective, lasting change regardless of the severity of the adjustment. • It is important to create a timeline for the change process. When does the new process begin? How will people be trained on this new process? How long will we support the old way? Create a clear timeframe that will allow you to manage expectations with employees, reduce stress and hold people accountable for their role in the change process. • One of a manager’s key roles is removing or reducing obstacles to allow employees to be successful. Asking someone to do something that is different from what they are comfortable doing can be challenging. As a leader it is important that we removed any obstacles that can hinder the progress toward their success

and our goals. This helps ensure that employees are successful and believe in the value of the change. • People fear what they don’t know or don’t understand. If we take time to train employees on the new system, software, process or procedure, it allows them to be more comfortable in the process. Peter Johnson The more you Pacific - Eberhardt train them the School of Business more likely they will be successful. The more successful they are, the more they will support the change. • When asking employees to do something new, we are asking them to trust us that this is a better way that will allow the organization to be more competitive, more efficient and more successful. The best way to motivate people to continue with the change is for them to have success. I tell clients to find the low hanging fruit and point their employees toward it. Give them a taste of success early on to motivate them to continue with the change. • If we are implementing change it is important that periodically we review the progress of the change.

What is working and what isn’t? Is the new process delivering the results we hoped to gain? Do we have buyin from employees or are they going through the motions waiting for “this experiment” to end? Why or why not is staff onboard with this change? What could we do differently to improve the effectiveness of this change? • As a final step to achieving successful change, I would encourage you to maintain clear, accurate communication throughout the whole process. A great tool that I heard about for maintaining communication in a change process is to have a daily huddle. Like a football huddle, the players (employees in this case) form a circle and the leader makes sure everyone is one the same page. This allows people to regularly share information regarding success, obstacles, concerns or other information. Implementing change is often seen as a negative experience for employees. People tend to like what they are comfortable doing. A new process is

often seen as a waste of time that will make them less efficient and effective. The reality is that with a little structure, communication and support we can move employees from digging in their heels to supporting change that leads to a successful organization. – Peter Johnson has been working with organizations for over 20 years to help them achieve their goals through better leadership and can be reached at peterjohnson@pacific.edu.

An S corporation is a corporation that has elected under the Internal Revenue Code to be taxed as a small business corporation pursuant to Section 1362. This allows it to avoid the double taxation it would face if it were taxed as a C corporation. Another benefit is the possible avoidance of Social Security and Medicare taxes on distributions of profits. However, not all small businesses can qualify as an S corporation. Here are the basic requirements to make the S election: • have 100 shareholders or fewer have only eligible shareholders (individual, certain trusts and estates) • have no nonresident aliens as shareholders • have only one class of stock • have no more than 25 percent of gross receipts from passive investment income for more than three consecutive years if it’s a former C corporation. The issues that typically jeopardize the S election are the eligibility of shareholders and the one class of stock requirement. S corporation shareholders generally have to be individuals. A partnership entity is not an eligible shareholder of an S corporation. Trusts and estates can be eligible shareholders of an S corporation, but additional

rules have to be followed. For trusts, a grantor trust is a permissible shareholder if all the income of the trust is taxed to the grantor/settlor of the trust. Other types of irrevocable trusts in which the income is taxed to someone other than the grantor/ settlor of the trust can be a permissible shareholder, but additional elections have Jason Harrel to be made. For Calone & Harrel example, if an irrevocable trust is Law Group set up by someone and the income from the trust is to be paid to another single individual, then an additional Qualified Subchapter S Trust (QSST) election must be made. Alternatively, if an irrevocable trust is set up by someone and the income from the trust is to be taxed to more than one individual, then an Electing Small Business Trust (ESBT) election has to be made. Failure to file either of these additional elections can cause the S election to be terminated. That, in

turn, would cause the corporation to be taxed as a C corporation subject to double taxation. Care should be taken when you have an S corporation with multiple shareholders. Strong consideration should be made to having a Shareholder Agreement or Buy-Sell Agreement that restricts who the shares can be transferred to. Such a Shareholder Agreement would provide that if someone makes a transfer to an impermissible shareholder which would cause the termination of the S election, that transfer would be deemed void or would trigger a buy-sell as of the date of the impermissible transfer. Such agreements should also contain consents from the offending shareholder to the filing of amended tax returns to correct the previously filed incorrect tax returns and require payment of damages for the violation of the Shareholder Agreement. This can be a complicated agreement and care should be taken in drafting of it. Although the Internal Revenue Code contains provisions for relief from inadvertent election terminations, one does not want to rely on the IRS’ forgiveness. A backup Shareholder Agreement should be in place to address an impermissible transfer.

Another issue that typically comes up with S corporations is the one class of stock requirement. That requirement means that all shareholders have the same rights and privileges with respect to their stock. Most importantly, distributions of profit are made to all the shareholders according to their percentage interest in the company. Any other distribution to shareholders need to take place through payroll compensation. To avoid problems with this rule, such compensation agreements should be in writing. However, the one class of stock requirement does not prevent an S corporation from having voting and non-voting shares of stock. So long as shareholders have the same rights and privileges with respect to income, distributions and liquidation proceeds, the presence of voting and non-voting shares will not violate the one class of stock requirement. Overall, S corporations provide a good tax structure for business entities. However, care must be made to maintain the election or drastic tax ramifications can result from a termination of the S election. – Jason W. Harrel is a partner at Calone & Harrel Law Group, LLP. He is a certified specialist in taxation and may be reached at jwh@caloneandharrel.com.

Clear Vision

Be careful with that S corporation election

Taxing Matters

Central Valley Business Journal

June 2015

FLORISTS In San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced Counties. Ranked by Year Established. Ties are listed in Alphabetical Order. Company name

Phone Owner

Specialties and Services

Year Established

209-369-4709 bellesflowershop.com

Belle Reynolds

Weddings, funerals, events and other occasions Large gift selection

1917

Rank Address

Web Address

Belle’s Lodi Flowershop 1420 W. Kettleman Lane Lodi, CA 95242

The Little Flower Shop 84 W. 11th Street Tracy, CA 95376

209-835-1534 flowersintracy.com

Karen and Rich Ferrente

Fresh flowers and gift delivery with an emphasis on customer service Weddings, events and funerals

1941

Hart Floral 1201 McHenry Avenue Modesto, CA 95350

209-524-1401 hartfloral.com

Chris Downing Wilma Downing

Floral arrangements, for weddings and gifts, fresh flowers and plants on site serving the county for 70 years

1943

Kaneko’s Charter Way Florist 5620-A N. Pershing Avenue Stockton, CA 95207

209-956-9087 charterwayflorist.org

George Kaneko

Traditional to contemporary floral arrangements for weddings, funerals, and other special occasions Voted best in San Joaquin many times

1958

Silveria’s Flowers and Gifts 995 Lincoln Center Stockton, CA 95207

209-477-4407 silveriasflowersandgifts.com

Jim Silveria

Anniversaries, birthdays, weddings and funerals

1969

Manteca Floral Company 339 S. Main Street Manteca, CA 95337

209-823-6213 mantecafloral.com

JoAnn Morin

Custom Specilty everyday arrangements Funerals,Weddings and Special events Fresh cut flowers, balloons, house plants and gift baskets available

1979

Janets Flowers & Wedding Chapel 1407 G Street Modesto, CA 95354

209-523-0144 janetsflowersmodesto.com

Johnny & Tammy Matthews

All occasions, holidays, roses, sympathy, seasonal, weddings Plants, gift items, gift baskets, delivery, 24 hour online ordering Wedding Chapel Site: janetsflowersandweddingchapel.com

