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Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

NOVEMBER

2016 VOL 12 • NUMBER 3

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HOLIDAY SEASON STRATEGY Shopping centers hope attractions and experiences will draw customers this Christmas season. cover story on pg. 26

WHAT’S WHAT’SINSIDE INSIDE Publisher’s Notes...........................Page 2 On the Web.....................................Page 4 Real Estate................................... Page 22 Jobs & Economy...........................Page 19 Briefs......................................Page 46, 47

Safety Training

pg. 3

Historical Perspective

pg. 15

Spotlight: Ciccarelli

pg. 28

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Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

A call out to voters

Soon, Thanksgiving will be upon us. My favorite holiday meal? Turkey, of course! Do you ever crave turkey in July? I often bite the bullet and give into the craving. I run out, buy a turkey and spend a Saturday in July thawing, stuffing, roasting and carving my own small bird. Delightful! So, with Thanksgiving right around the corner, I’m already ordering my large, organic bird from Podesto’s Market in Stockton. Last summer we planted pumpkins in our garden. Much to my delight I have six medium-sized pumpkins growing for my homemade pies. I’m not too sure how that’s going to turn out as I’ve never attempted this before. In late October, I was in Michigan visiting my father and scanned the internet for pumpkin pie (from scratch) recipes. From what I can tell, this is going to be a bit more difficult than simply opening a can of pumpkin purée. We shall see. Growing up in Michigan, we were always graced with the spectacular fall colors. This year seems to be exceptional. The local television stations were reporting

on the brilliance of the leaves. The weather has been very warm and the leaves are staying on the trees much longer than usual. The wooded areas near my parents’ home are unbelievable — bright orange, red, yellow, burgundy and evergreen trees all growing together like a Norman Rockwell painting. Simply breathtaking! I’m spending my free time taking pictures. After my Michigan visit, I’m headed to Apple Hill on Highway 50. I can’t wait to see the fall leaves in my state and indulge in the tasty apple fritters, apple doughnuts and cider. Then, I’m off to the cabin to load wood for the fireplace. It’s not as much fun but certainly worth the effort. I’m very hopeful we will have plenty of snow this winter. We have so much to be thankful for. I’m thankful my father is still with us. May God continue to bless him. As our presidential election nears (thank goodness) remember to vote. We have so much riding on the 2016 election, please do your homework and weigh your options. Not only is the presidency important, we’re choosing a senator and making decisions about local issues. We will

SHARON ALLEY CALONE/CVBJ

Michigan’s autumn leaf change was well underway early in October.

live with the people’s choice for a very long time. So think long and hard about what you want for your children and grandchildren. As a publisher of a newspaper, I’ve chosen not to push my views on our subscribers. My choice is my own, my ability to extract the truth about both candidates falls on my shoulders as an American citizen doing her homework. I’ve done mine, please do yours and vote your conscience. Remember, we are one country under God with liberty and justice for all.

Our mainstream media has taken sides and tried to destroy each candidate. Reporting the news should be done without bias. The media should do its job and let the people decide. We aren’t stupid. We are Americans, proud of our country, our forefathers, our police, and our servicemembers who fought for our freedom. God bless America Happy Thanksgiving, Sharon Alley Calone

Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

Trucker training standards to face changes By KENT HOHLFELD Business Journal writer khohlfeld@cvbizjournal.com STOCKTON — The big rig is as common a sight to Central Valley drivers as the orchards and farmland that produce the products many of the trucks carry. Operating those trucks is an industry that faces myriad challenges, two of the biggest being improving driver safety and finding welltrained drivers in the first place. “The shortage of trained drivers is huge,” said Steve Corral, owner of Chappell Transport Inc. in Stockton. “As a company, we set the bar high. Guys that are just breaking into the industry aren’t going to be the safest guys on the road.” Corral’s company transports automobiles across seven western states. Finding drivers who can safely operate those vehicles is a major challenge. In the past, his company has had to leave trucks empty for months while it looked for drivers who could handle the driving requirements imposed by both the trucking firm and its insurance company.

WAYNE DENNING/CVBJ

Chappell Transport employee Ronnie Holloway at the wheel of the auto transport truck he drives.

“It takes a while for the safety part of it to mature for a driver,” he said. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, one out of every six American workers killed on the job is a tractor-trailer truck driver The profession also ranks sixth among occupations with the high-

est rates of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses. Motorists often worry about drivers behind the wheel of the rig, but many times those in the smallest cars cause the biggest problems. Corral recounted an incident with one of his trucks that was traveling up the west side of the Al-

tamont Pass. The driver knew the far right slow lane ended and traffic would merge into the next lane. A small hatchback waited until the last second, then moved across the lane, cutting off the truck. The resulting collision sent the hatchback across two lanes of traffic. Fortunately, no one was injured. “Without missing a beat, the woman jumps out of the car and asks ‘Why did you hit me?” said Corral. Small two lane highways, traffic congestion and fog add to driver hazards in the Valley. Even the larger, well-traveled highways can be challenging. Highway 99, a fourlane thoroughfare that runs the length of the Central Valley, was rated as the deadliest highway in the country by ValuePenguin, a private consumer research organization based in New York. Adding to the safety challenges trucking companies face is a nationwide shortage of drivers. The American Trucking Association reports the industry is currently 38,000 drivers short of its need. The industry will require an additional Please see Trucking Page 10

CVBJ 4

Central Valley Business Journal

Business Journal

ONLINE EXTRAS The Lists for December ► Nonprofits of San Joaquin County ► Nonprofits of Stanislaus County ► Restaurants and catering

STOCKTON • TRACY • LODI • MANTECA • LATHROP MODESTO • CERES • TURLOCK • OAKDALE • SALIDA

► Jewelers ► Printers

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

Columnists Peter Johnson Jason Harrel Dan Natividad David Darmstandler John Parker Bruce Sarchet

Editor Elizabeth Stevens Sales Manager Ron Posey Research Danette Conley Creative Director/ Subscriptions Desiree Arias

Contributing Writers Craig W. Anderson Kent Hohlfeld Patricia Reynolds Sim Risso Nora Heston Tarte Melissa Hutsell

Administrative Assistant Courtney Forbes Accounting Ana Castillo Printer Southwest Offset Printing

Photographers Wayne Denning Philip Johnson Legal Adviser Calone & Harrel Law Group, LLP Richard Calone

The Central Valley Business Journal, LLC published monthly at 4512 Feather River Drive - Suite E, Stockton, CA 95219. Circulation 17,000 verification letter available upon request. Contents copyright 2016 by the Central Valley Business Journal, LLC. No part of this publication may be reproduced, reprinted or placed on any electronic medium, without strict, written permission from the publisher.

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November 2016

► Trucking ► Wineries

Slideshows & Video (Find these in our Media Gallery) ► Shopping centers ► Halloween

Events:

If you have a business in one of these industries and haven’t been contacted, you can request a survey by emailing Danette Conley at research@cvbizjournal.com.

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Nov. 2, 6 p.m., Huddle Co-Work, Stockton

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Nov. 17, 11:30 a.m., Stockton Golf & Country Club

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Notable Quote “Relationships are really key in advancing our careers and having a broader brushstroke of people that you’re connected with that can help you and you can help them.” — Kristen Birtwhistle, founder of The Eleanor Project

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Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

New ADA law requires Public urged to attend inspection transparency water flow hearings STOCKTON — Renters of commercial real estate will have added protections, and owners will have more responsibilities, under a law that will take effect in January. The new law, AB 2093, was part of a host of regulations aimed at cracking down on the abuse of the Americans with Disabilities Act to launch frivolous lawsuits. The new regulation requires commercial landlords to provide tenants with reports pinpointing ADA access violations, if inspected by a Certified Access Specialist. That will, in theory, reduce the risk of a tenant being sued. It will also mean more headaches for landlords. “Basically it means there is more paperwork to do,” said BLR Asset Management Senior Asset Manager Peter Martin. “It places a higher burden on leasing agents to be up on the ADA as to what is in or not in compliance.” BLR Asset Management focuses primarily on property management. The leasing end of its business concentrates on renewals. Martin said the law was largely an

extension of an earlier regulation that required landlords to state on a lease whether a certified access specialist has inspected the property. The new law requires landlords to state not only whether a CASp survey has been done, but if there are any issues regarding ADA compliance. Leases also have to specify fixes and who will pay for them. If a property has been inspected, the landlord has to give the tenant the report and CASp certificate within seven days of the execution of the lease. The law also gives tenants the option of getting a CASp report on a property before they enter into a lease. “In the past, it was fine to say, ‘We don’t have a CASp report on this property,” said Martin. “Now the landlord has to disclose the specific work that needs to be done.” He said the new law emphasizes the importance of having the CASp report on a potential property. “We always have a frank discussion with our tenants on what they might need.” he said.

MODESTO — Modesto Irrigation District wants local businesses to help fight a proposed increase in the amount of Tuolumne, Merced, and Stanislaus riverwater that will flow into the Delta. MID wants business owners, farmers and residents to attend a series of public meetings to comment on the State Water Quality Control Board’s report. The board’s proposal calls for increasing the rivers’ flows by 40 percent, which means the irrigation district’s customers would get less water. The board’s goal is to improve the salmon count by reducing salinity in the Delta, and it says an adjustment is long overdue. “Flow objectives on the San Joaquin River have not been updated since 1995,” the report’s summary reads. “Since that time salmon and steelhead, including those that spawn and rear in the San Joaquin’s tributaries and migrate through the Delta to the Pacific Ocean, have steeply declined. Scientific studies show that flow is a major factor in

the survival of fish like salmon.” MID agrees something needs to be done to save the salmon, but it says its own studies show there are other options. “We don’t believe it’s all about flow to get fish numbers back up,” said MID Public Affairs Manager Melissa Williams. MID suggests that reducing predators, such as striped bass, would be as effective at increasing the salmon population. “More than 90 percent of out-migrating juvenile salmon are consumed by predatory fish,” Williams said. “We think a 10 percent reduction in predation could achieve the same improvements as increased flows.” MID also argues a drastic cut in water allocation would hurt the economy. It says that if the water board’s proposal had been in effect in 2015, the local economic output would have taken a $1.6 billion hit. Five public hearings are scheduled, including hearings in Stockton on Dec. 16, Merced on Dec. 19 and Modesto on Dec. 20.

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Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

Mayor candidates pitch vision for city By ELIZABETH STEVENS Business Journal editor estevens@cvbizjournal.com

You have to lead with influence.

STOCKTON — In the June pri-

mary, voters narrowed down the field from seven candidates to two: current Mayor Anthony Silva and Councilman Michael Tubbs. Tubbs came in first with 33.6 percent of the vote, followed by Silva who received 26 percent. It’s a race that has been overshadowed by the mayor’s arrest in August at the camp he runs for disadvantaged youth in Amador County. Silva was initially charged with misdemeanors related to an alleged strip poker game as well as a felony that he recorded confidential communications. In October, the felony was reduced to a misdemeanor. Tubbs has also had a run-in with the law while on the Council. In October 2014, he was arrested for driving under the influence. He entered a plea of no contest, paid a $3,200 fine and lost his license for a month. While the Business Journal is concerned about the candidates’ plans for helping Stockton’s business climate, fitness for office is also a consideration. In May, we asked Silva and Tubbs where they stood on specific business issues. In this article, we’re looking at their approach to governing and their vision for the city as it tries to put bankruptcy behind it. The mayor’s role The mayor’s position is a full-time job in Stockton. However, the city is not run with a strong mayor system, the way larger cities are. In Stockton, the city manager runs day-to-day operations. That is a limit Mayor Silva has chafed under. “I’m a full-time mayor,” Silva

Michael Tubbs Sockton City Councilman

BUSINESS JOURNAL PHOTOS

Stockton Councilman Michael Tubbs and Mayor Anthony Silva have shared a contentious term on the City Council.

I want Stockton to be known as a tourist attraction.

Anthony Silva Sockton Mayor

said. “There’s not many of us in California. Kevin Johnson’s also a full-time mayor. Other mayors that have my full-time role are considered a strong mayor. For example, Oakland, Fresno, San Diego, Los Angeles.” Silva has had well publicized clashes with both former City Manager Bob Deis and current City Manager Kurt Wilson over what he considered efforts to stall his proposals. Tubbs said he believes the mayor’s role is to bring people

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together to solve problems. He believes the mayor is the face of the city but that he or she also needs to cooperate. “The reality is as mayor you’re not the king, which means you have to lead with influence and leveraging your position in ways that get people to want to work with you or work with the city on things,” he said. Vision for Stockton Both Silva and Tubbs believe in Stockton’s potential and that the city has assets it is not fully using. Both cited the city’s waterfront as an area ripe for development. “Downtown is a real gem and it’s really on the verge of being something really big,” Tubbs said. “And with what Ten Space has been doing and others serving as catalysts and pioneers, really supporting those efforts and figuring out how to amplify them where applicable.”

Tubbs also said an emphasis needs to be placed on training young people for jobs that exist in order for any economic development plan to work. Silva said Stockton should leverage the arena and ballpark to draw visitors. “I want Stockton to be known as a tourist attraction, as an inexpensive place to spend two or three days,” he said. “Any other city our size with our waterfront would have already turned it into a Disneyland theme park, they would have turned it into a Marine World, some type of sea reserve.” He believes family entertainment is lacking in the city and that providing more things to do would help erase Stockton’s negative image. “So I want family entertainment here, but a place where people can come and say, ‘You know what? I remember that town. They had a lot of crime once, and I remember they were in bankruptcy, but not anymore. They’ve cleaned that all up,” he said. Tubbs believes the biggest challenges facing Stockton are public safety, economic development, homelessness, downtown revitalization and education. “(We need to be) working with our school districts, our parents, our teachers and our students to ensure that kids in Stockton are receiving a quality education that leads to a career or a job,” he said.

Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

Eleanor Project helps women help women By SIM RISSO Business Journal writer srisso@cvbizjournal.com STOCKTON -- Networking and making connections can be key in building a successful career or business. But there aren’t a lot of outlets specifically for women in the Central Valley. To fill that void, Kristen Birtwhistle founded The Eleanor Project in Stockton. “The whole idea, the intent behind it, is to create avenues for women to come together that have the need for support, networking and advocacy for their specific causes,” said Birtwhistle. The Eleanor Project is a local organization, not part of a larger network, and is named after former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt because the organization’s aims fit with Roosevelt’s ideals. “The whole notion behind that missing link that the celebration and recognizing the accomplishments all felt like it was part of

the mantra of Eleanor Roosevelt,” said Birtwhistle. “We wanted something catchy about this, so we started Eleanor Project on for size and everyone really liked it.” When Birtwhistle founded The Eleanor Project, she wanted to find a way to support local businesses owned and operated by women. That prompted The Eleanor Project’s WOO (Women Owned and Operated) program, which gives out a sticker to WOO establishments to display in their windows. “We realized wouldn’t it be fantastic if we could actually identify women owned and operated businesses before you went into it,” said Birtwhistle. “The response was wonderful. So, we have several businesses that have a WOO sticker on their front door.” The next step is for organization to create a list of WOO establishments on its website. The Eleanor Project first started out with Dinners and Discussions, which are groups of eight or fewer women who discuss what’s

PHOTO COURTESY THE ELEANOR PROJECT

The project’s first TEP Talk included Barbara Daly, Janelle Meyers, Denise Manning, Suzanne Schultz, Beverly Fitch McCarthy, Carol Ordeals and Erin Guy Castillo.

driving them and what causes are important to them. Birtwhistle had been involved in other networking groups in the past. She found that unlike those groups, The Eleanor Project’s Dinners and Discussions allowed the participants to make the meaningful connections vital to success. “One of the things I also found about these women was at networking events you would come together for a short period of time, but you would never really build a relationship with anybody,” said

Birtwhistle. “Relationships are really key in advancing our careers and having a broader brushstroke of people that you’re connected with that can help you and you can help them.” In addition to the Dinners and Discussions, The Eleanor Project hosts a series of educational events, which it refers to as TEP (The Eleanor Project) Talks. The TEP Talks allow women to come together in large groups to speak Please see ELANOR Page 14

Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

Doubletree Hotel gets modern upgrades By PATRICIA REYNOLDS

Business Journal writer preynolds@cvbizjournal.com MODESTO — Downtown Modesto’s Doubletree Hotel is undergoing physical and digital improvements, all targeted at enhancing guests’ experiences before and during their stays. A new smartphone app offered by Doubletree’s parent company, Hilton, puts control in the traveler’s hands. “You can check-in with the Hilton app online and you can choose your own room,” said Doubletree General Manager Kole Siefken. “You can either stop by the front desk and get express check-in, meaning your key will be ready for you. Or you can choose to use digital key which is available through the app.” The move is part of an industrywide trend toward using digital solutions to make travel easier for guests, especially millennials who tend to be more tech-savvy. Marriott International and Radisson have also started offering digital keys. The keys are not for everyone, however, so physical key cards also are available for guests who

prefer them. The new Hilton app does more than just open doors. Under Hilton’s loyalty program, HHonor, the hotel’s most frequent guests — silver, gold or diamond members — can enter their credit card information when they make their online reservations, which enables them to bypass front desk check-in. Less active blue Hilton HHonor members need to visit the front desk and provide credit card information upon arrival to obtain either a key card or app-based digital key. All Doubletree properties will have the digital key access by the end of the year. “That really appeals to diamond members,” said Siefken. “When you have at least 30 stays a month in a hotel, you’re on the road a lot. So, it’s very convenient for them to not have to go by the front desk.” After the first three days in use at Modesto’s Doubletree, the digital keys proved to be popular with a variety of travelers. “It’s really going to appeal to business travelers, but you know, the leisure guests this weekend

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Doubletree General Manager Kole Siefken demonstrates the hotel’s new digital entry system.

used it as well.” said Siefken. He said any major change at the Doubletree needs buy-in from both the staff and the consumer to be successful. “I can honestly say that this is one of the best changes Hilton has made in recent memory,” he said. “This is flawless. We have had no problems

with it. We have a younger staff — they really think it’s neat.” Hotel makeover Not all improvements at the hotel are digital, however. The Doubletree property itself is also getting a makeover. Please see DOUBLETREE Page 18

Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

TRUCKING Continued from Page 3

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175,000 drivers by 2024. companies to hire from association That demand for drivers has member schools. sparked a gold rush of new truck “We have companies that recruit driving schools. While many are our drivers, so they have a job reputable companies that give waiting before they even finish the drivers the skills they need, others class,” said Schuer. produce drivers who can’t pass Another issue is the patchwork a truck company’s rudimentary of state regulations that oversee skills test. driver training. “We get people While many on a weekly basis states such as that, after the California have state has licensed It takes a while for the safety little to no reguthem, can’t pass lation, others, inpart of it to mature for a driver. a hauling compacluding Illinois ny’s driving test,” and Washington, said Western require a 160Steve Corral Pacific Truck hour program. Chappell Transport School President Lefeve’s Bob Schuer. group has been While the truck working with driving industry faces a host of regthe Federal Motor Carrier Safeulations regarding everything from ty Administration to set federal vehicle emissions to the number of standards as to what schools must hours drivers can log, training stan- teach new drivers. dards are largely nonexistent. The result has been the Entry Schools in California are not regDriver Training rule. While not ulated as to what they must teach so nearly as tough as CVTA requirelong as they charge less than $2,499 ments, it does set minimums refor the course. Often drivers are garding qualifications related to taught to drive and take their Class instructors, testing and training A license test on equipment that vehicles. It also requires 30 hours bears little resemblance to the vehibehind the wheel. The training cles they will be driving on the road. must include 10 hours on a truck “If they have a truck and they range, 10 hours on the road and 10 want to teach someone to drive, hours that is a combination of the they have few regulations that they two, depending on what the driver have to follow,” said Schuer. “A lot needs to work on. The new rule of them use what is called a city also establishes a registry of drivtractor. It has a lot less difficult er training providers. transmission than what most com- “It is ultimately based on perpanies use.” formance,” said Lefeve. “Drivers While long haul companies shy then have to take an assessment away from less skilled drivers, and get 80 percent.” small operations or agricultural The rule is the result of a negoticompanies operating their own ated rulemaking process, involving trucks sometimes take the risk. regulators, safety advocates and “This (training standards) is industry stakeholders. It has taken something as a company, we have nearly three years to put together. been fighting (in favor of) for sev “This may be one of the loneral years.” said Schuer. gest rulemaking efforts in all of Schuer’s school has a stringent rulemaking,” said Lefeve. curriculum that includes 160 hours An earlier effort to rein in the of education, including 40 hours driving school industry failed in the classroom and 120 hours in amid legal challenges from safety the truck. Western Pacific Truck advocates. The proposed rule was School is also a member and meets released for public comment in the standards of the Commercial March and will be published to the Vehicle Training Association, a Federal Register, Nov. 10. trade group that provides curricu It is hoped new federal minilum standard for schools. mums will, at the very least, ad “Some schools use equipment dress some of the least rigorous that, while it may meet the techschools that are putting driver on nical meaning of a truck, doesn’t the road. In turn, it is hoped that give drivers what they need to be will improve overall road safety. safe,” said association President “The (commercial driver’s liDon Lefeve. cense) mills exist,” said Lefeve. The proliferation of schools “With the new rules, they are gowith varying degrees of training ing to have to get serious (about has led many national long haul their curriculum) real fast.”

Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

Nut, dairy prices drive down ag values STOCKTON — The value of agricultural production in both San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties was down in 2015 from the year before, according to reports released by the counties’ agricultural commissioners. The top product in Stanislaus County was almonds, followed by milk, cattle, chickens, walnuts, silage, fruit and nut nursery products, eggs, pollination almonds and turkeys. In San Joaquin County the top 10 products were almonds, milk, grapes, walnuts, cherries, cattle, tomatoes, silage, hay and eggs. Values were down largely because of drops in nut and dairy prices, the commissioners said. Gross values of San Joaquin County’s agricultural production were down 15.5 percent in 2015. County agricultural businesses produced goods and services with a gross value of more than $2.7 billion in 2015, the Annual Report of Agricultural Production said. Livestock and poultry products, such as milk, eggs, wool and manure, took the biggest hit. They dropped 23.03 percent due largely to the lower price of milk. Dairy took a hit in Stanislaus County as well. Milk, which ranks as the second most valuable crop to area farmers, posted the biggest drop at $304 million to a total of $647 million in sales. Nationwide, dairy farmers were getting about 20 percent less for their milk than they did last year and 40 percent less than when milk prices hit an all-time peak two years ago, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Fruit and nut crops had the largest gross value, coming in at more than $1.3 billion for San Joaquin County farmers. Still, that represented a 21 percent drop in the overall value of the county’s most valuable crops. Stanislaus County’s walnuts also saw a big drop in value. Farmers sold $171 million worth of nuts in 2015, a drop of $127 million. Almond farmers in Stanislaus County saw their sales slide by approximately $100 million to just under $1.3 billion in 2015, according to the county report. Worldwide, almonds prices declined 6.4 percent for the year that ended in July, the USDA said. Overall values were down, but a few categories did see some increases. Livestock and poultry, such as cattle, sheep, broilers and turkeys, saw a 48 percent jump in

their value to more than $182 million in San Joaquin County. Nursery products, apiary products and vegetable crops all increased less than 10 percent for the year. Drought was another issue that hurt Valley farmers. More than 20,000 in Stanislaus County acres were fallowed in 2015 due to the

drought. In San Joaquin County, field crops were hurt by the ongoing drought and dropped 19.76 percent, with a gross value of more than $271 million. In Stanislaus County, gross sales of chickens were up. Area farmers sold $304 million worth of chick-

ens in 2015, a jump of $52 million from 2014. Chickens also moved up one spot from 2014 to rank as the fourth most valuable product produced by county farmers. See more about San Joaquin County’s top products on page 30. Stanislaus County’s list is on page 38.

Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

BANKS LOCALLY BASED

In San Joaquin, Stanislaus Counties. Banks are ranked by total assets as of June 30, 2016. All numbers are stated in thousands. Rank

2 3 4 5

Top Executive

Net Loans

Total Deposits

Equity Capital

Kent A. Steinwert (209) 367-2300 fmbonline.com

2,690,453

2,023,989

2,328,707

274,858

317

Douglass M. Eberhardt (209) 929-1600 bankofstockton.com Christopher M. Courtney (209) 848-2265 ovcb.com Ronald Berberian (209) 473-6800 bankbac.com Warren Wegge (209) 824-4000 deltabank.com

2,690,261

1,524,376

2,158,105

394,994 569,668

371 12

550,951

81,658 317,998

158 4

495,732 108,985

55,219 40,243

108 7

100,146

8,460

Phone

Address Farmers & Merchants Bank of Central California 121 W. Pine Street Lodi, CA 95240 Bank of Stockton 301 E. Miner Avenue Stockton, CA 95202 Oak Valley Community Bank 125 N. 3rd Avenue Oakdale, CA 95361 BAC Community Bank 2021 W. March Lane Stockton, CA 95207 Delta Bank, National Association 611 N. Main Street Manteca, CA 95336

Number of Local Branches Number of Employees

Total Assets

Name

Web Address

925,435 838,547

FDIC Certificate Bank Charter Class

Year Est.

1331 NM

1916

1536 NM

1867

33457 SM

1991

19434 NM

1965

21147 N

1973

BANKS NOT LOCALLY BASED Banks are ranked by total local deposits as of June 30, 2016. All numbers are stated in thousands. Name Rank Address 1 2 3 44 5

Wells Fargo Bank 1045 W. March Lane Stockton, CA 95207 Bank of America 407 N. Wilson Way Stockton, CA 95205 Bank of the West 4213 Dale Road, C-7 Modesto, CA 95356 JPMorgan Chase Bank 2866 W. March Lane, Ste. A Stockton, CA 95219 Compass Bank 2287 W. March Lane Stockton, CA 95207

Bank Manager Phone Web Address

Total Local Deposits

Number of Local Branches

3,033,346

2,556,306

1,979,269

1,281,882

Brandon Holiday (209) 473-6900 bbvacompass.com

981,867

Fidel Rivas (209) 957-8011 wellsfargo.com Mr. Gavarette (209) 944-5210 bankofamerica.com Marlene Stante (209) 579-8860 bankofthewest.com James Dyrda (209) 475-9024 jpmorganchase.com

Citibank 5605 N. Pershing Avenue Stockton, CA 95207

Darlene Cobb (209) 951-5441 citibank.com

577,000

U.S. Bank 6445 N. Pacific Avenue Stockton, CA 95207

Tami Vo-Tith (209) 954-7601 usbank.com

325,332

Westamerica Bank 1600 Kansas Avenue Modesto, CA 95358

Janet Sousa (209) 572-8581 westamerica.com

274,658

MUFG Union Bank 35 S. El Dorado Street Stockton, CA 95202

Juli Rhodes (209) 466-2315 unionbank.com

236,147

Rabobank 1400 Standiford Avenue, Ste. 12 Modesto, CA 95350

Somel Sukvinder (209) 545-1570 rabobankamerica.com

219,816

Central Valley Community Bank 2800 W. March Lane, Ste. 120 Stockton, CA 95219

Karen Smith (209) 956-7800 cvcb.com

163,724

Tri Counties Bank 3601 Pelandale Avenue, Ste. E-5 Modesto, CA 95356

Manager Transition (209) 548-4030 tcbk.com

118,121

Umpqua Bank 89 Lakewood Mall Lodi, CA 95242

Laura Murphy (209) 334-9500 umpquabank.com

96,130

Community Business Bank 1540 W. Kettleman Lane, Ste. A Lodi, CA 95242

Scott Meyer (209) 334-7400 communitybizbank.com

93,124

Bay Commercial Bank 22 W. Yokuts Avenue Stockton, CA 95207

Diane White (209) 956-7000 baycomnercialbank.com

88,790

Total Assets

Net Loans

FDIC Certificate Bank Charter Equity Capital Class

Deposits by County San Joaquin Stanislaus

Total Deposits

1,683,810

1,699,435,000

921,410,000

1,349,536

1,293,485,000

158,461,000

1,394,560

1,657,878,000

878,207,000

1,161,746

1,296,831,000

210,064,000

954,526

80,462,990

55,877,855

1,024,743

57,574,073

12,496,687

582,148

2,051,004,000

767,094,000

699,734

1,407,716,000

200,978,000

579,474

86,737,598

60,945,324

402,393

68,037,910

12,137,195

83,000

1,365,660,000

596,930,000

494,000

947,268,

149,440,000

132,622

433,462,707

268,104,901

192,710

388,318,080

45,144,627

No San Joaquin

5,137,774

1,400,650

274,658

4,487,859

487,916

113,187

115,974,811

78,644,628

122,960

83,342,123

16,133,783

75,043

14,213,000

9,639,000

144,773

11,414,000

1,807,000

143,477

1,290,367

621,152

20,247

1,135,597

154,770

No San Joaquin

4,350,767

2,621,025

118,121

3,743,863

526,616

47,013

24,120,440

17,774,838

49,117

18,362,847

4,184,130

93,124

260,117

192,255

No Stanislaus

227,159

28,694

88,790

641,774

500,777

No Stanislaus

535,660

74,556

Year Est.

3511 N

1979

3510 N

1904

3514 NM

1874

628 N

1824

19048 SM

1964

7213 N

1812

6548 N

1863

3430 NM

1884

22826 N

1979

23364 NM

1981

23030 NM

1980

21943 NM

1975

17266 NM

1953

58159 NM

2005

57716 SM

2004

These lists are provided as a free service by the Central Valley Business Journal for our 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. at (209) 477-0211 or email us at research@cvbizjournal.com. Copyright Central Valley Business Journal. Researched by Courtney Forbes and Danette Conley 10/2016

Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

Digital or branches? Balance eludes banks “Having banking capabilities is one thing, but a local team that knows my business is everything.” W E L L S FA R G O MIDDLE MARKET BANKING Credit and financing Treasury management Investment banking*‡ International banking Rate risk management WHOLESALE

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*Investment and insurance products:

NOT FDIC-Insured • NO Bank Guarantee • MAY Lose Value

‡ Wells Fargo Securities is the trade name for the capital markets and investment banking services of Wells Fargo & Company and its subsidiaries, including but not limited to Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, a member of NYSE, FINRA, NFA and SIPC, Wells Fargo Institutional Securities, LLC, a member of FINRA and SIPC, Wells Fargo Prime Services, LLC, a member of FINRA, NFA and SIPC, and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Wells Fargo Securities, LLC carries and provides clearing services for Wells Fargo Institutional Securities, LLC customer accounts. Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Wells Fargo Institutional Securities, LLC, and Wells Fargo Prime Services, LLC are distinct entities from affiliated banks and thrifts. © 2016 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Deposit products offered by Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. Wells Fargo Capital Finance is the trade name for certain asset-based lending services, senior secured lending services, accounts receivable and purchase order finance services, and channel finance services of Wells Fargo & Company and its subsidiaries. WCS-3256136

WCS-3256136-MMB-Central-Valley-Business-Journal.indd 1

10/18/16 3:57 PM

STOCKTON — Banks in the United States have spent decades and countless sums of money to figure out the correct balance of venues, online, mobile or physical branches customers want. A new Gallup survey finds many still value quality, in-person customer service. Banks have focused much of their efforts on online and mobile applications, but nearly 75 percent of customers said they had visited a physical branch in the last six months. Another 48 percent said they had spoken with a call center representative. Delivering the ability to bank anytime, anywhere, in any way is crucial to banks’ success. The poll, which included 6,032 adults, found that 48 percent of customers who were “very satisfied” with their branch experience felt “fully engaged” with the bank. By contrast, among those who were not “very satisfied,” only 5 percent were fully engaged. Those results were found regardless of whether the customer preferred using a branch or another banking method. The Gallup findings indicated

banks that are focusing on digital channels while paring down physical branches are alienating customers. Nearly half (48 percent) of respondents said that they would “only consider using a bank that offered physical branches.” Even among customers who prefer digital avenues to personal interactions, 38 percent said they would choose a bank that has physical branches. Overall the poll found that customers used multiple channels of engagement with their chosen bank. The average customer surveyed used four methods of dealing with their bank in the past six months. A key result of Gallup’s findings is that banks focusing on expensive digital expansions are not automatically engaging customers or saving money. Some banks may cost themselves money by investing in large digital frameworks only to discover that customers still want physical branches the bank hoped to reduce. The survey also found that adding additional venues but providing mediocre performance in those venues only hurt banks.