1982

O.K. Flowers 565 E. Harding Way, Stockton, CA 95204 3909 N. West Lane, Stockton CA 95204 1114 N. Main Street, Manteca, CA 95336

209-466-9506 okflowersstockton.com

Tracy DeBubey

Weddings, funerals and other events 2 Stockton locations and 1 Manteca location

1985

Village Flowers and Gifts 527 West Lodi Avenue Lodi, CA 95242

209-333-3377 villageflowerslodi.com

Jennifer Shields Donald Gareis

Flowers for all occasions

1985

209-579-8770 flowersbyalis.com

Alis B. Youkana

Floral arrangements for weddings, funerals and special events. Houseplants, gifts and fresh flowers available in store

1986

209-892-2583 None

Lety Lopez

Delivery on the west side since 1992 Flowers for all occations, balloons, plants and specilty gifts

1992

209-527-7673 modestoflowergallery.com

Hermic Gorges Sammy Hermes

Floral arrangements for all occasions

1995

209-664-1600 flowershopofamerica.com

Violet Vaza

Full service flower shop, arrangements for all occasions Fresh flowers, exotic, European, roses, orchids, plants, silk and dried flowers

1994

209-869-8676 designsbykarenflowers.com

Karen Bickford

Houseplants, fresh flowers, floral arrangements, balloons and distinctive gifts

1999

10 11 12 13 14

Flowers by Alis 1009 McHenry Avenue, #A Modesto, CA 95350 Blue Floral Company 30 S Del Puerto Avenue Patterson, CA 95363 Flower Gallery 950 Oakdale Road Modesto, CA 95355 Designer’s Choice Floral 425 N Soderquist Road Turlock, CA 95380 Designs by Karen Flowers & Gifts 3306 Santa Fe Street Riverbank, CA 95367

J&S Flowers 440 W. Harding Way Stockton, CA 95202

209-944-9600 jandsflowers.net

Luiz Sanches Joel Sanches

Floral arrangements for every occasion, including weddings, funerals, birthdays and holidays House plants available

1999

Woodbridge Florist 18964 Lower Sacramento Road Woodbridge, CA 95258

209-333-0223 floristlodica.com

Sharon Tucker Charles Meyer

Fresh arrangements, gifts ware, weddings, funerals, baby showers and special occasions

1999

Hand Creations Floral Shop 2307 Lawrence Street Ceres, CA 95307

209-531-2307 handcreationsflora.net

Leticia Casillas

Weddings, quinceaneras, sweet sixteen, birthday parties, corporate events, baby showers, graduation parties and funerals

2001

Sweet Peas Floral Design 6231 Pacific Avenue, Ste. A-2 Stockton, CA 95207

209-472-9284 spfloraldesigns.com

Katie Wendland

Specialize in weddings and special events; also anniversaries, showers, and sympathy arrangements; rental items for special events

2004

Michelle’s Flower Cart 2001 Pacific Avenue Stockton, CA 95204

209-464-7971 michellesflowercart.com

Twigs and Stems 429 McHenry Avenue Modesto, CA 95354

209-521-8944 twigsandstems.com

Reg and Rebecca Merritt

Weddings, special events, by-the-stem flowers, plants from succulents to orchids Full service florist

2010

Promises & Dreams Bouquets Lockford, CA 95237

209-727-7006 promisesanddreamsboquets .weebly.com

Pam Forbes

Custom silk bridal party flowers Flowers to last a life time, simple to elaborate, one of a kinds

2013

Flowers, Gifts Souvenirs Michelle Fernandez Event and wedding planning, balloon and basket arrangements We custom tailor for your needs

2010

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 Dr., Ste. E, Stockton, CA 95219, fax your information to Research Dept. at (209) 477-0211 or email research@cvbizjournal.com. Copy right Central Valley Business Journal.

Researched By Danette Conley 05/2015

June 2015

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Central Valley Business Journal

June 2015

Emotional intelligence and great customer service You’ve no doubt heard of emotional intelligence. The concept comes from the book Emotional Intelligence by Dan Goleman. The Seven Keys I’ve developed have grown out that book. They provide us with step-by-step ways to positively answer the two questions customers are asking: “Do you care?” and, “Can I trust you?” Embrace our own story Our own story is very powerful, especially the painful embarrassing parts of it that include financial hardships, educational setbacks, relational disappointments and such. These not-so-fun things helps be human, relate to our customer issues and genuinely say to them,“I’m just like you.” The golden rule of customer service is “Respect your customer as you respect yourself.” Disrespectful customer service comes from disrespecting ourselves. We hear and see this in the mumbled name, failure to make eye contact or in half-hearted service. Those who take time to respect and embrace their own valuable stories are usually engaged in their work and positive with their customers. They have nothing to hide. They hold their heads high and are fully present to serve. Engage in self-awareness Self-awareness informs us — sometimes painfully — of own feelings and

thoughts about those feelings. Instead of denying anger, fear, confusion or sorrow, we let them help us know and grow. Rather than pretending that they are not there, we slow down and visit with ourselves about them. “I’m a ‘mog.’ I’m half man and half dog! I’m my own best friend!” exclaims Barfolomew, the Chewbacca-like John Parker character played Professional by John Candy Development in the Star Wars Adventures spoof-movie, Space Balls. And, as we say to each other in my classes, “Get your ‘mog’ on too!” Practice self-management The self-managed leader is good at: a.) Feeling and thinking — listening thoughtfully and empathetically without getting defensive; b.) Failure — using setbacks as learning opportunities; and, c.) Focusing forward – with a stabilizing vision, mission, and faith. Instead of shouting “Don’t rock the boat,” self-managers get better at positively managing themselves when their boat is rocking. They don’t get

At Your Service

seasick, don’t blame others, and have plenty of joy for customer service. Exercise delayed gratification In the “Stanford marshmallow experiment” children, around age 10, were given a choice. They could immediately eat one marshmallow or get a second one by waiting to eat until the tester got back into the room after being away for a few minutes. Some kids ate their treat right away. Others self-managed and delayed gratification. One boy was observed repeatedly telling himself, “Don’t eat the marshmallow!” The researchers tracked the children for a number of years. Those who delayed gratification did better academically, personally, and professionally. Delayed gratification waits patiently and works hopefully with the customer toward good choices. It avoids manipulating, coercing, tricking, or rushing them. Being empathetic This is where the customer determines if you really care. Being selfaware unlocks the power of empathy. Self-awareness of your own pathos, or pain, increases your ability to sense the feelings and concerns of your customer. Note that em-pathy (em = strong) practices self-management and retains one’s own values and vision. Sym-pathy (sym = same), on the other hand, lures us into identifying so closely with our customer that we lose

our own vision and values. We become vulnerable to their manipulation and pressure and lose sight of our own important goals. Building trust Trust is earned by self-management, individually and corporately. Watching us, our customer decides if they trust us or not. Trust is built on the motto: “No Fuzzy Agreements.” We are assertively both clear and kind. We kindly say what we mean and clearly mean what we say. We don’t over promise and under deliver. If we error it is on under-promising and over delivering. We don’t pressure others to trust us. Trust becomes a discussable topic within and around the deal. We ask questions and make sure the customer can safely ask questions too. Become attractive As we genuinely care and conscientiously build trust we attract customers back to us for repeat business. They become our best advertisers, gladly letting others know of our great products and services. Gone are the smoke and mirrors, half measures, and broken promises. Emotional, social, and relational customer service is here to stay. The customer longs for it. – John Parker is the founder of Sealegs for Success workshops and an instructor for the UC Davis Center for Human Services. You can reach him at john@sealegsforsuccess.com.