ELEANOR Continued from Page 7

on specific topics. So far the TEP Talks have been a success, Birtwhistle said. Like all of The Eleanor Project events, they’re free to attend. The last TEP Talk was hosted at Stockton’s Health Careers Academy in September and was attended by about 100 women. Erin Guy Castillo is a partner at the law firm Parish Guy Castillo. She’s also one of the original eight members who attended The Eleanor Project’s first Dinner and Discussion after being invited by Birtwhistle’s sister, Stacey Jackson. Since then, Guy Castillo has been involved in everything from helping to design the website, coming up with The Eleanor Project’s name, hosting a Dinner and Discussion and serving as a panelist in The Eleanor Project’s first panel. “Basically, wherever they need me, I’ve been engaged,” said Guy Castillo. Guy Castillo has also recommended The Eleanor Project to friends. She signed up her younger associate from her law firm and invited seven others to join the group at the Dinner and Discussion she hosted. “It’s very effective because it

puts you in a position to connect with other women that maybe you wouldn’t have the opportunity to meet because they’re outside of your professional area,” said Guy Castillo. “But it does it on a very intimate level, so you feel comfortable at these dinners or in these groups that are meeting about a particular topic and get engaged with people.” The Eleanor Project’s next event is a diversity certification workshop on Nov. 15, held at Vereschagin Alumni House on the campus of the University of the Pacific. The workshop will allow WOO establishments to get certified as diversity vendors. Birtwhistle is planning to get together with the other strategic planners of The Eleanor Project in the coming months to come up with a host of events for 2017. The Eleanor Project is a membership-based organization. All its events are free, but it depends on donations, sponsorships and memberships. Anyone interested in joining The Eleanor Project can sign up on its website, TheEleanorProject.com.

Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

Kearns Goodwin shares election perspective By ELIZABETH STEVENS Business Journal editor estevens@cvbizjournal.com FRESNO — It’s been a “crazy, seemingly interminable 2016 election,” according to historian Doris Kearns Goodwin. But, she says, we’ve been here before. Kearns Goodwin spoke to an audience of about 1,000 people at Fresno’s SaveMart Center Oct. 10 to put the presidential campaigns into historical context. “I think the one race that’s important to go back to is 1912 because the Republican party was split then between conservative and progressive factions,” she said before the event in Fresno. “But more importantly, that’s when the first primary system was ever created.” Theodore Roosevelt was running against incumbent William Howard Taft for the Republican presidential nomination. Roosevelt knew Taft had the party delegates, so he pushed for states to run primaries. The party tried primaries in 13 states, and the race turned nasty. “Teddy said Taft had the ‘brain of a pig head,’” Kearns Goodwin said.

PHOTO CREDIT: ELIZABETH STEVENS

Historian and author Doris Kearns Goodwin speaking to reporters at Fresno State about the presidential election.

“And Taft said Teddy was going to be a dictator: if he wanted three terms, he’d want four or five.” The New York Times wrote an editorial saying it hoped 1912 would be the first and last time primaries would be used and likened the process to mob rule. It didn’t go well for Republicans. That election was ultimately won

by Democrat Woodrow Wilson. Kearns Goodwin said the primary system does have positive aspects in that it forces candidates to campaign in small states they might otherwise avoid. However, she believes the process has spawned some unintended consequences and is one reason the country is so polarized.

She also said social media had a major impact on this election, especially as Trump used it. For one thing, his activity on Twitter allowed him to get exposure on television he would have had to pay through commercials. “He made such an impact through his social media and his tweets that every show wanted him on even if he just called in because he had said something outrageous the night before,” she said. “So, he was able to reach millions of people to be constantly in the news in a way that you couldn’t without social media.” Kearns Goodwin’s visit to Fresno came one day after the second Trump-Clinton debate and a weekend that saw Republicans pulling support following the leak of a videotape where Trump can be heard bragging about making unwanted sexual advances toward women. She believes Trump’s performance in the debate probably helped him keep his base support but that he needed to grow it given that he was trailing in most polls behind Clinton — in some cases by double digits. Please see KEARNS GOODWIN Page 18

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Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

AUTO DEALERSHIPS In San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced Counties. Ranked by number of local employees. Ties are listed in alphabetical order. Company Name Rank Address Phone

General Manager Sales Manager Web Address

Number of Local Employees

Brands Sold

Year Established

Steve Kubitz James Cooley, Bryan Luna bigvalleyford.com

140

Ford and Lincoln

1982

Matthew Bonander Jesse Pena bonanderpontiac.com

129

Buick, GMC, Western star trucks and 8 types of trailers 3 locations available

1946

Tim Moser, Dan Benton Randy Siegmund and Ron Savelli chasechevrolet.com

109

Chevrolet

1944

Big Valley Ford Lincoln 3282 Auto Center Circle, Stockton, CA 95212 (209) 870-4400

Bonander Buick GMC 231 S. Center Street, Turlock, CA 95380 (209) 632-8871

Chase Chevrolet Co., Inc. 6441 Holman Road, Stockton, CA 95212 (209) 475-6600

Modesto Toyota Scion 4513 McHenry Avenue, Modesto, CA 95356 (209) 529-2933

Kevin Stinson and Ben Lorenzo Mike Green modestotoyota.com

100

Scion and Toyota

1983

American Chevrolet 4742 McHenry Avenue, Modesto, CA 95356 (209) 575-1606

David Halvorson Mike Solario americanchevrolet.com

Chevrolet

1990

Steves Chevrolet Buick 1285 East F Street, Oakdale, CA 95361 (209) 847-2261

Jeff Steves Richard Bingham steveschevrolet.com

Chevrolet and Buick Merced County Location

1974

Alfred Matthews 3807 McHenry Avenue, Modesto, CA 95356 (209) 577-0140

Ted Fernandez Eddie Mack alfredmatthews.com

GMC, Cadillac and Buick Used cars of all makes

1936

Mistlin Honda 4754 McHenry Avenue, Modesto, CA 95356 (209) 549-5000

Dennis Lanigan Jim Lemmons and Eli Lanigan mistlinhonda.com

Honda

1964

Tracy Ford 3500 Auto Plaza Way Tracy, CA 95304 (209) 879-4700

Steve Garrety Jeff Reynold tracyford.com

Ford

2011

Sanborn Chevrolet, Inc. 1210 S. Cherokee Lane, Lodi, CA 95240 (209) 334-5000

Mike Tiehm Paul Tiehm sanbornchevrolet.com

Chevrolet

1971

Central Valley Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram 4420 McHenry Avenue, Modesto, CA 95356 (209) 526-3300

Brent Gardner None centralvalleyauto.com

Dodge, Chrysler, Ram and Jeep

1964

Cabral Chrysler Jeep Dodge 1145 W. Yosemite Avenue, Manteca, CA 95337 (209) 823-1148

Don Cabral Kelly Rainey, Bob Bronken cabraljeep.com

Chrysler, Jeep, GEM and Dodge Parts and service

1957

Central Valley Nissan 4530 McHenry Avenue, Modesto, CA 95356 (209) 526-3320

John McSherry Neal Dow centralvalleynissan.com

Nissan

1991

Heritage Ford 2100 Sisk Road, Modesto, CA 95352 (209) 529-5110

Brett Smart George Farhoud heritagefordmodesto.com

Ford

1982

Lodi Toyota 1020 S. Beckman Road, Lodi, CA 95240 (209) 367-6500

Douglas Linder Karen Ranes loditoyota.com

Toyota and Scion

1995

Central Valley VW Hyundai 4620 McHenry Avenue, Modesto, CA 95356 (209) 524-6811

Brent Gardner Domingo Arroyo centralvalleyvw.com

Volkswagon and Hyundai

2008

Mercedes-Benz of Stockton 10777 Trinity Parkway, Stockton, CA 95219 (209) 944-5511 Mercedes-Benz of Modesto 3900 McHenry Avenue, Modesto, CA 95356 (209) 522-8100

Brian Martucci NA mbofstockton.com Chris Godden Brandon Toll mbofmodesto.com

Mercedes-Benz Formaly Berberian European Motors

1989

Mercedes-Benz

2013

Stockton Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge Ram 3333 Auto Center Circle, Stockton, CA 95212 (209) 956-1920

James Hill Joe Hernandez stocktondodge.com

Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep and Ram

1970

Kia of Stockton 6215 Holman Road, Stockton, CA 95219 (209) 956-6500

Ryan Allan stocktonkia.com

Kia Formaly Stockton Nissan Kia

1951

Infiniti of Modesto 4320 McHenry Avenue, Modesto, CA 95356 (209) 557-9997

Chelsea Sheldon Luis Giron infinitimodesto.com

Infiniti

2005

1 64

Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

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Pelandale overpass done MODESTO — Caltrans, the city of Modesto, Stanislaus Council of Governments and Stanislaus County celebrated the completion of the SR 99/Pelandale Avenue Interchange Project in late October. The project was hailed as an important component to improve transportation in Modesto and Salida. “Commuters will benefit from less congestion, and the local economy will get a boost because it is now easier to travel to and from the city’s regional shopping center and industrial parks,” Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty said in a release.

The project included a new interchange and auxiliary lane, which replaced the existing 45-year-old structure. It also doubled the number of lanes on the overpass, built new on and off-ramps, added merging lanes to improve traffic flow and included a large “Welcome to Modesto” sign. The interchange serves more than 110,000 vehicles overall daily. More than 200,000 vehicles are expected to use the interchange daily by 2035. The project got more than $41 million from Proposition 1B, a $19.9 billion transportation bond approved by voters in 2006.

KEARNS GOODWIN Continued from Page 15

“It seems to me the debate obviously served as a final breaking point for the Republicans who have long been thinking about what to do about Mr. Trump,” Kearns Goodwin said. The ugliness of the campaign and the polarization of the country have left many Americans, especially young people, feeling disenfranchised. Kearns Goodwin has an idea for improving participation. She believes encouraging

some kind of national service, either military or nonprofit work, would help people feel more like they have a stake in America’s future and each other. “It could be done on a more local level with nonprofit charities, with people involved in teaching or involved in helping out in certain areas” she said. “But just something to get kids out of their own channel and feeling a sense of connection to other groups of people.

November 2016

DOUBLETREE Continued from Page 8

The hotel’s cocktail lounge sports new flooring and a more modern look. The pool area has been redone. The hotel’s fitness center features new weights and new Precor equipment including treadmills that contain embedded television sets. Guest room renovation will begin in January and is expected to be done by spring. “We’ll be replacing the wall coverings, the drapes, the carpet, the desk chair, the soft seating in the rooms,” said Siefken. “Basically, it’s an overhaul of our entire guest rooms. I’ve seen the initial plans and they look fantastic.” Each of the hotel’s refreshed 261 guest rooms will feature decor reflecting the Modesto area’s culture and heritage. “The initial artwork that I’ve seen is highlighting the almond trees and the agricultural feel of Modesto.” Siefken said. Tourism on the rise The hotel’s upgrades are timed to take advantage of an uptick in tourism business. The area has enjoyed an influx of visitors due

to growth in several travel categories including leisure, business and sports. That has resulted in an increase of several hundred thousand dollars in Modesto’s Transient Occupancy Tax between the fiscal years of 2014-15 and 2015-16. Some of that increase comes from leisure tour companies turning to Modesto as a more centrally located and less expensive stopover option than San Francisco. “It has easily doubled as far as the number tour buses coming in the last year,” said Jennifer Mullen of Visit Modesto. “A lot of them are coming because of the increased prices in the Bay Area. They are getting a much better value by coming to Modesto.” Corporate travel also has grown and traveling sales people are increasing the frequency of visits to clients as well. “I really feel there’s a definite increase in consumer and corporate confidence levels,” Mullen said. “We’re actually booking for conventions into 2019, and we’re just starting to talk about 2020. During the recession, the booking window got much shorter.”

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Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

Business Journal Jobs & Economy CENTRAL VALLEY

> WHO’S HIRING

Holiday retail hiring heats up Retailers are looking for workers as the holiday shopping season approaches. Online ads were increasing in both San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties for sales associates and supervisors, according to the Employment Development Department. Also, high on the list of job ads were notices for truck drivers and nurses. Occupational and physical therapists were also among the top 10 job ads. The employers placing the most ads in Stanislaus County were West Suburban Medical Center, Sutter Health and Tenant Healthcare. Dignity Health, local school districts and Amazon.com led online ad placement in San Joaquin County.

Local job growth could outpace state’s STOCKTON — Look for steady economic growth in California for the rest of the decade. That’s the message from University of the Pacific economists in the California and Metro Forecast released Oct. 4. This economic recovery, never a barn-burner, is settling in for the next few years, the study said. Gross state product is expected to grow at a rate of 2.5 percent. Job growth has gone as low as it’s going to in this cycle. Unemployment is projected to stabilize between 5.5 and 6

> GAINS AND LOSSES MODESTO — The unemployment rate in both Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties was 7.5 percent in September. Both counties saw big gains in the government

percent through 2020. “California has continued to add jobs at an over 2 percent pace throughout 2016, but we expect job growth will slowly recede to a 1 percent pace over the next two years,” wrote the report’s authors. Job growth is projected to be a bit stronger in San Joaquin County, however, thanks to growth in the distribution and transportation sectors. “Employment growth is on track for a 3.7 percent gain in 2016 and is projected to remain above 3 percent in San Joaquin Coun-

ty for 2017, the fastest of all Northern California metro areas,” the report said. The California and Metro Forecast is produced

quarterly by the Center for Business and Policy Research at the University of the Pacific’s Eberhardt School of Business.

Valley counties’ jobless rates go down sector, largely as teachers returned to schools. Stanislaus County added 1,000 jobs, and San Joaquin County added 1,200. However, both counties shed jobs in manufacturing

as seasonal food processing slowed down. San Joaquin County also lost 500 jobs in the trade, transportation and utilities sector, mostly in wholesale and retail trade,

according to the state’s Employment Development Department. Stanislaus County lost 500 jobs in tourism. California’s unemployment rate was at 5.3 percent.

Ozone, cooking accident among crazy excuses for missing work Fewer workers are faking being sick to skip work, a new CareerBuilder survey found. The report discovered that 35 percent of workers called in sick when they were feeling just fine this year. That was down from 38 percent in last year’s survey. Here are some of the weirdest excuses CareerBuilder collected: • Employee said the ozone in the air flattened his tires.

• Employee’s pressure cooker exploded and scared her sister, so she had to stay home. • Employee had to attend the funeral of his wife’s cousin’s pet because he was an uncle and pallbearer. • Employee was blocked in by police raiding her home. • Employee had to testify against a drug dealer and the dealer’s friend mugged him. • Employee said her roots were showing and

she had to keep her hair appointment. • Employee ate cat food instead of tuna and was deathly ill. • Employee said she wasn’t sick but her llama was. • Employee had used a hair remover under her arms and suffered chemical burns. • Employee was bowling the game of his life and couldn’t make it to work. • Employee was experiencing traumatic stress

after finding a large spider in her home. Most employees had more mundane reasons for skipping work. The biggest reasons for faking sickness included not feeling like going in to work (28 percent), going to a doctor’s appointment (27 percent), wanting to relax (24 percent) and sleeping (18 percent). Roughly a third of employers said they checked on workers to find out if they were truly sick.

Twenty-two percent of employers said they fired an employee for calling in sick with a fake excuse. Still far more workers came to work sick last year. Forty-seven percent of workers said they went to work when they were sick because they couldn’t afford to miss a day of pay. The survey included more than 3,100 full-time workers and more than 2,500 full-time hiring and human resource managers.

Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES In San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Counties. Ranked by number of local employees. Ties are listed in alphabetical order. Company Name Rank

Address Phone

Number Type of Business Owned of Local Web Address Employees Services Provided Phone

Principal Owner(s)

Year Est.

209-478-8500 premierstaffingstockton.com

720

Employment agency Temporary and permanent staffing light industrial, clinical, professional

Jennifer Wallace

1977

209-491-2020 directline-tech.com

Telephilanthropy call center telephone fund-raising for universities, medical centers, public radio/TV and non-profit organizations nationwide

Martha Connor

1990

209-602-9099 greensmarket.net

Organic farm, restaurant, catering, meal delivery and full service event planning

Ann Endsley

2011

Tuff Boy Leasing LLC 5151 Almondwood Drive Manteca, CA 95337

209-239-1361 tuffboy.com

Fabrication trailers, leasing, sales and repairs Also owns Harris Ranch (almond farm)

Lucille Harris

1988

Iacopi, Lenz & Company 3031 W. March Lane, Ste. 300-E Stockton, CA 95219

209-957-3691 iacopi.com

Susan Lenz

1978

Whirlowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tossed and Grilled 1926 Pacific Avenue Stockton, CA 95204

209-466-2823 whirlows.com

Lis Whirlow

1980

International Healthlink Prof., Inc. (IHELP, INC.) P.O. Box 549 Manteca, CA 95336

Mary Louise Applebaum

1995

Massage Envy Spa Modesto Briggsmore 2001 Mc Henry Avenue, Ste. L Modesto, CA 95350

Dr. Melody Itliang

2013

Central Valley Business Journal 4512 Feather River Drive, Ste. E Stockton, CA 95219

Sharon Alley-Calone

1995

Susete Oliveira

2012

Carla Ciccarelli

1989

Premier Staffing 8807 Thornton Road, Ste. L Stockton, CA 95209

DirectLine Technologies, Inc. 1600 N. Carpenter Road, Bldg. D Modesto, CA 95351

Greens Table 501 Bangs Avenue Modesto, CA 95356 Greens Bistro 953 Tenth Street, Modesto, CA 95354

10 11

Green Grub 2922 Geer Road Turlock, CA 95382 Ciccarelli Jewelers 3200 Sick Road Ste. C Modesto, CA 95356

CPA firm Accounting services, tax preparation, forensic accounting, business consulting and more Restaurant on the miracle mile, tossed and grilled plus BBQ, offering live music 6 nights, dance and exercise classes, catering, meeting space and frozen yogurt my way

209-825-5995 IHELPInc.net

Health information and business consulting ICD-10-CM/PCS implementation and training, coding, scanning, record analysis, auditing, HR and general office staffing

(209) 529-8080 massageenvy/clinics/ca/ modesto-briggsmore

Therapeutic massages, rejuvenating skin facials, Swedish, deep tissue, sports and prenatal massages, reflexology, healthy skin facials, scrubs, aromatherapy, and hot stone

209-477-0100 cvbizjournal.com

Business publication Published monthly, daily online updates Annual Book of Lists

209-667-4131 greengrub.net

209-524-7746 ciccarellijewelers.com

209-549-2765 wardpromotional.com

Promotional products-apparel awards promotional products, embroidery, screen printing, graphic design, and marketing

Laura Ward

2001

209-957-7277 sasspr.com

Public relations, marketing, advertising, graphic design, communications and consulting Specialize in all media

Carrie Sass

2006

209-521-0388 mhdgroup.com

Advertising and design firm Brand strategy/advertising, package design, graphic design and web design

Marcia Herrmann

1987

209-235-1040 kalfsbeek.com

Public accounting firm Accounting, tax preparation and planning, business consulting, QuickBooks consulting

Jane Kalfsbeek & Donna Hammel

1983

209-983-5142 allamericanlogistics.com

Logistics All types of transportation services

Debra Silver

2006

Karen DeVaney

1976

Judith Buethe

1989

Strategic management and marketing Strategy, industry, education partnerships and project management

Lita Wallach

2004

Event planning and production

Anne Wilcox & Amy Sieffert

2015

Juice, shake bar, deli, coffee healthy green drinks, juices, cleansing and detoxifying, homemade soups, artisan salads Bridal settings, custom settings, diamond colored/stones Watch and jewelry repair

Ward Promotional Marketing Solutions 530 Charity Way Modesto, CA 95356

SASS! Public Relations, Inc. 374 Lincoln Center Stockton, CA 95207

Marcia Herrmann Design 1127 12th Street, Ste. 104 Modesto, CA 95354

Kalfsbeek & Company, A.C. 4529 Quail Lakes Drive, Ste. C Stockton, CA 95207

All American Logistics, LLC 7555 R.A. Bridge Ford Street Stockton, CA 95206

DeVaney Business Services 1050 N. Carpenter Road, Ste. I Modesto, CA 95351

209-524-4345 devaneybusiness.net

Bookkeeping Payroll and tax preparation

Judith Buethe Communications 445 W. Weber Ave., Ste. 221 Stockton, CA 95203

209-464-8707 buethecommunications.com

Public relations/strategic communications Strategic planning, public outreach, graphic design, event coordination

Wallach and Associates P.O. Box 1805 Woodbridge, CA 95258

Goodstock Production 2353 Pacific Avenue, Ste. A Stockton, CA 95204

209-210-8898 wallachconsulting.com

209-322-7624 goodstockca.com

1-3

Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

Business Journal Real Estate CENTRAL VALLEY

> REVITALIZATION

Nonprofit gets housing grant STOCKTON — Visionary Homebuilders of California will receive $80,000 from the Wells Fargo Housing Foundation 2016 Priority Markets Program. The nonprofit is one 56 organizations to receive a grant from the program, which is donating $6 million for neighborhood revitalization. Visionary Home Builders works to boost revitalization efforts and was identified by Wells Fargo as leading large-scale neighborhood projects. The grants can be used for any costs associated with the development or redevelopment of a project. Recipients must have successful histories of building or renovating housing for low-to moderate-income homebuyers.

Existing home sales post modest increase MODESTO — Existing home sales in California bumped up on a year-to-year basis in September. It was the first such year-to-year increase in seven months. Sales of existing homes hit a seasonally adjusted total 425,680 units in September according to the California Association of Realtors. That figure was up 1.3 percent from August and up 0.8 percent compared with home sales in September 2015. It was the sixth-straight month that statewide sales remained above the 400,000 mark.

> CONSERVATION WOODBRIDGE — The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses has designated Woodbridge Golf & Country Club as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary.

“With listings continuing to decline and demand still strong, especially at the lower end of the market, affordability will remain a challenge for would-be buyers,” CAR President Pat “Ziggy” Zicarelli said in a release. The Central Valley remained one of the most affordable regions of the state. A median priced home was $322,000 in San Joaquin County. Home buyers in Stanislaus County paid a median price of $270,000. Median prices in the counties dropped 1 percent from August prices.

Central Valley median prices are still well above their mark one year ago. San Joaquin County’s me-

dian price is up 9.2 percent from last year while Stanislaus County registered a 7.1 percent increase.

Golf course gets sanctuary designation The designation recognizes the club maintains a high degree of environmental quality in areas including environmental planning, wildlife and habitat management, outreach and

education, chemical use reduction and safety, water conservation and water quality management. “Woodbridge Golf & Country Club has shown a strong commitment to its

environmental program,” said Tara Donadio, director of Cooperative Sanctuary Programs at Audubon International.” Just 71 courses in the state hold the designation.

Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

MedicAlert focuses on autism problem By PATRICIA REYNOLDS Business Journal writer preynolds@cvbizjournal.com SALIDA — MedicAlert Foundation, the Salida-based non-profit organization that provides an information link between first responders and a person’s medical information during emergencies, has launched a new program for people with autism. Announced Leslie during the National Autism Conference on Sept. 8, MedicAlert’s Found for Autism program targets people on the spectrum who are at risk of wandering and are unable to communicate during a crisis. “The need is for information,” said MedicAlert President and CEO David Leslie. “When the person cannot communicate what they need to … to get home safely, that’s where MedicAlert … comes into play.” The program already is providing Riverbank mother, Lindsay Stillford, with some added peace of mind. Stillford registered her daughter in September. “I registered Alicia because she is autistic and has an intellectual learning disability,” said Stillford. “Alicia is a smart and beautiful young lady, but it is hard for you to understand her speech, so I thought getting this bracelet would be easier if she is ever in need.” MedicAlert identification jewelry directs emergency first responders or good Samaritans to the organization’s toll-free number and enables MedicAlert staff to identify the affected person though the ID number on the jewelry. The MedicAlert member’s stored medical and family contact information can then be relayed to health care providers or family members. Found for Autism is a natural outgrowth of MedicAlert’s and the Alzheimer’s Association’s successful Safe Return program that seeks to address the high risk of wandering among people with Alzheimer’s disease. “What we’re really able to leverage is the expertise for what happens when a person who has difficulty communicating, for whatever reason that might be, during an emergency,” Leslie said. While the MedicAlert jewelry

itself cannot prevent wandering, the IDs provide an added layer of protection for people with autism, especially children, who wander or suddenly flee because of fright, sometimes called “eloping.” “The concern is that it happens very frequently,” said National Autism Association President Wendy Fournier. “There was a

study published in the Journal of Pediatrics showing that 49 percent of individuals with autism did wander or elope.” Fournier said young children are most at risk for wandering, and many cases have ended in tragedy. However, it is also a danger for adolescents and adults on the spectrum. The National Autism Association

encourages families to take preventive measures to reduce the risk of wandering, but recommends MedicAlert IDs as a way of being prepared if wandering does occur. “We feel like you have to have a multilayer approach to safety,” said Fournier. “There’s prevention,

A BETTER WAY TO TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS

Clear the smoke to lower health care costs Make your business tobacco-free to improve employee health and your bottom line. Each employee who quits smoking saves you at least $210 in insurance costs almost immediately.* Visit us online to download our tobacco-free campus toolkit, a step-bystep action plan for making your company a smoke-free environment.

Choose better. Choose Kaiser Permanente.

* “Tobacco: The Business of Quitting,” National Business Group on Health, November 2011.

kp.org/workforcehealth

Please see MEDICALERT Page 33

Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

RETAIL CENTERS In San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced Counties. Ranked by gross leasable square feet. Ties are listed in alphabetical order.

Rank

Retail Center Name Location

Vintage Faire Mall 3401 Dale Road Modesto, CA 95356

West Valley Mall 3200 N. Naglee Road Tracy, CA 95304

1 12 1 13

1 14 3 15

Weberstown Mall 4950 Pacific Avenue Stockton, CA 95207 Sherwood Mall 5308 Pacific Avenue Stockton, CA 95207 Park West Place 10742 Trinity Parkway Stockton, CA 95219 The Promenade Shops at Orchard Valley 1422 Grove Avenue Manteca, CA 95337 Crossroads Regional Oakdale Road at Claribel Road Riverbank, CA 95367 Stadium Center 2360 Daniels Street Manteca, CA 95337 Monte Vista Crossing Monte Vista Avenue at Hwy. 99 Turlock, CA 95380 Tracy Pavilion 2481 Naglee Road Tracy, CA 95304 Lincoln Center Pacific Avenue at Stockton, CA 95207 McHenry Village 1700 McHenry Avenue Modesto, CA 95350 Stonecreek Village 5757 Pacific Avenue Stockton, CA 95207 Quail Lakes Center I-5 at March Lane Stockton, CA 95207 Pacific Town Center 636 W. Hammer Lane Stockton, CA 95210

Phone Web Address (209) 527-3401 shopvintagefairemall.com

Gross Leasable Square Feet Number of Businesses in Center 1,141,710 134

Leasing Representative Leasing Company Contact Info Leasing Agent Phone Melissa Freas macerich.com (209) 408-1850 Kylie Mc Glynn rouseproperties.com (781) 258-4572

Anchor Stores

Year Built

Macy’s, JC Penney, Sears, Forever 21, Apple Store, Aeropostale, Bebe, Sephora and Coach

1977

Macy’s, Target, Sears, JC Penney, Olive Garden and Cinemark 14

1995

Dillards, JC Penney, Sears, Old Navy and Barnes & Noble

1963

Macy’s, Best Buy, Dicks Sporting Goods, Home Goods and Petco

1979

Target, Lowe’s, Kohl’s, Sports Authority, Ross, Jo-Ann’s Fabric and Office Depot

2005

(209) 836-4091 westvalleymall.com

875,000 94

(209) 477-0247 weberstownmall.com

855,829 89

(209) 952-6277 sherwoodmall.com

757,001 80

Melissa Gomes washingtomprime.com (209) 477-0245 D. Carter Hemming crosspointrealty.com (415) 288-6888 (209) 476-2907

(209) 474-9900 exceltrust.com

745,420 64

Andy Hodgson andy.hodgson@colliers.com (209) 475-5129

(901) 531-8710 the promenadeshopsat orchardvalley.com

721,000 15

Dan Thompson (901) 531-8733 dthompson@pm-lifestyle.com (901) 761-7604

Bass Pro Shops, JC Penny, Red Robin and AMC Theatres

2009

(925) 588-2222 browmandevelopment.com

630,000 50+

Scott Bohrer leasing@browmandevelopment.com (925) 588-2223

Target, Kohl’s, Home Depot, Staples, SaveMart, Petco, Best Buy and Chevron

2007

(209) 474-9900 mallstb.com/ca/stadiumcenter

420,000 35

John Austin john.austin@cassidyturley.com (916) 329-1544

Costco, Kohl’s, Old Navy, Ross, Jo-Ann’s Fabric and Ross

2008

(925) 933-4000 x221 montevistacrossing.com

408,055 69

Rachael Orlando racgaeki@retailcalifornia.com (559) 447-6252

Bed, Bath & Beyond, TJ Maxx, Ross, BevMo, Old Navy and ULTA Beauty

2007

(209) 474-9900 NA

330,000 27

Josh Schmidt josh.schmidt@cbre.com (916) 446-8776

Home Depot, WinCo, Marshalls, Ross, Petsmart, Staples and ULTA Beauty

2002

(209) 477-4868 lincolncentershops.com

300,000 65

Patrick Dobson pdobson@sims-grupe.com (209) 478-9200

Mc Caulou’s, Podesto’s, Papapavlos, ShoMi, Midgley’s and Domo

1951

(209) 523-6473 mchenryvillage.com

266,000 42

Tim Bettencourt tbettencourt@cosol.net (209) 521-1591

CVS Pharmacy, Phillips Lighting & Home, Bianca’s Bridal Couture and Kellers

1950

(209) 474-1634 shopstonecreekvillage.com

162,000 29

REI, Coldwater Creek,Talbots, LOFT, Foot Solutions, Regalo Bello, Jos. A. Bank, Lane Bryant, Mimi’s Cafe, BJ’s Restaurant

2008

(209) 473-6201 grupe.com

140,201 15

S-Mart Foods, Office Max, El Torito and Olive Garden

1978

(209) 475-5100 cbre.com

115,513+ 16

Toys R Us, TJ Maxx, Smart & Final, Michaels, Pier 1 Imports, Mancini’s Sleepworld

2008

Raley’s and McDonalds

1976

Walgreens, Ace Hardware and Marie Callenders

1983

Ross, Men’s Wearhouse, Carter’s, Crossroads Trading Company and Sally’s Beauty Supply

1984

D. Carter Hemming (415) 288-6888 Stone Creek office Brian Peterson (CBRE) (209) 476-2907 Dan Keyser dkeyser@grupe.com (209)473-6201 Jon Schultz Jon.schultz@cbre.com (916) 446-8261

1 16 4

Tully Manor 3300 Tully Road Modesto, CA 95350

(209) 478-1791 stonebrosmanagement.com/retail_ modesto_tullymanor.html

95,420 18

Emily Murtha crosspointrealty.com (415) 288-6888

Sylvan Square 3500 Coffee Road Modesto, CA 95355

(209) 478-1791 stonebrosmanagement.com/retail_ modesto_sylvansquare.html

94,000 8

Dan Price dprice@pmz.com (209) 351-0708

(209) 952-6277 pacificandrobinhood.com

92,433 20

D. Carter Hemming crosspointrealty.com (415) 288-6888

(925) 588-2222 browmandevelopment.com

92,000 24

Scott Bohrer sbohrer@browmandevelopment.com (925) 588-2223

Raley’s, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Jiffy Lube and Chevron

1991

(209) 473-6201 grupe.com

70,710 19

Dan Keyser dkeyser@grupe.com (209)473-6201

Marina Marketplace, Ace Hardware, Mc Donalds and Wells Fargo

1972

1 18 6 19

Robinhood Plaza 5756 Pacific Avenue Stockton, CA 95207 Yosemite North Sec G Street at East Yosemite Avenue Merced, CA 95340 Marina Center I-5 at Benjamin Holt Drive Stockton, CA 95207

Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

Business Journal Cover Story CENTRAL VALLEY

PHILIP JOHNSON/CVBJ

Modesto’s Vintage Faire Mall is the northern San Joaquin Valley’s largest shopping center with 134 businesses.

Malls fight for a piece of the action As shoppers appear ready to spend, malls hope events and services will pull them in By SIM RISSO Business Journal writer srisso@cvbizjournal.com STOCKTON — With the holiday season right around the corner, shopping centers expect to see a spike in business. Even better, projections indicate that increase will be greater than we’ve seen in quite some time. The National Retail Federation, the advocacy group for the retail industry, expects November and December retail sales (excluding gas, autos and restaurants) to increase a solid 3.6 percent to $658.5 billion. That’s considerably higher than the 10-year average of 2.5

percent and greater than the seven-year average of 3.4 percent since economic recovery began in 2009. Shopping centers in the Central Valley are optimistic, too, but the key is getting customers through the doors, especially with increased competition from online retailers. “Malls are social gathering places that provide all kinds of retail experiences and entertainment. People still enjoy a hands-on experience with a diversified retail mix,” Stockton’s Weberstown Mall manager Tom Cleveland said in an email. “We are optimistic that we will have a successful holiday shopping season based

on what we’re seeing and hearing from our retailers.” Cleveland said his mall is fully occupied with this year’s addition of Daniel’s Jewelers and Panera Bread. To capitalize on the projected increase in revenue, local retailers and shopping centers are having to come up with new incentives for customers. A big part of that is creating a shopping experience, especially events. Weberstown Mall Weberstown Mall will host its 18th annual Magical Night of Giving on Nov. 20 to kick off the holiday season. The event offers shoppers savings throughout the mall as well as giveaways and special holiday entertainment to benefit local nonprofit organizations.

Additionally, the first 250 customers to arrive at Weberstown Mall on Black Friday will receive a BFF (Black Friday Fanatic) tote bag filled with special offers from select retailers. Lincoln Center Lincoln Center in Stockton will put on a Holiday Open House on Nov. 13. The event will feature train rides and free family photos in front of the shopping center’s Christmas tree. The shopping center will also move Santa from the brick walk, where he’s traditionally been, to a storefront that will include a North Pole experience. Lincoln Center will also offer valet parking during the Holiday Open House and every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. between Nov. 25 and Dec.

Central Valley Business Journal

CVBJ/WAYNE Denning

November 2016

BUSINESS JOURNAL PHOTO

Vintage Faire Mall is bringing back its Santa HQ attractions in partnership with HGTV.

Along with its 65 businesses such as McCaulous, Lincoln Center will host a Holiday Open House on Nov. 13.

24. On Christmas Eve, the service ends at 3 p.m. The shopping center will add a few select retailers specifically for the holiday season, including a Rolex Boutique and CR Porter Home Collections. “I think it’s that mom and pop feel that’s hard to come by, especially here in Stockton,” said Lincoln Center’s Marketing Director Tara Rushing. “Lincoln Center prides itself on still serving that to our customers and to the community. We want to be that safe place too. We have 24-hour security. We have so many wonderful things that we don’t feel that you can get at other malls and shopping centers in Stockton.”

West Valley Mall This year West Valley Mall in Tracy has moved its Santa experience to center court, where all three wings of the mall converge. Mall managers hope to replicate the success they had with the Easter Bunny experience last spring when there was an increase in traffic

from families who wanted photos. “We figured we might as well do the same thing with Santa this year,” said West Valley Mall General Manager Ashton Simmons. “Santa’s in the mall for a lot longer, so we’re hoping that will further spark the holiday spirit.” West Valley Mall also features a newly remodeled theater that includes luxury lounger seating. There are also plenty of fast food and sit-down restaurants, as well as entertainment options such as

bounce houses for kids. “Those entertainment elements in addition to the shopping, create a well-rounded shopping experience and customer experience that make people want to come to the mall and spend more time at the mall, eating, shopping and being entertained instead of just shopping,” said Simmons. “That’s the environment we create to compete with the online shopping, who don’t have the ability to provide that customer experience that we can.”

TRACY — While shopping centers hope experiences draw customers, the internet is competing neck-and-neck for holiday shopping dollars. The consulting company Deloitte conducted its annual holiday survey of consumer trends and found shoppers plan to spend 47 percent of their holiday budgets online and 47 percent in stores. They’ll spend the other 6 percent purchasing from catalogs. One interesting trend Deloitte uncovered is the blending of in-store and online shopping. While many people are familiar with “showrooming” (looking at merchandise in a store but buying it online), “webrooming” is now growing in popularity. Two-thirds of the survey’s respondents said they plan to look at products online but make their

purchase in a store. Amazon.com, and its three fulfillment centers in San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties are ramping up hiring to meet the increased holiday shopping demand. In October, the online retailer opened its second center in Tracy, where it will fulfill orders for large pieces of merchandise. Amazon’s first center in Tracy, which opened in 2013, employs 7,000 workers during the peak shopping season, according to Tracy’s economic development manager Shelley Burcham. “It’s a pleasant surprise when we hear it’s 7,000. And it’s not just entry levels jobs,” Burcham said. Many of the jobs require a bachelor’s degree, and even lower-level positions are not considered dead-end jobs. “That’s also a training facility,”

Burcham said. “They’re very big about promoting from within.” In addition to providing employment for the region, sales fulfilled at centers in Tracy and Patterson also generate sales tax revenue. That money is collected by the state and 1 percent is sent back to each county. Amazon is also flying cargo in and out of the Stockton Metropolitan Airport as part of its own air freight service experiment. The company has a hangar at the airport and 90 workers on the ground loading and unloading shipments. Besides Amazon, the region is also home to Best Buy, Crate and Barrel, and Restoration Hardware call centers and distribution centers. Burcham said a new meal prep and delivery subscription service center is opening in Tracy soon, but she couldn’t reveal the name.

Vintage Faire Mall The largest shopping center in the Northern San Joaquin Valley, Modesto’s Vintage Faire, will again partner with HGTV to present Santa HQ from Nov. 2 to Dec. 24. It will feature, among other things, a Naughty or Nice O’Meter, Santa’s Workshop and the Elf Ray Vision Treasure Hunt. The mall will also host Breakfast with Santa on Nov. 5, as well as a Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony on Nov. 19. Vintage Faire will bring in select temporary holiday vendors, such as Hickory Farms, in addition to newly remodeled shops in Kay Jewelers, Hot Topic and Torrid. “We are anticipating a positive holiday shopping season this year,” said Annie Amies, marketing director for Vintage Faire.

“Industry-watchers are predicting healthy seasonal growth, and this could mean stronger sales for our retailers.”

Valley’s key role in e-commerce

Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

Business Journal CEO Spotlight CENTRAL VALLEY

Women in jewelry business: a family tradition By MELISSA HUTSELL Business Journal writer mhutsell@cvbizjournal.com MODESTO — In a nation where female founders still fall far behind their male counterparts when it comes to business ownership, Carla Ciccarelli owns not one, but two, companies. Through her ventures, Dream Dinners and Ciccarelli Jewelers, Ciccarelli carries on her family’s tradition of female-led free enterprise. For her, it started with jewelry. “I grew up in the business,” Ciccarelli said of her jewelry store. “Business is my background, but jewelry has always been (in my roots).” Her mother, Wilhelmina Willemse, owned one of the first jewelry stores in Las Vegas, which she ran for more than 20 years before moving to Modesto and establishing Wilhelmina’s Appraisals. Ciccarelli studied business administration at University of Nevada, Reno. While in Reno, she worked

part time at a jewelry store where she became the first female manager in the shop’s 75 years of operation. That is where she met her husband, Greg, a Modesto native and fellow jewelry store manager. In 1990, they moved to Modesto and established Ciccarelli Jewelers on the corner of Sisk Road and Standiford Avenue. Ciccarelli said she has always had a knack for sales and an instinct for business, but the opportunity to help others is what drew her to the jewelry and food businesses. Whether she is helping a couple choose an engagement ring or providing healthy foods for family meals, “It’s all about helping, the personal touch of getting to know customers and seeing them regularly,” she said. For 26 years, Ciccarelli has built a family-run operation. Both she and her daughter, Alex Ciccarelli, have diamond certificates from the Gemological Institute of America. Alex is working to become a grad-

PHILIP JOHNSON/CVBJ

Carla Ciccarelli opened her jewelry store in Modesto in 1990.

uate gemologist so she can take over her grandmother’s business. “That makes three generations (of female jewelers),” Alex said. “It’s completely unheard of.” She said she was one of just five

women in a class of 45 taking a recent course through the Gemological Institute of America. Though there are few women in Please see CICCARELLI Page 33

Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

Stanislaus Futures aids college aspirations By NORA HESTON TARTE Business Journal writer nhestontarte@cvbizjournal.com MODESTO — When Danny Mauricio was in eighth grade, he received a Stanislaus Community Foundation scholarship after one of his teachers nominated him. As a first-generation college student, the $3,000 scholarship he received made a big difference in Mauricio’s life. “Personally I would say that (the scholarship) really did encourage me to further think into going to college,” he said. As he continued through high school, the scholarship was always in the back of Mauricio’s mind, and it served as an incentive to work hard so he could qualify for college. Financially it made a difference, as well. “If I didn’t have the scholarships coming through, I would have to start pulling loans,” said Mauricio. “I wanted to be able to go to college and provide for myself, and that’s what the scholarships did.” Today Mauricio is an engineering student at UC Merced. The Thomas Downey High School graduate used the scholarship he won in 2010 to cover expenses his parents couldn’t afford. He said going to college without placing a financial burden on his parents was his way of saying thank you to them. The Stanislaus Community Foundation even agreed to renew the one-time scholarship for a second year at Mauricio’s request. To continue giving scholarships to local students and to raise the percentage of college graduates in the Central Valley, the foundation has started a new scholarship program called Stanislaus Futures. It’s part of the statewide College Futures Program. In short, the goal is to create a college-going culture in Stanislaus County, according to the foundation’s CEO Marion Kaanon. “No one institution has complete power or authority to change the college going culture in our community,” she said. That’s why the foundation has partnered with the Stanislaus County Office of Education, The Modesto Bee, Modesto Junior College and other organizations to build scholarship funds, work together and get families more involved in the college preparatory process around financial aid and college resources. “The Community Foundation is playing a convening role,” Kaanon said.

Officials at education institutions benefit from the data SCF provides them because it explains how the scholarship recipients fare in the long run. It acts as proof that the programs are benefitting students, and give the institutions information they can use to improve future efforts. Through the program, 250 high

school seniors will receive renewable scholarships over two years in amounts ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 each. Because they are renewable, students who remain in good standing can continue to receive the funds each year. “The scholarships are last dollar in,” Kaanon explained. That means state and federal financial

aid is considered before an amount is given. The foundation’s scholarships are meant to bridge the gap between what is needed and what the student is already receiving. Stanislaus Futures aligns with the Stanislaus Community Foundation’s mission to grow charitable assets Please see SCHOLARSHIP Page 42

Central Valley Business Journal

TOP 10 AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS

San Joaquin Rank 2015

Rank 2014

Crop

Almond, Meat

Milk, All

Grapes, All

Walnuts, English

Cherries, All

Cattle & Calves

Tomatoes, All

1 80

Silage, Other

9 10 NA

6 NA 9

November 2016

Hay, All Eggs Silage, Corn

Ranked by Gross Value in 2015.

Acres Production Per Harvested Acre

Year

Gross Value

2015

$433,484,000

65,300

.96

62,100

2014 2015

$578,850,000 $372,170,000

59,200

1.15

68,100 24,026,000

2014 2015

$541,244,000 $351,453,000

2014 2015

Doesn’t Apply

Total Production

TON CWT

97,900

6.23

24,602,000 610,000

$481,440,000 $319,723,000

102,000 64,100

8.00 2.18

816,000 140,000

2014 2015

$500,027,000 $181,152,000

62,500 20,300

2.10 2.60

131,000 52,900

2014 2015

$85,986,000 $152,388,000

20,500

2014 2015

$97,320,000 $148,845,000

37,200

1.15 996,000 (Live Weight) 811,000 43.72

23,600 126,000 (Number of Head) 112,000 1,629,000

2014 2015

$151,859,000

37,800 109,000

43.20 14.89

1,633,000 1,626,000

112,000 61,700

13.72 6.28

1,537,000 387,000

65,400

6.79

2014 2015

$73,279,000 $63,017,000 $71,781,000

2014 2015

$113,233,000 $62,441,000

2014 2015

$23,930,000

2014

$50,223,000 $66,983,000

Doesn’t Apply

TON TON

40,200

29.29

50,200

27.24

1,367,000

Doesn’t Apply

TON CWT TON TON

444,000 32,027,000 (Number of Head) 20,900,00 1,177,000

Doesn’t Apply

Unit

TON Doz TON

Per Unit Value $6,950 $8,500 $15.50 $22 $576 $590 $2,280 $3,817 3,430 $3,643 $153 $120 $91.40 $93 $45.10 $41 $185 $255 $1.95 $1.14 $42.70 $49

SOURCE: SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY AGRACULTURAL COMMISSIONER

Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

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Central Valley Business Journal

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November 2016

Leadership lessons from the 2016 election Depending on when in November you read this, the votes will have been counted and election 2016 will almost be over. Most Americans cannot wait. Whether you’re looking at a local race or the race for president of the United States, Clear lessons about leadership can Leadership be gleaned from Peter Johnson all levels. And Pacific - Eberhardt actually, this School of Business might be the best takeaway from the 2016 elections. Many of us have looked at the presidential election, shaken our heads and agreed with the person who quipped, “Three hundred and nineteen million people, and we narrowed it down to this?” Let’s look at the candidates and learn what we can about important leadership do’s and don’ts. For the past five months, I have traveled in and out of the United States and everywhere I go I hear, “Is this the best America has to offer?” Many would say that as the most powerful nation in the world we should have droves of qualified, exceptional men and women lined up, all of whom would make a phenomenal president. So why doesn’t that happen? It is because the system is not set up to raise the best leaders to the top. Instead, we promote the person who raises the most money, has the strongest backers or has done the most “favors” for the key gatekeepers along the way. Instead, we should develop future leaders so that when you are looking to promote someone, you have an abundance of choices. Leadership Lesson #1: Make sure in your organization the system is set up to support rising stars, not tear them down. During this current campaign season, we have seen candidates discuss everything except their vision. A clear vision is foundational to a true leader. Their message is about what we can do together working as a team, not about the shortcomings of the other candidates. Real leaders focus on their messages and let the sideshows go on around them without participating. They have too much they

want to get done to allow themselves to be drawn into the fray. Leadership Lesson #2: Leadership is about leading the discussion and staying true to the vision of the future, not getting sucked into the abyss of negativity. To measure someone’s character, look at how they behave when things do not go their way. Great leaders hold themselves accountable. They don’t blame microphones, the media, the election process, or what other secretaries of state have told them. If a leader cannot overcome these relatively small challenges, how can we expect them to handle the big issues? Leadership Lesson #3 – Great leaders take responsibility for outcomes. Period. How will the candidates support the process when it is over? Will they congratulate their rivals and vow to move on to work for the good of their business or government? Will they bring home the drive, passion and support that was demonstrated during the campaign season and use it to make the school district, city, county, state or United States a better place? Most importantly will they clean up their campaign signs so that I don’t have to look at them for the next year on the side of the road? Leadership Lesson #4 – At the end of the day, leadership is about showing up whether or not you win the election, land the promotion or get chosen to lead the project. Confucius once said, “Instead of being concerned that you have no office, be concerned to think how you may fit yourself for office. Instead of being concerned that you are not known, seek to be worthy of being known.” As painful, frustrating and sometimes comical as this election has been, it provides a perfect opportunity for us to reflect on the good, the bad and the ugly. My hope is that future leaders will take advantage of this chance to learn from the failures and successes of this election and take to heart how they may better “fit themselves for office” or become more “worthy of being known.” Peter Johnson is the director of the Westgate Center for Leadership and the Institute for Family Business in the Eberhardt School of Business at the University of the Pacific. He can be reached at peterjohnson@pacific.edu.

Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

CICCARELLI Continued from Page 28

the field, Alex notices they are gaining stronger footholds in gemology. “I consider myself fortunate to come to work … to be brought up by such strong, independent women,” she added. Improving opportunities for women is one reason Carla Ciccarelli established her second business in 2007, Dream Dinners. She said she wanted to help bring balance to women’s lives, so they could have time for family without compromise. “That’s why Dream Dinner was created,” said Ciccarelli. “(This is) hitting women in our core. Women used to be stay-at-

MEDICALERT Continued from Page 23

and there’s response. Wearing an ID is extremely important for kids and adults who are nonverbal because if they are found, they are immediately identified as having autism, and they’ll have contact information on how to reach their families,” With funding provided from donors and the Northwestern Mutual Insurance Endowment Fund, MedicAlert has partnered with the local Atwater-based Carlos Vieira Foundation to provide free medical IDs to registering families who have children under the age of 18 diagnosed with autism. “Donors have always been a very, very important part of our success at (MedicAlert) Foundation,” said Leslie. “We utilize those donations to provide bracelets to those that cannot afford them. Sometimes we do that in group situations like we’ve done with Carlos Vieira.” The Carlos Vieira Foundation’s Race for Autism program operates in 21 counties in California’s Central Valley. The foundation has raised more than $800,000 and uses the money to support hundreds of local families and to fund research. Through additional grant funding, families involved with the Race for Autism program receive up to $500 for needed equipment or services. “It can be physical therapy, occupational therapy or an iPad or weighted blanket or anything that is going to let that child live a happy and healthy live,” said the Carlos Vieira Foundation’s Professional Relations Director Bethany Twist. Now that MedicAlert IDs are offered to families for free through the Found for Autism program, the $500 per family allotment can stretch further.

home moms. Now, we can’t be,” she said. “(Dream Dinners) helps people juggle things.” Once a month, customers go to Dream Dinners for one hour to prepare 12 or more meals. Dream Dinners takes care of shopping, prep and cleaning to save customers an average of 20 hours per month. That helps give them more time with their

families, more time for their careers and more time for themselves. When it comes to lessons learned during her combined three decades as a businesswoman, Ciccarelli has just one word of advice: patience. “We’ve seen the economy go up and down. Stay true to what you believe in, no matter what,” Ciccarelli said. While being a woman in busi-

ness certainly has its pros and cons, Ciccarelli said she has never felt that being a businesswoman in Modesto was a drawback. “Here in our area, I don’t feel as though there are any disadvantages. We can be a part of community in every way,” she said. “There is something to be said of smaller communities and how they perceive women.”

Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

SBA LENDERS

In San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced Counties. Ranked by most active 100 in U.S. 2016 Forth Quarter. Lenders not in Top 100 are ranked in year established order. Rank

Company Name Address

Local SBA Contact

Year Established

Other Services Offered

Web Address

Loan Programs Offered Rank *

Sara Ortega (209) 578-6810 wellsfargo.com

SBA 7(a), 504, Express, Patriot Express *1 of Top 100

1951

Investing services, personal banking, small business, commercial banking and more

1979

Comprehensive line of banking, brokerage, insurance, investment, mortgage, trust and payment services Small business banking, checking, leasing, personal, investing, commercial and government banking Ms. Bird and Mr. Baca located at Fresno location

SBA 504 *4 of Top 100

2000

Internet banking, personal banking, business banking, cash management, mobile banking and trust, investment management services and more

SBA 504, 7(a), Express *17 of Top 100

1847

Personal and business banking Kellie Stroud is located at Sacramento office

SBA 504, Conventional Loans *44 of Top 100

1904

Investments, financial planning, insurance, internet banking, personal banking, business banking and more

SBA 504

1867

Internet banking, personal banking, business banking, cash management, remote deposit capture, trust services, investment management services and more

Debbie Manrique (209) 664-1390 westamerica.com

SBA 7(a), 504

1884

Business banking, financial planning, personal banking and more

Gary S. Lopp (209) 954-4334 premierccu.org/business-services

SBA 7(a), 504

1931

Standard commercial loans for working capital, equipment purchase and CRE

Phone

Wells Fargo Bank 1120 K Street Modesto, CA 95354

U.S. Bank 1120 11th Street Modesto, CA 95354

Chase Bank (JP Morgan) 2866 W. March Lane Stockton, CA 95209

Bank Of The West 4213 Dale Road, C-7 Modesto, CA 95356

Bank of America 110 E. Weber Avenue Stockton, CA 95202

Hillary Leon (209) 662-9067 bankofamerica.com

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

Elaine L. Saculla (209) 929-1384 bankofstockton.com

Westamerica Bank 241 W. Main Street Turlock, CA 95380 Premier Community Credit Union 3315 W. Benjamin Holt Drive Stockton, CA 95219

Kimberly Bird (559) 797-6468 SBA 7(a), 504, Express Brian Baca and Community Express (775) 843-4030 *3 of Top 100 usbank.com/sba Anthony Acevedo (209) 475-9024 chase.com Kellie Stroud (209) 579-8860 sbaexperts.com

Bank of Agriculture and Commerce 2021 W. March Lane, 2nd Floor Stockton, CA 95207

Denys A. Soto (209) 473-6800 bankbac.com

SBA 504

1965

Investments, financial planning, insurance, internet banking, personal banking, business banking and more

Delta Bank 611 N. Main Street Manteca, CA 95336

Michael Burns (209) 824-4030 deltabank.com

SBA 504

1973

Personal banking, online banking, loan products, business banking, telephone banking and more

Central Valley Community Bank 2800 W. March Lane #120 Stockton, CA 95219

Karen Smith (209) 644-7814 cvcb.com

SBA 504, 7(a), Small Loan Advantage

1980

Online banking, business and personal banking, small business loans, bill pay and many others

Marsha Carr (209) 521-9372 successcapitalsba.org

SBA 504,

1986

Provides financing to small businesses Stanislaus revolving loan fund

1 12 0

Success Capital Expansion & Development Corp. 1100 14th Street, Ste. B Modesto, CA 95353

Oak Valley Community Bank 125 N. Third Avenue Oakdale, CA 95361

Dave Harvey (209) 758-8020 ovcb.com

SBA 504

1991

Loans, IRAs, cash management, retirement planning, stocks and bonds, certificates of deposit and more

Community Bank of Northern California 2140 Grant Line Road Tracy, CA 95377

NA (209) 820-6400 cobnks.com

SBA 504

1997

Online banking, personal banking, business banking, individual retirement accounts, certificates of deposit and more

Community Bank of San Joaquin 22 W. Yokuts Avenue Stockton, CA 95207

John Lozano (209) 955-8745 communitybanksj.com

SBA real estate

1999

Business banking, personal banking, online services, direct deposit, retirement plans and more

Premier Valley Bank 605 Staniford Avenue, J Modesto, CA 95350

Dorthy Thomas (559) 382-2002 (209) 523-4800 premiervalleybank.com

SBA 7(a), SBA 504 Patriot Express

2001

Personal and business checking, non-profit and trust accounts, premier golden for seniors Merced and Stanislaus service area Dorthy Thomas is located at Fresno Location

Carlos G. Mendoza SBA 7(a), 504, RBIP, District Director NMVC, Express, (559) 487-5791 Microloan, disaster loan, CalCap, USDA, BIA

1953

Marketing and management assistance, online tools and training, Business plans Assistance to Women and Veterans

SBA 7(a), 504, RBIP, Joseph Mc Clure NMVC, Express, District Director Microloan, disaster loan, (916) 735-1700 CalCap, USDA, BIA

1953

Marketing and management assistance, online tools and training, Business plans Assistance to Women and Veterans

1 16 5

Fresno District Office 17

Stanislaus & Merced County service area 801 R Street Ste. 201 Fresno, CA 93721

Sacramento District Office 18

San Joaquin County service area 9501 Sylvan Road, Ste. 100 Citrus Heights, CA 95610

Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

Business Journal Community Voices Medi-Cal, HPSJ celebrate major milestones CENTRAL VALLEY

By MICHELLE TETREAULT Guest Columnist After 20 years of educating our communities about what Health Plan of San Joaquin does and how we do it, it’s perhaps easiest to say with our mission statement: We provide health care value and advance wellness through community partnerships within San Joaquin and Stanislaus Tetreault counties. Recent numbers demonstrate we’re seeing gains through our efforts and they highlight our impact – • HPSJ now annually receives and distributes almost $1 billion in federal/state Medi-Cal funding, through our strong provider partnerships with 5,585 area physi-

cians, hospitals, ancillary services, and pharmacies. • Over 340,000 are HPSJ members; that’s nearly one-third of San Joaquin County residents, and over one-in-four Stanislaus County residents. • On a monthly basis, among all new Medi-Cal enrollees in our region, 9 out of 10 in San Joaquin County, and 8 out of 10 in Stanislaus County, choose HPSJ as their plan of choice. • With almost 300 dedicated employees, only 5.7 percent of our revenue goes to administrative costs (vs. 12 percent – 14 percent averages for the commercial health insurance industry). Stepping back to see the bigger picture, it’s important to celebrate, to know where we have come from, and recognize how far we’ve yet to go. Last year, the U.S. celebrated Medicaid’s 50th anniversary, the ground-breaking idea from President Lyndon Johnson that all

Americans should have access to quality health care. In 1966, California was among the first 10 states to implement Medicaid, what we call Medi-Cal. Happy 50th Medi-Cal! These were the first doors to opportunity, but then the real work began! For every door opened and every opportunity grasped, we have moved measurably closer to a great, new norm – expanded access to quality coverage. For example, in 1988, Medi-Cal eligibility broadened to cover low-income pregnant women and families with infants. What began 50 years ago as national and state efforts to ensure a base level safety net, over the years began to snowball into a critical mass, generating the hope for authentic progress to expanded coverage and higher quality care for the underserved. By 1996, the people of San Joaquin County were ready to support accelerated local progress.

County leaders founded Health Plan of San Joaquin 20 years ago as a managed care, not-for-profit Medi-Cal plan. That made it possible for our residents to be in a stronger position to take full advantage of Medi-Cal expansions. It also meant we could strengthen our health care infrastructure and leverage limited resources to improve the overall viability of our region. From our start, HPSJ has been in an ongoing conversation with our members, our community partners, our provider network and public health systems. In this way, we – HPSJ and our partners – continue to evolve alongside Medi-Cal. The greatest door opening opportunity since 1966 came in 2015, with implementation of the federal Affordable Care Act. With ACA came expanded Medi-Cal, offering coverage to childless adults and Please see HPSJ Page 50

Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

Make your customer your best salesperson Companies invest a lot in expensive advertising campaigns. In 2015, advertising spending rose to $185 billion in the United States. Digital advertising accounted for 28 percent of that, or $52.8 billion. But the buying behavior of customers has changed significantly. Today, it’s common to see a customer shop Dan Natividad for groceries at Partner a discount food Port City Marketing store then hop into their Jaguar in the parking lot. People don’t behave as their demographic suggests they should. This hybrid buying behavior makes it more difficult for marketers to identify target audiences and almost impossible to address their needs effectively. One possible solution is referral marketing. Under this model, the goal is to reach the customer but

Brand Building

also win that customer as a loyal fan. A referral campaign succeeds when customers recommend your goods and services to someone else. How do you turn customers into raving fans? Here are some tips.

White lies or empty promises are usually met with a bashing on social media. Before you know it, your reputation will have gone up in flames. Integrity, on the other hand, is usually rewarded by customer loyalty.

Tailor your product offering Instead of finding customers for your products, start by finding the right products for your customers. When you know your audience well, you can offer them exactly what they need when they need it. Rewarding customers with a made-to-order shopping experience makes them feel understood and valued — and you get to target marketing efforts with very little waste. Nine times out of 10, customers will rave about their buying experience and sing your praises across their networks.

Exploit the power of surprise Modern marketing inspires customers and creates brand loyalty. But too many companies misunderstand what it means to inspire their customers. Meeting customer expectations — delivering what you said you would deliver when you said you would deliver it — merely satisfies a customer. To inspire, you need to go beyond satisfaction and create an element of surprise. From handwritten notes to gift certificates or a basket of birthday muffins, an unexpected freebie can go a long way toward reinforcing customer loyalty in a competitive marketplace. This can boost your marketing efforts when you can’t go toe-to-toe with the big guys on advertising.

Don’t make promises you cannot keep In marketing, integrity is the top priority. You won’t win customers as fans if you exaggerate your product, praise a feature not yet developed or deliver a faulty service. Today’s customers are savvy.

Make it painless Everyone is a customer at some point, and most of us have horror

stories about returning a faulty product, getting something fixed or failing to receive a definite answer to a question. When you solve your customers’ problems and make the process painless, they will walk cheerfully away and tell others about their great experience. Disillusioned customers will talk about their terrible experience. Which would you prefer? Be prepared to test new waters The times, they are a-changing, and so are our purchasing habits. Turning millennials into fans will require different strategies than those that work for Generation X. In the race for customers, the company that is brave enough to implement innovative ideas will be ahead. Listen to your customers, respond to feedback and bring clever service to your marketing strategy. Your customers will love you for it and become your truest fans — and that’s money in the bank for your business. – Dan Natividad, is a partner at Port City Marketing Solutions with Kristen Dyke and Erin Diego. Reach Dan dan@portcitymarketing.com.

Central Valley Business Journal

Stanislaus Rank 2015

Rank 2014

Crop

Almond Meats All *

Milk, All

Cattle & Calves, All

Chickens, All

Walnuts

TOP 10 AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS

Silage, All

Deciduous Fruit & Nut Nursery

Eggs, Chicken Market

Pollination Almonds

Turkeys, All

November 2016

Ranked by Gross Value in 2015.

Year

Values

Acres Harvested

Production Per Acre

Total Production

2014

$1,405,106,000

164,314

1.05

173,000

177,719

0.97

2015

$1,297,052,000

2014

$952,189,000

2015

$647,812,000

2014

$391,803,000

2015

$350,209,000

2014

$252,108,000

2015 2014

Doesn’t Apply

172,000

Unit TON

42,768,000

Per Unit Value $7,800 $7,260 $22.23

41,471,000

CWT

$15.49

Doesn’t Apply

327,031 (Number of Head) 321,600

CWT

Varies

$304,226,000

Doesn’t Apply

273,517,000 (Total Live Weight) 329,022,000

175,384,532 (Number of Head) 183,355,000

$299,088,000

35,580

2.09

65,500

2015

$171,741,000

34,647

1.89

74,400

2014

$206,193,000

148,905

12.64 - 27.36

58,700 - 2,487,000

2015 2014

$163,580,000 $94,319,000

138,070 1,124

12.96 - 25.83 21,291.000

73,600 - 2,093,000

2015 2014

$129,393,000 $59,590,000

1,022

24,322,000

2015 2014

$73,483,000 $59,157,000

2015 2014

$62,860,000 $99,864,000

2015

$62,394,000

Doesn’t Apply

79,476,000 (Total Live Weight) 56,803,000

Doesn’t Apply 33,858,000 29,160,000 329,000 355,000 11,008,516 (Number of Head) 4,946,000

TON TON EA DOZ COL LB

$0.77 $0.80 $4,020 $2,622 $45-$64 $35-$49 $4.43 $5.32 $1.76 $2.52 $179.81 $177.07 $1.10 $1.02

* Almond All includes: meats, hulls and shells

SOURCE: STANISLAUS COUNTY AGRACULTURAL COMMISSIONER

Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

Is it time for that wellness exam or lab test? Maybe a new healthy recipe or workout routine. Whatever steps you take to be happier, be healthier, be a better you are

Celebrate Health

steps in the right direction.