What you should know about AB 60 driver’s licenses There are many good reasons why California employers might ask to see a job applicant’s or an employee’s driver’s license. When a job involves driving duties, an employer legitimately would want to verify that the employee can legally drive while on company business. However, a law that recently went into effect in California has turned what used to be a routine inquiry into a potential quagmire of workplace legal issues. As always, this article does not substitute for the advice of legal counsel. It used to be that the California Department of Motor Vehicles was prohibited from issuing a driver’s license to anyone who could not submit proof that he or she was in the United States legally. In 2013, the Legislature adopted AB 60, which created the Federal Limitations Apply (FLA) license. It went into effect on Jan. 1 of this year. A license applicant need not show proof of lawful U.S. residence in order to obtain such a license. As of April 30, 281,000 FLA licenses have been issued in California, according to DMV. In 2014, the Legislature delved further into the matter with the passage of AB 1660. This new law prohibits employer discrimination on the basis that an applicant or employee pos-

sesses a FLA license. The law also provides that an employer cannot require a job applicant or employee to present a driver’s license, unless possessing a driver’s license is required by law or is required by the employer and the employer’s requirement is otherwise perBruce Sarchet mitted by law. Attorney, Littler Interestingly, Mendelson Law Firm the law goes on to state that actions taken by an employer to comply with any requirement under the federal Immigration and Nationality Act is not a violation of AB 1660. Unfortunately, an employer’s obligations under these new state laws may conflict with an employer’s duties under federal immigration law. All job applicants hired in the United States since 1986 must document their identity and their authorization to work in the United States. Without such documentation, applicants may not be

Human Element

lawfully employed. This presents employers with a classic Catch-22. For example, suppose a current employee is promoted into a new job with driving duties. The employee is asked to show his driver’s license. He presents a FLA license. The employer now should probably presume that the employee cannot submit proof of eligibility to work in the United States. Without such proof, the employee cannot be lawfully employed under federal law. But if the employee is then terminated, the employer has arguably violated state law by discriminating against an employee who presented a FLA license. As another example, suppose an applicant submits a FLA license as part of the I-9 process. The employer again has knowledge that the applicant likely is not authorized to work in the United States. The employer might ask for other satisfactory proof for I-9 purposes. If such proof is presented, the employer might be tempted to just ignore the FLA license. That might get the employer over the immediate hurdle, but if the employer is subjected to an immigration audit in the future, the acceptance of the FLA license could be troublesome. Unfortunately, there is no silver bullet solution to these problems.

Employers can take some solace in a statement contained within AB1660 that “an action taken by an employer to comply with any requirement under the federal Immigration and Nationality Act is not a violation of AB 1660.” However, until the actual application of that language is tested in court, its status as a legal defense to potential state law claims remains unclear. For the time being, employers should audit their own protocols and procedures relating to driver’s licenses. An employer should only ask to see a license when it is required to perform job duties. In seeking documentation for I-9 purposes, employers should have a heightened awareness of this new tension in the laws and be sure to fully comply with all obligations under federal immigration law. While the stated purpose of these new laws was to make California’s roadways safer for everyone, the unintended consequences present new and potentially daunting challenges for employers across the Central Valley and all of California. – Bruce Sarchet is an attorney with the firm of Littler Mendelson and represents employers in labor and employment law matters. You can contact him at BSarchet@littler.com.

June 2015

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Central Valley Business Journal

June 2015

How to brand your commercial property Branding is important because it gives a first and lasting impression of what your property has to offer. The goal is to establish a differentiated and significant presence in your market so you can attract and retain loyal tenants and customers. Ultimately, investment in branding your property can create value that exceeds physical value. Here are steps to successfully branding your property: Creating a unique brand How do you create a property brand that stands out from competitors? Some may say location can make the property unique, but take the extra step and link it to a lifestyle benefit for the market your property serves. Develop a vision of the property’s potential and get specific about how it impacts the day-to-day lifestyle of the customers, tenants and prospects. A great example is the former Larkspur Landing shopping plaza, now named Marin Country Mart in Larkspur, California. This property is only about two-and-a-half miles from the San Quentin State Prison, yet this shopping center has become a destination center for local Marinites and Bay Area city dwellers. In 2007, developer Jim Rosenfield revitalized the decaying location with a vision to create the best outdoor shopping experience. The goal was to turn it into something more than a shopping center. He wanted to develop

a unique brand would make the center a destination. Rosenfield curated the center to create an environment that feels like the neighborhood retail venues from the past. With barn-like shops, public gardens, a fish pond, a children’s playground and picnic furniture in the center courtyard, patrons can Ryan Swehla Principal, appreciate just NAI Benchmark being present First Commercial in the shopping center’s environment without having to shop. Build a brand personality Your property should use mood and tone to create a brand personality for your property that speaks to the aspirations of your niche market — just like Coca-Cola presents a lifestyle image beyond the soft drink in the can and buying an Apple product is a statement about creativity. Ask yourself: What are the lifestyle aspirations of your niche market? How does the property at hand fulfill these? Your property should make a connection to your intended market. This

Business Space

can encourage tenants and customers to feel invested in the property and may even help boost its value. Again, the Marin Country Mart is a prime example. For many city-dwellers looking or a refreshing change of pace from their busy lives in the city, they can simply take a 30-minute ferry commute from San Francisco. It is conveniently steps away from the Larkspur Ferry. Locals and visitors can walk or bike to the Country Mart. It’s a retail hub where luxury chains intermingle with local shops and boutiques. Providing a little something for a range of budgets, the shopping center has become popular with locals and tourists. Patrons are also welcome to enjoy family picnics in the open central area of the Country Mart. There are vibrant, live jazz performances on Friday nights, the farmers market on Saturdays and the popular Off the G rid Food Trucks gathering on Sundays. The Marin Country Mart is becoming a socially valuable public space more that is more than just a shopping destination. Create an emotional connection Emotional connection is a powerful way to link your target market to the soul of your brand. It can lead to loyal customers and proactive tenants. Marin Country Mart did that when it created an attractive getaway and social hub destination, but there are other ways to create an emotional con-

nection with your brand. For example, College Square Shopping Center in Stockton took a grassroots approach that engaged the community in the rebranding process. The shopping center is near two large shopping malls. To create an emotional connection to its local target market, the shopping center conveys an image of a community marketplace. Its new logo was created through collaboration with Delta College. In addition, a merchant association was re-established to increase active participation with tenants. The shopping center promotes local culture with the Food Truck Frenzy and there are plans for a farmers market to increase interest. The property has shown significant signs of capital improvement and increased customer traffic of 10-15 percent. Indeed, the best brands understand their niche markets. They make a connection beyond the rational assessment of the object they are presenting. Through advertising campaigns or the retail experience of being able to touch and see the product, successful companies offer an aspirational brand experience that is consistently expressed to every consumer and prospect. – Ryan Swehla is a principal at NAI Benchmark with offices in Modesto and Stockton. He has extensive experience in consulting and project management, You can reach him at ryan@naibenchmark.com.

Why you should be careful about pocket listings Pocket listings, or listings marketed off of the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), used to be an insider term in the real estate business. It denoted properties that were for sale but marketed privately by the listing agent to a select pool of agents and brokers, rather than broad posting on the MLS. Today, this practice is much more mainstream, with reports from sources such as the National Association of Realtors and MLSListings, Inc. that say pocket listings make up as much as 30 percent of listings in Northern California. Buyers and sellers should be educated on the facts surrounding off-MLS transactions. Pocket listings have gained favor because they offer more control over the marketing of the property. For sellers, particularly those who are celebrities or high-profile individuals, keeping the listing more closely held affords privacy and controlled access with showings. The sales price and terms are also kept confidential. Additionally, it keeps unqualified buyers from having access to the property. While this can sound appealing, there are other aspects of this approach that must be weighed. Agents who propose keeping a listing off the MLS have a fiduciary

responsibility to ensure that their seller client is fully aware of all aspects of this type of transaction. In fact, state law dictates that an agent or broker must put the client’s best interest above their own and act in the best interest of the client at all times. Motives can come into question in situations where, unlike Michael Blower MLS prop2015 President, erty listings, the Central Valley agent can often Assoc. of Realtors represent both the buyer and the seller with a pocket listing and get both commission fees. While this is technically not illegal, if this is the motivation for recommending a pocket listing, it violates the Realtor Code of Ethics requiring placing the client’s best interests first. Additionally, when an agent signs a listing agreement with a client, he or she is required to place the listing on the MLS within two days. Failure to do so can result in severe penalties or

Bringing it home

fines. The seller can request, or agree to the agent’s suggestion that a listing not be placed on the MLS, but that requires the seller to sign an “opt-out” form stating that he or she is directing the agent not to place the property listing on the MLS. Agents or brokers should go a step further in telling clients about the benefits being waived by keeping the property off the MLS. The first is broad exposure for their property. When a listing is placed on the MLS, it is afforded exposure to a large pool of potential qualified buyers. That can translate into more offers and higher bids than those received through more limited circulation. Off-MLS marketing of properties, by its nature, restricts the exposure provided to the listing. A broker or agent makes the listing available only to a select group of other agents and in some cases, select or private listing sites, hoping there is a qualified, interested buyer for the property. With less exposure, the potential for finding the right buyer is diminished. Moreover, it will likely receive fewer offers, and the value of those offers may be less than what other bidders might generate. “The actual numbers are startling. In 2014, the median sales price for a

home listed on the MLS was $725,000 compared to the off-MLS price of $566,000,” said MLSListings President Jim Harrison. “In Silicon Valley, every single county examined by MLSListings reflected this same disparity, with on-MLS sales prices reaching as much as 37 percent higher than sales off-MLS.” It’s a rare situation in which getting the best, highest price isn’t the top objective for the seller. With hard data and considerable anecdotal reports showing that pocket listings fail to deliver the maximum sales price as comparable properties listed on the MLS, it is important to assess the merits to go off-MLS. There will always be circumstances where that is the right option for a seller, and more hybrid listing solutions are appearing that bridge the divide between the two options. The keys are being informed about the options and their advantages and disadvantages, and being in control of the decision of how your property is listed to ensure your best interests are served. – Michael Blower is president of the Central Valley Association of Realtors and an agent with Grupe Real Estate. You can reach him at mblower@gogrupe.com.

June 2015

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Do you know about the new health coverage requirements? Health plan of San Joaquin can educate you and your employees about health care coverage options, including qualifications for no-cost programs like Medi-Cal.

Call to learn more!

1•888•896•PLAN (7526) www.hpsj.com

A healthy community of employees is a happy community of people.

Central Valley Business Journal

June 2015

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forts and donations from District 10 employees and the California Transportation Foundation.

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SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

St. Joseph’s Immediate Care Clinic to reopen as primary care center

STANISLAUS COUNTY

BRIEFS Stockton Chamber to honor local businesses STOCKTON — The Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce Business Awards Luncheon is Thursday, June 4 at the Hilton Stockton. Ryan Haggerty of Haggerty Construction, Inc. and David Queirolo of Queirolo’s Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. will be honored as co-Businessman of the Year. Additionally, Victor Randolph of Never Boring Design will be honored as the Stockton Chamber’s Ambassador of the Year. Musco Family Olive will receive the Chamber’s stewardship award for its recycling and composting programs. The luncheon starts at 11:30 a.m., June 4. Tickets are $35 each. Visit www.stocktonchamber.org for more information.

Residents invited to imagine Stockton’s future STOCKTON — Stockton will be one of more than 15 cities that will host an “Imagining” event from 3 to 6 p.m., June 13. In Stockton the event will be hosted at Café Coop, 42 N. Sutter St.. The “Imagining” events are part of a nationwide initiative by the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture that ask community members to envision their cities in the year 2034. “This is not your typical performance, art opening, music recital or town meeting,“ said Natalie Johnson, the USDAC’s local Cultural agent. “We’re looking forward to a lively, creative gathering of community members envisioning the year 2034, when art’s power to engage, connect, uplift, and transform has been woven into all aspects of our hometown.” The goal of the events is to inspire community action and contribute ideas and visions that will shape the USDAC’s policy platform and future programs. Each event is hosted by a local USDAC Cultural agent. The event is open to anyone who wishes to attend.

Lodi student receives $1,000 Caltrans scholarship LODI — Lodi High School graduate John Boger won a $1,000 scholarship from the California Department of Transportation District 10. The district provides a $1,000 scholarship to a college-bound student who plans to pursue a career in the transportation industry. Boger graduated from Lodi High on May 29 with a 2.84 GPA. He plans to attend the University of Nevada-Reno and major in civil engineering with an emphasis on structural engineering. “I’ve been taking engineering and architecture classes to prepare for my studies in college which puts me ahead of most students.” said Boger in a press release. The scholarship is supported by fundraising ef-

STOCKTON — St. Joseph’s Medical Center will close its Immediate Care clinic on east March Lane in north Stockton, but it will reopen as an expanded health clinic operated by Community Medical Centers on or about Aug. 1, the two organizations said in a joint statement. The new clinic will offer primary medical care with traditional appointments and services, something not previously available in an urgent care setting. The transfer in ownership is not a sale. No money changed hands, according to Community Medical Centers.

VisitLodi honors Sally Snyde as Tourism Advocate LODI — Sally Snyde, volunteer and president of World of Wonders, was recognized May 7 as Tourism Advocate of the Year by VisitLodi during its annual luncheon. “She has dedicated her time, talents and passion to advancing Lodi tourism while inspiring visitors of all ages to learn about the exciting world of science,” VisitLodi said. World of Wonders is Snyde located in downtown Lodi and attracted 41,000 visitors in 2014, according to VisitLodi.

Road repairs begin on Highway 12 LODI — The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) began $9 million worth of road repairs on Highway 12 in San Joaquin County, starting June 1. The repairs include improving the driving surface from the Potato Slough Bridge to Flag City. Road crews will replace rumble strips, re-construct guardrails and apply an asphalt concrete overlay to the roadway. Drivers will face one-way traffic control between Glasscock Road and Flag City Boulevard via flaggers from 7 p.m. until 5 a.m . and likely delays of approximately 10 minutes. The project is one of three construction projects on the highway, totaling more than $65 million in improvements.

Delta receives $182,000 for heavy duty diesel program STOCKTON — With campus officials, industry leaders and the public present, San Joaquin Delta College dedicated the Shima Heavy Equipment Expansion Project on May 19 with a ribbon cutting. The college received two checks totaling more than $182,000 to support Delta’s heavy duty diesel equipment program, including specialized diesel emissions reduction training. The college thanked Hawthorne Machinery Co., Holt of California, Peterson CAT, Quinn Company and the California Air Resources Board for supporting the program. The Shima Expansion was funded by 2004’s Measure L bond and shops house state-of-the art equipment to teach courses that lead to certificates, degrees and employment in the heavy duty equipment field.