Your journey is our journey

Where does your journey begin? 20 years of health

www.hpsj.com

Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

Comparing Clinton and Trump’s tax plans American taxpayers will vote for the next president Nov. 8, and the candidates have wildly different tax plans. Trump stands by the Republicans’ view of fiscal conservatism with smaller government and less taxes. Clinton’s plan, on the other hand, embraces Democratic ParDarren Pluth ty values, with Calone & Harrel tax increases, especially on the Law Group wealthy. The next president will likely move on a long overdue Internal Revenue Code reform while in office. The current iteration of the tax code was enacted in 1986 and has been amended and tweaked every year since then. That has left a patchwork of rules that hobbles along but is not very efficient in today’s world. It’s hoped an all-encompassing reform of the Internal Revenue

Taxing Matters

Code would update the rules to meet the needs of today’s taxpayers and eliminate the irrelevant ones. Let’s dive into what each presidential candidate plans to offer. Trump’s tax plan Trump’s tax plan would substantially lower individual income taxes and the corporate income tax. This would be accomplished by consolidating the current seven tax brackets into four, with a top marginal income tax rate of 25 percent, instead of 39.6 percent. Taxes on long-term capital gains and qualified dividends would be 20 percent. The plan would also reform the business tax code by reducing the income tax on all businesses to 15 percent, from 35 percent. In addition, the plan would eliminate the estate tax and the alternative minimum tax. In true Republican form, the Net Investment Income Tax of 3.8 percent, which was passed as part of the Affordable Care Act, would be eliminated. On the international side, the plan ends the deferral of income from controlled foreign subsidiaries, but preserves the foreign tax credit. It

BUSINESS JOURNAL PHOTO

would also enact, as a transitional revenue raiser, a one-time deemed repatriation tax of 10 percent on all foreign profits currently deferred. Clinton’s tax plan Clinton’s tax plan would increase income taxes and would keep the current tax brackets, but add a new bracket on taxpayers with incomes above $5 million at 43.6 percent.

Clinton would enact the “Buffett Rule,” which establishes a 30 percent minimum tax on taxpayers with an adjusted gross income of more than $1 million. There would be a limit on itemized deductions to a tax value of 28 percent. Her plan also expands the Child Tax Credit by providing an additional Please see TAX PLAN Page 42

Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

Protect yourself from online threats The internet has proven to be a powerful and useful tool for billions of people worldwide. However, in the same way that you shouldn’t leave you house unlocked, you shouldn’t venture online without taking some basic precautions. So, where do you start? Let’s begin with some definitions of a David few of threats Darmstandler out there: CEO of Datapath Malware Short for malicious software, this is a type of unwanted software that is installed without your consent. Viruses, worms and Trojan horses are examples of the malicious software referred to as malware.

Tech Top 5

Cybercriminal Criminals, such as black hat hackers, who use malevolent programs on a computer and the internet to commit illegal activity. That can include breaking into computers and stealing personal or corporate data or disrupting operations. Trojan Horse A Trojan horse is a destructive computer program that masquerades as a benign file or application (such as .jpg or .doc). It opens a “backdoor” or access to your PC without your knowledge. Botnet A botnet is a large network comprised of computers. A “bot” is a malicious software that enables cybercriminals to control your computer without your knowledge to execute illegal activities, such as sending out spam, spreading viruses, etc. Virus Harmful computer programs that are designed to spread from one computer to another and interfere with computer operations. A virus can corrupt or delete data on your computer and damage your hard drive. Worm This self-replicating malicious computer program uses a computer network to send copies of itself to other computers on the same

network. Unlike a virus, it doesn’t need to attach itself to an existing program. Worms almost always cause some damage to a network.

such as internet surfing habits, etc. The presence of spyware is typically hidden from the user and can be difficult to detect.

Spyware Spyware, which can be legitimate software, monitors a user’s online activity and collects various kinds of personal information,

Phishing Phishing is a type of online identity theft that uses email and fraudulent websites designed to steal your personal data or infor-

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Chairman R. Jay Allen, Vice-Chair Elizabeth Blanchard. Commissioners Sylvester Aguilar, Gary Christopherson, Michael Patrick Duffy, Stephen Griffen, Victor Mow. Port Director Richard Aschieris.

mation, such as credit card numbers, passwords, account data or other information. Ransomware Ransomware is a serious security threat that has data-kidnapping capabilities. It limits access to Please see THREATS Page 50

Central Valley Business Journal

SCHOLARSHIP

TAX PLAN Continued from Page 29

to serve the community over time, Kaanon said. Helping more Valley residents go to college is beneficial to the community overall, and the foundation plans to continue to grow funds to reach above and beyond the $300,000 seed money provided by the College Futures Foundation. According to data collected by a Milken Institute Study, only one out of six Stanislaus County residents age 25 and older has a bachelor’s degree or higher level of education, compared to one out of three California residents. Eightyfour out of every 100 ninth graders in the county will graduate from high school, but only 19 will complete college within six years. What’s happening to the other 65 percent? “We don’t have the answers yet but that’s the work we’ll be doing,” Kaanon said of the foundation’s focus on data collection. Mauricio thinks the Futures program will be important for Stanislaus County students. “The foundation doesn’t only provide scholarships, it also provides that extra support … to students,” he said. “It will fill in a lot of those ‘I don’t knows’ and those

November 2016

places where students might be having a difficult time.” While 2016-2017 marks the first year of the Futures program (the foundaiton has given scholarships before through different programs), the foundation intends to expand the pilot program in the future. “It’s very much a part of our long-term commitment,” Kaanon said. “Our donors love the idea of being able to fund student success (and make career and education goals a reality). The long-term vision is really to build alignment between our k-12 systems and higher education.” Seven high schools — Ceres, Central Valley, Johansen, Patterson, Riverbank, Waterford and Turlock — will participate in the pilot program. Interested students must fill out an online application which will be available in January, and complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid. All low-income students qualify for state and federal aid so packets will be analyzed and funds dispersed accordingly. Scholarships may be used for college fees and expenses in the 201718 school year.

Continued from Page 40

$1,000 for children under 5 years old and a 20 percent credit for caregiver expenses. There would also be a possible $5,000 in tax relief for excessive health care costs. Another significant part of Clinton’s plan is the expansion of the estate tax by reducing the exclusion from the current $5.45 million ($10.9 million for couples) to $3.5 million ($7 million for married couples) and adds progressive tax rates on estates with a top rate of 65 percent for estates worth $1 billion. Long-term capital gains rates would be raised and tax deferred retirement accounts would be limited for higher income earners. 1,031 like-kind exchanges would be limited, but businesses expensing under Section 179 would be expanded. The business startup deduction would also be increased to $20,000 and small businesses would have a “standard deduction.” The ACA credit for small businesses would be expanded along with a broadening of the NIIT to include more business income. Clinton’s plan is the mirror opposite of Trump’s. Clinton’s plan would make the Internal Revenue Code more com-

plex than it already is. Also, according to the Washington, D.C.-based Tax Foundation’s September and October report on the tax plans, Clinton’s plan would be a detriment to the economy because businesses would have to pay additional taxes, which would discourage them from hiring workers or purchasing new equipment. Those reports state that Trump’s plan would boost the economy because businesses would have additional capital to purchase new equipment, make new investments and hire more workers. Trump plans to pair his tax proposal with an increase in infrastructure projects which would lead to a boost in good paying construction jobs. These tax plans could be put to the test if a recession hits during the next presidential term. If Clinton’s plan is in place during a recession, the federal government could be forced to rush through tax cuts as well as new tax credits to stimulate the economy, which would look more like Trump’s current plan. – Darren J. Pluth is an associate attorney at Calone & Harrel Law Group, LLP. He may be reached at 209-952-4545 or djp@caloneandharrel.com.

Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

Wages, contract limits among new laws The California Legislature has been busy, and there are important new laws taking effect soon that will impact your business. Here is a summary of this year’s major legislation. Unless otherwise noted, all new laws become effective Jan. 1. As usual, this Bruce Sarchet article does not Attorney substitute for Littler Mendelson the advice of Law Firm legal counsel.

Human Element

Minimum wage On April 4, Gov. Brown signed Senate Bill 3, which will eventually raise the statewide minimum wage to $15 per hour. The amended law provides for six, stepped annual statewide increases of the current minimum wage of $10 an hour. The increases start Jan. 1, for employees working for business of 26 or more employees. The increases are delayed for one year for employers of 25 or fewer employees.

or stalking. The bill also requires the labor commissioner, by July 1, 2017, to post on its website a form that an employer may elect to use to comply with these provisions. Employers are not required to comply with the notice of rights requirement until the Commissioner develops and posts the form. The new law amends Labor Code

section 230.1. Employment contract restrictions Senate Bill 1241 prohibits an employer from requiring a California employee to adjudicate outside of California a claim arising in California. Adjudication includes litigation and arbitration. A contract with an employee

Notifications and postings Assembly Bill 2337 requires employers to inform each employee of his or her employment leave rights as a possible victim of domestic violence, sexual assault,

Applicant’s juvenile court history Assembly Bill 1843 prohibits emPlease see LEGISLATURE Page 49

Your Future is Our Business

Agricultural industry overtime Assembly Bill 1066, the “Phase-In Overtime for Agricultural Workers Act of 2016” removes the exemption for agricultural employees regarding hours, meal breaks and other working conditions. It includes specified wage requirements and creates a schedule that phases in overtime requirements for agricultural workers during 2019 to 2022. The new law amends Labor Code section 554; adds Labor Code sections 857-864. Equal pay Assembly Bill 1676 specifies that prior salary cannot, by itself, justify any disparity in compensation between men and women. Senate Bill 1063 prohibits an employer from paying any of its employees at wage rates less than the rates paid to employees of another race or ethnicity for substantially similar work. The new law amends Labor Code sections 1197.5 and 1199.5.

who was represented by legal counsel is exempted from the statute. The new law adds new Labor Code section 925.

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Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

TRUCKING COMPANIES (LOCALLY-BASED) In San Joaquin, Stanislaus Counties. Ranked by number of trucks Rank

1 10 0 11

Company Name Address Gardner Trucking 2577 W. Yosemite Avenue Manteca CA 95337 Cherokee Freight Lines 5463 Cherokee Road Stockton, CA 95215 California Tank Lines and Chemical Transfer 3105 S. El Dorado Street Stockton, CA 95206 Panella Trucking 5000 E. Fremont Street Stockton, CA 95215 Antonini Enterprises LLC 701 Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Arcy Parkway Lathrop, CA 95330 Northern Refrigerated Transportation 2700 West Main Street Turlock, CA 95380 Frank C. Alegre Trucking 5100 W. Highway 12 Lodi, CA 95240 T & T Trucking 11396 N. Highway 99 Lodi, CA 95240 Williams Tank Lines 1477 Tillie Lewis Drive Stockton, CA 95206 Rocha Transportation PO Box 40 Ceres, CA 95307 Teresi Trucking 900 1/2 Victor Road Lodi, CA 95240

Top Local Executive No. of Trucks Phone No. of Trailers Web Address No. of Employees Tom Lanting 209-249-3200 gardnertrucking.com

350

Mike Ellis 209-466-3554 None

300

Robert Panella 209-943-5000 panellatrucking.com

300

775 400

510

1,050 503 250

Richard Mello 209-664-3800 northernrefrigerated.com

250

Tony Alegre, Robert Fowler 209-340-4720 alegretrucking.com

160

Terry Tarditi 209-931-6000 tttrucking.com

150

Mike Williams 209-944-5613 williamstanklines.com

600 110 320 229 400 200 200 100-200 100 WND WND

Henry Dirkson 209-538-1302 rochatrans.com

Todd Teresi 209-368-2472 teresitrucking.com

1 12 2 13

Kooken Trucking Inc. 4026 Munford Avenue Stockton, CA 95215

Ray Viera 209-948-8370 None Greg Artlip 209-931-5849 bestlogistics.net

Geographic Regions Served

Year Established

Additional Information Dry freight corrugate, flat bed, beverage, roller vans Interstate and instate Specialize in 57ft trailers

2002

Dry freight, food grade, food grade liquids, wine tanks and sugar pneumatics West Coast

1965

48 states and Canada

1946

Food grade, flatbed, refrigerated and dry freight Regional, interstate and instate

1934

Food grade, flatbed, hazardous and dry freight Interstate and instate

1926

Refrigerated food grade, logistics and warehousing California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Idaho and Arizona

1947

Aggregate, cement haul & food grade Regional (some food grade is interstate)

1973

Bulk raw commodities, AG fertilizer Western states Revenues of over 32 million annually

1956

Bulk petroleum 9 locations in California and 2 in Nevada

1976

Dry freight Regional, interstate, and instate

1973

Flatbed LTL and hazmat National Special services

1959

Auto Transport California, Oregon, Washington and Nevada

1993

Flatbed and general freight Western states

1958

Dry vans for food, flatbed for construction equipment and lumber Regional, USA and Canada

1992

350

Joseph L. Antonini 209-466-9041 antoniniusa.com

Scott Chappell 209-369-7313 None

1 14 4

500

Leanne Scannavino 209-931-3570 gocfl.com

Chappell Transport Inc PO Box 2537 Lodi, CA 95241

Best Logistics, Inc. 340 Port Road 22 Stockton, CA 95203

500 1,000

Types of Freight

60 71 150 55 9 9 15 6 14 11 2 25 33

George Kishida Trucking 1725 Ackerman Drive Lodi, CA 95240

George Kishida 209-368-0603 georgekishida.com

WND

Sand and roofing granules California

1968

1 16 6

Mountain Valley Express PO Box 2569 Manteca, CA 95336

Scott Blevins 209-823-2168 mtnvly.com

WND

Overnight and second day freight California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada and Arizona

1976

Tiger Lines LLC 927 Black Diamond Way Lodi, CA 95241

Don & Dennis Altnow 209-334-4100 tigerlines.com

WND

Dry freight, food grade, flatbed, by products and agriculture Regional, interstate, instate

1935

A Driving Force in the Community Since 1936 45

Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

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SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

Honor for BAC Community Bank

BRIEFS

In-Shape Health Clubs picks new CEO as founder steps down STOCKTON — In-Shape Health Clubs announced founder Paul Rothbard will step down as CEO on Dec. 1. Former Starbucks senior executive Rich Nelsen will replace Rothbard as CEO. Rothbard will retain ownership of the company and take on an active role on the In-Shape Board of Directors. Rothbard started the club in 1992 as three loosely affiliated workout clubs in Stockton. Currently, the club has more than 70 locations Nelsen throughout the state. “I will remain active as a board member and significant owner, and I look forward to supporting Rich as he leads In-Shape into the future,” Rothbard said in a statement. Nelsen has a 30 year career that includes experience in operations, business development, brand building, leadership cultivation and community relations. He has worked for companies such as Starbucks Coffee Co, Taco Bell and Clark Convenience Stores.

Brannen takes over as Winegrape Commission director LODI — The Lodi Winegrape Commission has hired Wendy Brannen as its new executive director. Brannen assumed leadership of the group, which represents more than 750 wine grape growers and 85 wineries in the Lodi American Viticulture Area, on Oct. 24. Brannen’s duties include marketing, public relations, strategic planning, regional branding efforts and grower relations. She will also direct the group’s staff of 15 people, under the direction of the board of directors and serve as the primary spokesperson for the Lodi wine industry. “Leaving the produce industry after more than 10 years is bittersweet,” Brannen said in a statement. “A primary draw of this opportunity is that I will continue to work for growers, which I love, but now I will employ the knowledge and experience I bring to the table from marketing other brands to help the Lodi winegrape growers and the related Lodi wineries. I look forward to becoming both a part of the Winegrape Commission team and the Lodi community.” The Lodi American Viticulture Area includes more than 110,000 acres farmed by many growers whose families for a century or more. Previously, Brannen served as the director of consumer health and public relations for the U.S. Apple Association. She was also the executive director of the Vidalia Onion Committee for eight years.