BRIEFS Van Houten becomes president of CalCPA San Joaquin MODESTO — Chad A. Van Houten of Grimbleby Coleman has been elected president of the San Joaquin Chapter of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants for 2015-16. He succeeds Natalya A. Galindo, a CPA with E. & J. Gallo Winery. Van Houten previously was the chapter’s vice president. He is a tax manager for Grimbleby Coleman, which provides individuals and businesses with tax, accounting, business advisory and assurance services. Houten Van Houten has bachelor’s degrees in economics and in public accounting from Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michignan. The CalCPA San Joaquin Chapter serves more than 800 members in Calaveras, Mariposa, Merced, Mono, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tuolumne counties. It offers a broad range of services from business consulting and personal financial planning to tax and estate planning.

Ten chosen for California Dairy Leaders Program MODESTO — Ten men and women from Northern California’s dairy industry have been selected to participate in Western United Dairymen’s (WUD) California Dairy Leaders Program. The program consists of regular classes to study challenges affecting dairy producers in today’s industry. Topics include: environmental issues, state and federal legislative process, dairy pricing and economics, biotechnological developments, marketing and promotion, and public relations skills. Participants will develop a more thorough understanding of the dairy industry and society through communication and team building exercises, WUD said. Those selected include Erin Nutcher of Hidden Valley Dairy in Newman and John Cardoza of Sustainable Conservation in Manteca.

New phase of Kiernan Avenue project underway MODESTO — Drivers traveling in the area of Kiernan Avenue and Highway 99 in Modesto saw new construction starting June 1 as crews began widening the road. The construction involves Stage 2 roadway widening work along eastbound Kiernan Avenue between Highway 99 and Sisk Road. The work will impact the business park in the area. The most significant change drivers will see is the closure of the driveway on Kiernan Avenue between Burger King and the Union 76 Station. Signs are posted in the work zone to

June 2015

guide drivers to the driveway on Sisk Road. The work is scheduled to be finished approximately Aug. 8.

Outdoor dining event planned for June in Modesto MODESTO — Chefs in the Modesto area have joined together to organize an outdoor gourmet dinner party, starting at 6 p.m., June 7, on 15th street. The party will feature the specialties of chefs Joe Hargrave of Tacolicious, Gema Martinez of Redwood Café, Paul Tremayne of Concetta, Ray Ashak of Vito’s, and Blake Humble of Commonwealth. The event will take place the middle of 15th Street between J and K Streets, feature live music and wine along with a 150-foot dinner table. Appetizers and champagne will be served, starting at 6 p.m., followed by dining and music. Proceeds will benefit the United Way of Stanislaus County’s Graduation Coach program which helps raise high school graduation rates in Stanislaus County by promoting student engagement, building a path to academic success and inspiring students.

Stanislaus County Fair tickets on sale TURLOCK — Fans of the Stanislaus County Fair can buy discounted admission tickets, carnival ride wristbands, and arena event tickets until July 9. Tickets can be purchased at the Stanislaus County Fair box office located at 900 N. Broadway in Turlock or online at www.stancofair.com. “We have included a few new events in the arena by adding an exciting Bull Riding event,” said Adrenna Alkhas, spokeswoman for the Stanislaus County Fair. “We will continue to have two Derby nights along with spectacular motorsport events.” Adult admission tickets are on sale for $10 (a $12 value). Unlimited ride wristbands are $25 (a $30 value). Arena event tickets are priced according to each event. Guests can purchase a Season Pass good for 10 adult admissions for $75 ($120 value).

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MERCED COUNTY

BRIEFS UC Merced graduates 1,100 students in 10th class MERCED — This year’s graduating class at UC Merced numbered 1,116, the largest of the 10 classes it has graduated. The campus was expected to confer 1,075 bachelor’s degrees, 15 master’s degrees and 26 doctoral degrees during two ceremonies on May 16 and 17. Members of the class of 2015 were from 43 counties in California, two other states and one other country (India). They ranged in age from 19 to 65 years old. UC Merced’s first commencement ceremony was in 2006 for a class of three students.

Chamber to celebrate 79th installation MERCED — The Merced Chamber of Commerce will install its new officers at a dinner June 25. The Chamber will also announce the 2015 Business of the Year, Nonprofit Organization of the Year, Educator of the Year and the Man and Woman of the Year. The installation is the 79th for the Merced Chamber of Commerce. The event will be from 5:30 to 10 p.m. at Gateway Gardens at 580 W. 18th Street. Dinner and casino fun are included. To make reservations, call (209) 384-7092.

CSU Stanislaus prepares new One Purpose campaign

Foster Farms VP gets award for salmonella control program

TURLOCK — CSU Stanislaus’ annual fundraising campaign for scholarships, called One Purpose, is underway. Last year’s inaugural campaign brought together 175 volunteers and 750 donors to raise more than $818,000 for student scholarships, the university said. Scholarships funded by the campaign are now being awarded to students for the upcoming academic year. The first cohort of One Purpose scholarships were distributedin May to 125 current students in disciplines across campus. A second cohort of new students will receive scholarships in the fall. This year, the community will hear from the students who were the first to receive One Purpose scholarships. The second year of the campaign will launch in August. Leaders from both the campus and the community will recruit volunteers who will dedicate their time toward the goal of raising $1 million during the six-week campaign this fall. Anyone interested in volunteering or making a donation to One Purpose can contact Jacqueline Holt, director of annual giving, at (209) 667-3131 or jlholt@csustan.edu.

LIVINGSTON — Robert O’Connor, senior vice president of technical services at Foster Farms, received a 2015 Food Safety Innovation Award April 30. The award was announced at the Food Safety Leadership Awards ceremony during the Food Safety Summit in Baltimore. O’Connor received the award for his leadership in developing a comprehensive salmonella control program following an outbreak in 2013. Since April 2014, Foster Farms has achieved a salmonella prevalence in raw parts of 5 percent or less, the company said. That is is three times lower than 15.4 percent parts prevalence standard proposed by the USDA in January of this year. As part of the food safety program, Dr. O’Connor recruited and formed a Food Safety Advisory Board, an independent group of food safety experts, to inform and validate the company’s strategic approach and assess best practices for continuous advancement, Foster Farms said.

Bike park is finalist for $100,000 grant MERCED — A new extreme mountain bike trail to Central California near Yosemite National Park

if the idea attracts enough online votes. Exchequer Bike Park, which is managed by the Parks Department of Merced Irrigation District (MID), is one of three finalists from across the country vying for a $100,000 private grant from Bell Built Helmets. If Exchequer Bike Park emerges as the winner, the new trail could help attract visitors from across large parts of California and beyond, MID said. The bike park is located on 700 acres adjacent to Lake McClure at the Barrett Cove Recreation Area. If the bike park wins the grant, the funding would be used to build a double-black diamond downhill trail. To vote for the bike park, visit www.bellhelmets. com/bell-built. Voting ends June 4.

Hilmar Cheese awards $30,000 in scholarships HILMAR — Nearly three dozen students were awarded scholarships this spring to help pay for higher education through Hilmar Cheese Company’s annual scholarship program. The scholarship program has three categories: children of employees of Hilmar Cheese Company, children of the dairy farm families who ship milk to Hilmar Cheese Company, and students with an agricultural major living in the counties where the company is located. Those areas include Merced and Stanislaus counties. Hilmar Cheese Company will accept scholarship applications for next year starting Jan. 1. Qualifying students are encouraged to apply through March 1, 2016. For more information about Hilmar Cheese Company’s scholarship program, visit the Community Responsibility page in the About Us section of www.hilmarcheese.com.

SBDC offers workshop for start-ups MERCED — Budding entrepreneurs are encouraged to attended a workshop presented by the Small Business Development Center June 17. The free two-hour workshop introduces entrepreneurs to the basics of starting a new business. It is intended for the budding entrepreneur who has a rough idea for a business model. The workshop is from 6-8 p.m., June 17 at 1810 K Street in Merced. For more information, contact Jennifer Butler at (209) 386-1008.

UC Merced researcher awarded postdoctoral fellowship MERCED — UC Merced chemistry researcher Makenzie Provorse has become the university’s second Chancellor’s Postdoctoral fellow, UC Merced announced in mid-May. The fellowship will allow Provorse to continue working with Professor Christine Isborn. The two are using quantum chemistry to study the excited states and electron dynamics of molecules. The work has applicatons that include renewable energy, particularly in photovoltaic cells and photocatalysis. The money Provorse receives will pay for part of her yearly salary starting in August. It also provides her with a travel budget so she’ll be able to attend more conferences to present her work and network with other scholars.

Central Valley Business Journal

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Port Stockton Nursery 2910 E Main St Stockton, Ca 95205 Nelson Jeffrey E Newman & Jones Inc 211 E Center St #1 Manteca, Ca 95336 Newman & Jones, Incorporated Epic Lounge 3121 W Benjamin Holt Dr Stockton, Ca 95219 Maxims Restaurant

SJ COUNTY

LEGALS Fictitious Business Names Azteca Maintenance & Mowing 6111 Dougherty Rd Acampo, Ca 95220 Ordinola Antolin Katzakian Ron Realtor|Ron Katzakian Realtor 1811 Grand Canal Blvd Suite 5 Stockton, Ca 95207 Katzakian Prop Mangmt Ltd At The Table Together 2800 W March Lane #300 Stockton, Ca 95219 A Tavola Together Franco Genl Bldg Inc 17865 S Austin Rd Manteca, Ca 95336 Franco General Building Inc. Hundsey Organics 3156 Harpers Ferry Dr Stockton, Ca 95219 Gravelle Christine Gravelle Robert Limitliss 128 W Main Ripon, Ca 95366 Ferrari Ryan J M & S Mkt|M And S Market 224 Park Ave Manteca, Ca 95337 Batra Hemant Tesoro Realty Group 150 E Mt Diablo Ave Tracy, Ca 95376 Garcia Roy

Us Mkt 3| U.S Market #3 163 Turnpike Road Stockton, Ca 95206 Alharby Ali A Protection Max Care|Revista 209 9330 N Pershing Ave Suite B21 Stockton, Ca 95207 Castaneda Edgar Supermacs Technologies 2520 Benjamin Holt Drive Stockton, Ca 95207 William G Urbani & Co Urbani William G & Co Gifts 4 You 436 W Oak St #C Stockton, Ca 95203 Lewis Mary Francis Vignolo Ranch 4451 Cherryland Ave Stockton, Ca 95215 Burns Michael T Port City Landscaping & Maintance 9017 Blue Fox Way Stockton, Ca 95209 Dauner Kevin Alford Earl Suntec Financial| Suntec Properties| S.F. Servicing 1330 W Robinhood Dr #A7 Stockton, Ca 95207 Cutler Ronald A South County Electric & Lighting 11530 Mountain View Road Tracy, Ca 95376 Rafala Stephen Jav-A-Nerro Productions 3830 Seascape Way Stockton, Ca 95206 Campos Javier Jeff Reid Financial 1125 El Monte Ave Sacramento, Ca 95815

Reid Jeff Bella Terra Dental 1110 W Kettleman Lane #47 Lodi, Ca 95240 Quan Vo Anh Nguyen Bui Joseph P Willie & Erick’s Trailer Repair Center 16200 South Mckinley Ave Lathrop, Ca 95330 Willie & Ericks Inc A & R Trailer Repair 720 Virginia St Manteca, Ca 95337 Garavito Angela Maria Delgado Munoz Juan Reynel Munoz Juan Garage Door Capital 914 S Stanislaus St Stockton, Ca 95206 Ramirez Osvaldo D.G. Services 3908 Hogue Ave Stockton, Ca 95204 Garcia Daniel Rivera Jr Floreria Y Regalos Patino 1964 S El Dorado St Stockton, Ca 95206 Mancera Evangelina Patino Old Soul & R&B Radio Network| Quiet Storm Ste 222 With Mia Williams 1502 Bandoni Dr Stockton, Ca 95206 Yolanda Lacresa Hollys Hair Salon 203 W Lodi Ave Lodi, Ca 95240 Bick Dai Nguyen Tuyet Thi Nguyen Performance Co Packing Llc| Performance Co Packing 1192 Vanderbilt Circle Manteca, Ca 95337 Mw Llc Vinaco Travel & Wireless 8626 Lower Sacramento Rd #10 Stockton, Ca 95210 Nam Nguyen Arteaga Food Market 1900 S El Dorado St Stockton, Ca 95206 Terlezglu Tsegay A Jam Tastic 455 W Miramonte Dr Mountain House, Ca 95391 Mcbrayer Adelia

June 2015

Al-Rahman Transport 405 E Maple St Lodi, Ca 95240 Mudassar Muhammad

Star Motel 4881 W 11th St Tracy, Ca 95304 Panchal Mahendra Panchal Uruashi

Elms Consulting 6507 Pacific Avenue #261 Stockton, Ca 95207 Barnes Susan

J & J Discount Tires 367 W Louise Ave Manteca, Ca 95336 Njj Tires & Repairs Inc

Dynasty Track Club 2253 Somerset Dr Stockton, Ca 95205 Spivey Teresa

Action Auto Repair 1031 W Yosemite Ave Manteca, Ca 95337 Valenzuela Jocsan L Ibarra

California Transmission 2636 E Fremont St Stockton, Ca 95205 Aleman Victor M

Taqueria Don Tono 290 N Main St Manteca, Ca 95336 Garcia Alfonso G Garcia Bernarda M

Flag City Shell 6437 W Banner St Lodi, Ca 95242 Sbsj Petro Inc

Norcal Commercial Parking 2270 Sanctuary Way Manteca, Ca 95337 Smith Justin D

Green Leaf Landscaping Maintenance 4290 Cherokee Rd Stockton, Ca 95215 Rodriguez Albert

De Afghanan 2712 Naglee Rd Tracy, Ca 95304 De Afghanan Company Inc. Real Bizness 611 N Edison #8 Stockton, Ca 95203 Montgomery Ray

Volare Cellars|Steele Canyon Cellars 1649 E Victor Rd Lodi, Ca 95240 Woodbridge Winery Inc

Lathrop Road Garden Center 15035 Old Harlan Rd Lathrop, Ca 95330 Kruse Brent

Tiare ‘O Patitifa 14637 Pueblo Dr Manteca, Ca 95336 Braithwaite Melissa Yvette

Singh Brothers Trucking 2195 Holder Ln Tracy, Ca 95377 Singh Gurinderpal

Lj Services 2933 Rutledge Court Stockton, Ca 95207 Jaurigue Lourdes B

Eminence Events 397 Finchwood Drive Lathrop, Ca 95330 Singh Gandharv

Linden Self Storage 18901 E Front Street Linden, Ca 95236 Ford Leslie T Ford Gerald W

Three Tulips 4671 Pebble Beach Drive Stockton, Ca 95219 Birtwhistle Kristen Rey Rebecca Napa Meadery|California Mead Cellars| Scotto Family Cellars 220 S Cluff Ave Lodi, Ca 95240 Courageous Inc Fame Logistics|Fm Logistics 1069 Roy Frerichs Lane Tracy, Ca 95377 Singh Jaspinder

Residential Group Real Estate 1919 Grand Canal Blvd #46 Stockton, Ca 95207 Burns Donald Stepken Dick Realtor Inc 2724 Pacific Ave Stockton, Ca 95204 Dick Stepken Realtor, Inc.

Morgan Territory Brewing 1885 N Macarthur Drive Tracy, Ca 95376 Lacross Capital Mangmt Llc Two Kings Smoke Shop 246 N Garfield Ave Manteca, Ca 95336 Enriquez Ernesto E Artherton Joshua Allen Valley Express Delivery 3311 Jonathen St Stockton, Ca 95206 Hernandez Graciella

Pv Commercial Services 4822 Kimball Hill Circle Stockton, Ca 95210 Martinez Patricio I Jr Martinez Violet L

Ucon 1852 W 11th St Suite #112 Tracy, Ca 95376 Li Hong Xia Hong Xia Li

Krc Aggregate, Inc. 400 S Lincoln Street Stockton, Ca 95206 Concrete Inc

Twin Enterprises 4227 Aplicella Ct Manteca, Ca 95337 Hepburn Tasha Joan

Mountain Mike’s Pizza 870 W Schulte Rd Tracy, Ca 95375 Ds 135 Inc

Antonio’s Transportation Service 955 Manay Dr Tracy, Ca 95376 Ureno Antonio Dorado

Happy Family Carehome 274 E Wind Dr Ripon, Ca 95366 Cho Sujung

Block 511| Vineyard Block Estates 12001 S Hwy 99 Manteca, Ca 95336 Delicato Vineyards

R S Trucking 2543 New Brighton Lane Stockton, Ca 95207 Singh Ramandeep

Sujung Cho Barron’s Commercial Painting 2079 Del Rio Dr Stockton, Ca 95204 Rojas Christopher

Orthodontic Lab Pros 2715 W Kettleman Lane Ste 203-209 Lodi, Ca 95242 Heinitz Leah C

June 2015

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Budget revision gives more money to education SACRAMENTO — The revised state budget Gov. Jerry Brown released in May pays down debt, saves money and directs more funding to education and drought response, he said. “Another recession is on the way – we just don’t know when. That’s why this budget locks billions into the Rainy Day Fund and pays down debt,” said Gov. Brown. “At the same time, this budget spends more than ever on schools.” The revised budget calls for increasing funding for K-12 schools by more than $3,000 per student in the 2015-16 school year over 2011-12 levels. Brown said that represents an increase of 45 percent over four years. Funding for the Local Control Funding Formula, which directs education money to students in poverty, English learners and foster youth, stands at $53.1 billion this coming year, the Governor’s Office said. The May Revision also fully repays past-year school deferrals and adds $150 million on top of the $250 million proposed in January to expand careertechnical education. The May Revision prevents tuition increases at the state’s universities for California undergraduates and increases opportunities for students to transfer to the universities. It commits $38 million in ongoing funding for California State University, for a total of $158 million in new funding. As part of an agreement with the University of California, the state will provide temporary funding from Proposition 2 debt funds to help pay down its unfunded pension liability, as it imposes a pension cap consistent with the state’s 2012 reform law. For community colleges in 2015-16, the May Revision provides more than $600 million above the governor’s January proposal. An state Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) has been established in the May Revision to complement the federal EITC. The purpose is to provide fiscal relief for Californians who have incomes less than $6,580 and no dependents or $13,870 with three or more dependents. The credit is expected to benefit 2 million individuals, with an average household benefit of $460 and a maximum benefit of $2,653, the Governor’s Office said. Board of Equalization Chairman and Franchise Tax Board member Jerome E. Horton said the tax credit is the start of a good idea. “The State Earned Income Tax Credit will stimulate our economy by rewarding the strong work ethic of our state’s working poor, but it is a mistake not to invest in efforts to recapture billions in federal EITC that remains unclaimed annually,” Horton said in a released statement. “With the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, the Board of Equalization and Franchise Tax Board assisted more than 288,000 taxpayers capture upwards of $114,045,240 in federal EITC. With a fraction of the $384 million the gover-

nor is proposing to spend, we can help even more poor people recapture billions of dollars in federal refunds.” The May Revision includes a total of $2.2 billion for programs to conserve water, respond to emergency conditions and expand local water supplies. The May Revision sets aside $3.8 billion in 2015-16, as the voter-approved Proposition 2 Rainy Day Fund calls for. Within that amount, $1.9 billion

will go to paying down existing debt and long-term liabilities. The other $1.9 billion will be saved in the state’s Rainy Day Fund, which will bring its balance to $3.5 billion, the governor said. The May Revision also calls for repaying $765 million owed to local governments. Assembly Republican Leader Kristin Olsen, of Modesto was pleased lo-

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cal governments would be repaid. “For decades, Stanislaus County has borne the brunt of a state property tax formula that costs the county upwards of $2 million each year,” Olsen said in a released statement. “I have worked with state and local officials for several years to negotiate a fix to the ‘negative bailout’ that started this problem, and I am thrilled to see that the governor has agreed to make our county whole again.”

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Jerome Essence Of Serenity 2295 Geer Road Turlock, Ca 95382 Rogers, Brian

STANISLAUS COUNTY

LEGALS Fictitious Business Names E&W Trucking 409s Maag Ave Oakdale, Ca 95361 E&W Ag Enterprises Llc Ebiba 1568 Leah Ct Oakdale, Ca 95361 Ebiba Llc Ebiba Wine Co 1568 Leah Ct Oakdale, Ca 95361 Ebiba Llc Electric Company, The 1514 Princeton Ave Suite A Modesto, Ca 95350 Fidelis Construction Inc Elite Personal Protection Canine 2880 S Sperry Rd Denair, Ca 95316 Condit, Brock Elness Convalescent Hospital 812 W Main St Turlock, Ca 95380 Mark One Corporation Eloquence Salon 1620 Tully Road Suite B Modesto, Ca 95350 Sanchez, Marcela Energetic Healing 225 E Granger Ave Modesto, Ca 95350 Jardali, Howla Engaged By Reggie Rucker 2200 Standiford Ave #234 Modesto, Ca 95350 Rucker, Reginald

Fresh Fit Foods 145 S Kilroy Ave Turlock, Ca 95380 Bishop, Marshall

Express Registration Services 1941 Mitchell Rd Ste E Ceres, Ca 95307 Martinez, Martha Alicia

Frontiers 10100 Trinity Parkway #420 Stockton, Ca 95219 Frontier Land Companies

Extreme Plumbing 3017 O’keefe Ct Modesto, Ca 95355 Covert, Richard Leroy

Fubar Brigade 1849 Whit Bird Dr Hughson, Ca 95326 Luong, Day

Eyebrow Chic 2601 Cabernet Ct Modesto, Ca 95355 Hoang, Vanessa

Fuller Arms Gunsmithing 1541 Pauletter Ave Modesto, Ca 95355 Fuller, Jeromy

Eze Towing 517 Brigadoon Ln Waterford, Ca 95386 Soto, Ezequiel Farmhouse Chic Design Company 2809 Curtion Ave Turlock, Ca 95380 Tate, Ashley Felix Muffler And Radiator 1627 Crowslanding Rd Modesto, Ca 95358 Almaraz, Guillermo Felix Felix Almaraz, Ana I

G3 Winery 502 E Whitmore Ave Modesto, Ca 95358 G3 Enterprises, Inc Which Will Do Busine Gallo Family Vineyards 600 Yosemite Blvd Modesto, Ca 95354 E & J Gallo Winery Gc Transportation 820 Benson Ave Modesto, Ca 95354 Reese, Rome Montieth

First Impressions Taxidermy 1521 January Dr Modesto, Ca 95358 Phillips, Mitchell E

Genesis Health Transitions 5031 Westwood Drive Salida, Ca 95368 Garcia Iii, Abel Paez, Jose Lopez, Juan Fernando

Five Oaks Vineyards 600 Yosemite Blvd Modesto, Ca 95354 E & J Gallo Winery

George’s Burgers 3121 Yosemite Blvd Modesto, Ca 95354 Ali, Fadhl M

Fleur De Lis 920 16th St Ste E Modesto, Ca 95354 Merritt, Vivian Ruth Merritt, Robert Clarence

Gold N Fresh Bakery 3430 Tully Rd #17 Modesto, Ca 95350 Oftana Group Llc

Fleur De Lis Maison 920 16th St Ste E Modesto, Ca 95354 Merritt, Robert Clarence Merritt, Vivian Ruth Flowers 2 You 3306 Stacey Ct Denair, Ca 95316 Rohn, Melinda Marie Fonzi’s 1133 Bispo Dr Modesto, Ca 95350 Meraz, Alfonso D Food Service J & R 3939 Central Ave Ceres, Ca 95307 De La Cruz, Jose Tena, Rosa M

Gone Green Landscaping 18058 Bradbury Road Turlock, Ca 95380 Coelho, Frank Carl Graff Management And Investments 1253 Sweet Pea Drive Patterson, Ca 95363 Graff, Louis Great Smiles Dental 3219 Mchenry Ave Ste E Modesto, Ca 95350 Efraim S Florendo, Dds, Inc Green Valley Truck School 400 12 St Ste 16

Modesto, Ca 95354 Madera, Maria C Ha-Le Aloha Convalescent Hospital 1711 Richland Ave Ceres, Ca 95307 Mark One Corporation Healthy Hard Body 1227 Fordham Ave Modesto, Ca 95350 Monestier, Lana Myrnae Heritage Property Management 7725 Gilbert Road Oakdale, Ca 95361 Williams-Weatheral, Tracy Dawn Hometech Systems 3046 Atchison St Riverbank, Ca 95367 Long, Dennis Michael Long, Karen Sue Honest Engine 2509 Coffee Rd Ste D Modesto, Ca 95355 Shama, Nasser A Hugs Auntie On 1226 Princeton Ave Modesto, Ca 95350 Norwood, Melinda C Hunan Garden 2225 Plaza Parkway C 14 Modesto, Ca 95350 Lee, Linda Lau, Robert Ibrow Chic 2601 Cabernet Ct Modesto, Ca 95355 Hoang, Vanessa Ict Test Services 2109 Creole Ct Modesto, Ca 95355 Yang, Shoua Infinite Creations 1024 Needham St Modesto, Ca 95354 Cunha, Tammy Cunha, Michael Insight Interpreting 1616 E Hawkeye Ave Turlock, Ca 95380 Mcmillan, Christina S Instant Network Fix 2468 3rd Street Hughson, Ca 95326 Kumria, Sunny Interstate Electric 10008 River Oak Circle Oakdale, Ca 95361 Russell, Brett Lane J Maring Farms 400 Sequoia Ave Patterson, Ca 95363 Maring, Joel A

June 2015

J S Transport 1203 E Springer Dr Turlock, Ca 95382 Singh, Virdavinder J.B.S. Trucking 4013 Woodfall Pl. Modesto, Ca 95356 Singh, Jagat J.D’s Transmissions And Gears 1419 Angie Ave Ste A Modesto, Ca 95351 Delgadillo, Jimy Carlos J.M. Fabrication 6505 Narcisco Way Hughson, Ca 95326 Moore, James A Moore, Tammie G James Auto Hauling 3816 Lorene Ct Modesto, Ca 95356 Polousy, Younan Jar-Mill Place 12091 E Whitmore Avenue Hughson, Ca 95326 Kabree John H Brasil And Sons Dairy 2613 S Mitchell Rd Turlock, Ca 95380 Brasil, John H Journeys #1335 3401 Dale Rd Modesto, Ca 95356 Genesco Inc Jv Toys And Collectibles 6012 Arcaro Dr Riverbank, Ca 95367 Valdez Yanez, Jose A Kelli Thomas Photography 1821 Langton Ln Modesto, Ca 95350 Thomas, Kelli Rae Key Hut Locksmith 1700 Mchenry Ave Ste 39 Modesto, Ca 95350 Gunkel, Richene Kfnlaw 615 B 13th St Ste 1 Modesto, Ca 95354 Nebiolini, Kelly Finley Kimoto 1809 Mchenry Ave Ste B Modesto, Ca 95350 Statsmodesto Llc Koinonia Mujer 7108 Willow St Hughson, Ca 95326 Confraterinad Hispana Bautista De Califo

Krishna Auto Wholesale 3333 Dewar Lane Turlock, Ca 95382 Sakshi Enterprise Llc L And Vasquez 1118 California Ave Modesto, Ca 95351 Basurto, Luis Vasquez Last Resort, The 3125 Mchenry Ave Ste D Modesto, Ca 95350 Adolescence’s Last Resort Latinos Unidos Inmigracion Services 1805 Yosemite Blvd Ste B Modesto, Ca 95354 Arroyo, Carlos Castillo, Ivonne Law Office Of Kelly Finley Nebiolini 615 B 13th St Ste 1 Modesto, Ca 95354 Nebiolini, Kelly Finley Lil Buckaroos Day Care 11800 Sawyer Ave Oakdale, Ca 95361 Barreto, Christina Lionudakis Construction 3708 Vondel Cir Modesto, Ca 95356 Lionudakis, Raymond E Lionudakis, Ardis L Livy’s Beauty Salon 2761 Patterson Rd Ste 140 Riverbank, Ca 95367 Buenrostro, Olivier Ll Remodeling Construction 9730 W Bradbury Turlock, Ca 95380 Freitas, Liberato D Lmi Results 3412 Rhone Drive Ceres, Ca 95307 Silveira Irizarry, Luiana Mariada Los Altos Trucking 2842 Pompei Ln Ceres, Ca 95307 Reynoso, Alberto Romo Lube It Up 816 Park Street Turlock, Ca 95380 Freddy Alarcon Story, Kyle M & E Gift Shop 2400 Coffee Rd Suite R Modesto, Ca 95355 Chen, Yun Min

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See Our Progress in the Central Valley

Theresa

Customer Relationship Manager

“

Tracy residenT

as a mom, I know that every dollar saved can make a big difference to a family. that’s why I’m proud that PG&e is committed to helping our customers save energy and money.

”

At PG&E, our customers are our neighbors. The communities we serve as PG&E employees are where we live and work too. That’s why we’re investing $5 billion this year to enhance pipeline safety and strengthen our gas and electric infrastructure across northern and central California. It’s why we’re helping people and businesses gain energy efficiencies to help reduce their bills. It’s why we’re focused on developing the next generation of clean, renewable energy systems. Together, we are working to enhance pipeline safety and strengthen our gas and electric infrastructure—for your family and ours.

together, Building a Better California

See the FaCtS IN the CeNtral Valley Surveyed more than 10,400 miles of gas distribution pipeline Invested more than $1.2 billion into electrical improvements Connected more than 31,600 rooftop solar installations

pge.com/SeeOurProgress

“PG&E” refers to Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation. ©2015 Pacific Gas and Electric Company. All rights reserved. Paid for by PG&E shareholders. All facts 2013/2014 unless otherwise noted.

June 2015

Central Valley Business Journal

June 2015