The Institute for Extraordinary Banking recognized BAC Community Bank as being among the top 1 percent of community banks in the United States. BAC Community Bank was honored with the group’s Banky Award for its commitment to strong community banking. The award is given to the top 60 of 6,000 community banks across America. “It is truly an honor to be one of two banks in the entire State of California to receive this award,” said Bill Trezza, CEO of BAC Community Bank. “It is gratifying to have an independent panel of professionals recognize BAC for our customer-centric culture, integration of technology into banking services, community focus, and financial stability.” The award is aimed at helping customers choose among the most best and most stable banks in the country.

Country Club hires new chef STOCKTON — The Stockton Golf and Country Club has added Steven Frain as its new executive chef. The club announced the addition of the stockton native and Linden High graduate to its staff on Oct. 20. Frain has worked at The Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay, the Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Ga. and Ritz Carlton Charlotte. From 201113 he was the executive chef at The Wynn Las Vegas as well as The Mirage Las VeFrain gas from 2013-15. At the Stockton Golf and Country Club, his main focus will be to “introduce new and exciting menu options and elevate the member dining experience.”

Lodi dietitian named fellow LODI — The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics named Lodi Health dietitian Andrea Chapin a fellow at the academy. The designation recognizes academy members who distinguish themselves through service to their communities and profession. “I am honored to be recognized as a fellow of the academy,” Chapin said. “I truly enjoy the opportunities I have to help patients in the hospital, our local youth, and the general community improve their lives through nutrition and wellness.” Fellows have to meet the academy’s stan-

dards of customer focus, integrity, innovation and social responsibility. Chapin has worked at free clinics in Mexico with Flying Samaritans. She teaches children and adults how to live healthy lives. She is a mentor and preceptor for Sacramento State’s dietetic interns. Chapin also leads presentations on nutrition topics to Leadership Lodi, Lodi Middle Chapin School’s career day, the Turkey Trot and Liberty High School’s health day.

RTD offers free Election Day service STOCKTON — Voters needing a ride to the polls on Nov. 8 will be able to count on San Joaquin Regional Transit District for help. All routes will be included in the “Buses for Democracy” program. “Helping provide transportation on Election Day is a win-win for our community because it helps voters exercise their right to vote and allows them to experience the impact and value of public transportation,” said San Joaquin Regional Transit District CEO Donna DeMartino. Under this first-of-its-kind service, passengers can freely board any of the Metro routes and Intercity Fixed routes. However, passengers seeking to use RTD’s Hopper routes or Dial-A-Ride Service will need to call (209) 955-8400 to make reservations by 5 p.m. on Nov. 2. Not all polling places may be served by routes and commuter routes are excluded from this Election Day service offer.

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STANISLAUS COUNTY

BRIEFS Campaign raises money for Stan State scholarships TURLOCK — The One Purpose campaign raised more than $230,000 for student scholarships this year at Stanislaus State University. That figure was raised despite the campaign being shortened from six to four weeks. “Thank you for being selfless,” said Sharill Youkhaneh, a biology major and One Purpose scholarship recipient at Stanislaus State, in a release. “That you are willing to help out students in your community, even if you may never meet them, is wonderful.” More than 140 campus and community members came together and donated their own time and energy to fundraising efforts. The campaign was launched in 2014 and has raised more than $1.8 million that has resulted in nearly 500 student scholarships. The money was raised from 440 donors, 42 of which graduated from the university.

Modesto’s Doctors Hospital honored for reducing infections MODESTO — Doctors Medical Center was named a 2016 Performance Excellence Award winner in October by the Collaborative Alliance for Nursing Outcomes. The hospital earned the award for reducing hospital-acquired conditions. The alliance is a registry that measures patient care using nursing-centered data. It has more than 15 years of experience advancing patient care safety and quality. Doctors Medical Center’s efforts to prevent hospital-acquired, catheter-associated urinary tract infections in its critical care unit earned special accolades from the group. “We are proud of the outstanding work our clinical teams do every day and for their ongoing commitment to preventing hospital-acquired conditions,” said Doctors Medical Center CEO Warren Kirk. “Maintaining patient safety and high-quality standards of care are our No. 1 priority at Doctors Medical Center. We are grateful to CALNOC for recognizing our success in this area.” All of this year’s award winners were honored at the alliance’s 20th Anniversary Conference in Monterey.

Central Valley Business Journal

Lahti named vice president for university advancement TURLOCK — Stanislaus State University has named Michele Lahti as the new vice president for university advancement. Lahti has served in the position in an interim basis since former Vice President for University Advancement Shirley Pok announced her resignation in mid-July. Stanislaus State University President Ellen Junn announced on Sept. 28 that Lahti will take over the position permanently. Lahti She will oversee the division’s development and communications operations. Lahti has more than 15 years of experience as a leader and administrator in higher education advancement. Her record includes building programs, partnerships and systems that have increased private support, fortified relationships and fostered collaboration. She received a doctorate in Educational Leadership and master’s degree in Communications from the University of the Pacific and her undergraduate degree in Communications from Sacramento State.

Martinez named warden of Sierra Conservation Center OAKDALE — Gov. Jerry Brown has appointed Joel Martinez, 50, of Oakdale, to warden at the Sierra Conservation Center, Jamestown. Martinez has served as acting warden at the facility since 2015. Martinez served in several positions at the Sierra Conservation Center, Jamestown from 1998 to 2015 and from 1993 to 1997, including chief deputy warden, associate warden, captain, classification and parole representative, correctional counselor supervisor, correctional counselor and correctional officer. From 1997-1998, he was a correctional counselor at High Desert State Prison. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $145,440. Martinez is a Republican.

Luncheon to kick off Salvation Army Kettle Drive MODESTO — Modesto’s Salvation Army kicks off its 21st annual Kettle Drive Nov. 20. A full Christmas meal is included with fun of the Kettle Kickoff. Grab your friends, neighbors or the office staff to join you in helping your favorite bell ringer fill their kettle. The luncheon is at 11:30 a.m., Nov. 20 at Modesto Centre Plaza. Tickets are $10 dollars per person. Tables of 10 are available. For more information or to order tickets, call the Salvation Army at (209) 522-3209.

November 2016

Work begins on $1.3 billion UC Merced expansion

MERCED — UC Merced broke ground on 1.2 million gross square feet of teaching, research, residential and student-support facilities on Oct. 17. The expansion will be the largest project in the campus’s 12-year history and is expected to be completed by 2020. The groundbreaking is the start of a $1.3 billion public-private partnership approved by the UC Board of Regents in July. “Today we celebrate an investment in the future of UC Merced, the future of the San Joaquin Valley and future of the state of California,” UC Merced Chancellor Dorothy Leland said. “The Merced 2020 Project brings tremendous economic growth and allows UC Merced to further fulfill its promise to bring interdisciplinary learning and cutting-edge research opportunities to one of our state’s most rapidly growing regions.” The expansion is expected to bring an estimated $1.9 billion in economic benefit to the San Joaquin Valley. Statewide, the economic impact could be as much as $2.4 billion. It is hoped the expansion will help the school meet demand as it had 22,000 undergraduate applications for 2,100 spots.

Singers sought for Foster Farms Bowl LIVINGSTON — For the second year, the Foster Farms Bowl is hosting the “Oh Say, Can You Sing?” contest to find talented local youth to perform the national anthem in front of thousands of college football fans at the Foster Farms Bowl on Dec. 28 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. The contest is open to soloists and groups aged 18 and under, who live in the Central Valley or San Francisco Bay Area. Last year, the contest drew entries from singers as young as 6 years old. Singers can enter by posting a 30- to 45-second video singing “The Star Spangled Banner” on YouTube. Contestants must also complete the entry form on www.SingatFosterFarmsBowl.com by midnight Nov. 30. Ten finalists will be invited to a live audition where a panel of judges will select the winner. The 2016 Foster Farms Bowl will feature teams from the Pac-12 and Big Ten conferences. The game will be televised live on Dec. 28 on Fox with a 5:30 p.m. kickoff.

Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

New York Life’s top agent Central Valley crop price shares productivity tips drop impacts land values STOCKTON — The Westgate Center for Leadership at the University of the Pacific invited New York Life’s most productive agent, Rick Paulsen, to share his secrets for productivity at a free seminar in October. Paulsen was No. 1 in sales Paulsen and production for the New York Life insurance company in 2015. He out-produced agents in much larger cities such as New York and San Francisco. He says it’s simply not true that a person can’t be successful in the Central Valley. “I haven’t been doing anything magical,” he said. According to Paulsen success is all about preparation. Making a plan and following it consistently will set you apart from your competition, he said. “The biggest cancer in business today is poor organizational

skills,” he said. He emphasized productive mornings. Paulsen gets up at 4 a.m. four days a week “to keep my edge.” He urges people not to procrastinate and says those who do are only getting by. Paulsen has a list of things he likes to do before 10 a.m. It includes exercising, taking care of family responsibilities and reviewing local and national news. He said he also spends time working on his plan for the day, which could include setting goals, going over his schedule and getting difficult tasks out of the way early. Paulsen makes three phone calls before 10 a.m. to create opportunities and build relationships. “The people you call on will be the people you sell,” he said. Paulsen also advised that building relationships requires a commitment to being professional and, well, nice. “Little things like written thankyou notes mean a lot,” he said. He recommends complimenting and showing respect to anyone who helps you with your business.

FRESNO — The decline in nut prices is also hurting land values in the Central Valley, according to a new report by the Food & Agribusiness Research and Advisory unit of Rabobank Group. The price drops have erased some of the gains in land values made during the last decade, the report said. “Agricultural land prices are giving back some of their increases, particularly in regions where treenut prices have had an impact on previously rising valuations,” said Roland Fumasi, a senior analyst with Rabobank’s FAR unit. The setback is expected to be temporary. Limited land supply, global demand for specialty crops and producers’ expansions are expected to restore the state’s historical upward trend in the long term. “Nut prices have since plummeted from their highs in the past year to 18 months,” said Fumasi. “But California remains among the most productive zones in the world for high-value, specialty crops. So, impacted land valuations may rise again later

PHOTO COURTESY RICHARD CROFT

in this decade.” In the San Joaquin Valley, declines in nut prices have hurt land values. The amount of the drop depends on the specific area of the valley, crop type and water access. The drop comes on the heels of 6.5 percent increases from 1999 to 2010 and 15.5 percent increases from 2010 to 2015. The Sacramento Valley is expected to see land values drop up to 31 percent in 2016 and 15 percent in 2017. That will shave some of the gains that occurred from 2010 to 2015 when land values were appreciating at an average of 18.2 percent per year.

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Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

How to be a better, more engaged employee Carol wears the company apron with her company bling buttons pinned on it. The pins were too small for me to read. I figure they were there to make Carol proud and happy. Her name tag acronym reads CSA which probably means “customer service associate.” Such acronyms and pins are for insiders like Carol not John Parker for outsiders Professional like the cusDevelopment tomer. But they Adventures weren’t helping

At Your Service

Carol either. I’d returned a couple of things at the customer service desk and noticed Carol then. I thought she was focused and professional. I was wrong. Now, finishing my shopping, I came up to the checkout area. Who was my clerk? My friend-tobe, Carol! I got excited to greet her and tell her I’d already seen her over at the desk. I figured that would get a smile from her and we’d have a nice checkout experience.

But my friend-elect didn’t look up, greet or even smile at me. Nothing at all. She clearly was in no mood for checkstand niceties. I covered my disappointment, paid and left feeling a bit sad and concerned. I pondered her disengaged, distant (despite her pins and CSA title) customer service. I still believe my first impression over at the customer service desk was correct. Carol is a good person and historically a great associate, but now, instead of working hard at engaging customer service, it had sadly become hard work. Carol may simply be one of the 50.3 percent that the 2015 Gallup Poll of Employee Engagement calls “disengaged.” The poll indicated that around 32 percent are “engaged,” which means they love what they do and look forward to going to work. Another 16.8 percent are “actively disengaged” and seek to undermine companies and their leaders in various ways. If we could visit with Carol, she might wistfully acknowledge the good old days when she was fully engaged in customer service. She might have a story to explain the loss, or she may not even know how it happened.

Here are three sound recovery steps for the Carols of customer service: Reset, rest and rejoice. Reset I haven’t restarted my laptop since I got home this afternoon from a trip. It’s acting weird. I’ll reset it (after I’m done writing this column) by turning it off, letting it rest a bit, then powering it up again. How do you reset, restart and refresh yourself ? A nap? A good book? A cup of tea? Whatever you do that helps, do more of that. Rest “The faster I go the ‘behinder’ I get,” goes the adage. My guess is, Carol is exhausted. She’s spent years taking care of others, working when she’s not at work, while ignoring her need to get enough rest and quiet. She may say that she can’t rest because she doesn’t have enough time. “Love your neighbor as yourself ” is a version of the Golden Rule. Tragically the anxious, serving Carols of this world disobey that rule. Their rule is “care for your neighbor more than for yourself.” It feels good, righteous and even Mother Teresa-ish. But I’ll bet even diligent, sacrificial, and famous Mother Teresa took adequate time

for quietness, contemplation and reflection to reset, renew and return to her core values. I imagine she would encourage us to do the same and not to allow our souls to become impoverished. Excellent customer service says “the customer is No. 1.” The question is, who is the customer? At work the customers, co-workers and bosses as our customers, are No. 1. But sometime before or after work, make sure to set a time aside when you are the customer and you are No. 1. Try this affirmation: “At work the customer is indeed No. 1. But at home, during some time I claim for my own I am No. 1. That’s when I will give myself excellent customer service, providing myself healthy resets and positive renewals.” Rejoice Every day name things to rejoice in and to be thankful for such as the new day, air to breathe, ability to think, food, work and even customers. Thanksgiving is a proven game changer. – John Parker is a customer service expert with Professional Development Adventures and an instructor for the UC Davis Center for Human Services. You can reach him at coachingparker@comcast.net.

LEGISLATURE Continued from Page 43

ployers from asking an applicant for employment to disclose information concerning or related to an arrest, detention, processing, diversion, supervision, adjudication or court disposition that occurred while the person was subject to the process and jurisdiction of juvenile court law. Employers are also prohibited from using such information as a factor in determining any condition of employment. The new law amends Labor Code section 432.7.

Janitorial industry Assembly Bill 1978 implements new registration, recordkeeping and sexual harassment prevention training requirements for certain janitorial industry employers. By Jan. 1, 2019, the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement must establish a biennial, in-person sexual violence and harassment prevention training requirement for employees and employers. The new law adds Labor Code sections 1420 – 1434.

Retirement saving Senate Bill 1234 establishes the California Secure Choice Retirement Savings Program. Secure Choice will apply to private-sector employers with five or more employees. Employers will be required to either offer an employer-sponsored retirement plan or to automatically enroll their employees in Secure Choice. Employers will have minimal administrative responsibilities. The new law amends, repeals, and adds 20 sections of the Government, and Welfare and Institutions, Codes.

Workplace smoking SBX2-5 extends workplace smoking prohibitions of tobacco products to include electronic cigarettes. The new law repealed, amended, and added 25 sections in eight codes. Unfair immigration-related practice Senate Bill 1001 makes it unlawful for an employer to request more or different documents than are required under federal law, to refuse to honor documents tendered that

on their face reasonably appear to be genuine, or to reinvestigate or re-verify an incumbent employee’s authorization to work. The new law adds Labor Code section 1019.1. These are a few of the new state laws impacting California workplaces. In addition, many of California’s nearly 500 cities and 58 counties will likely continue generating

www.firstchoiceservices.com 209.467.4426

their own local employment laws. Employers in the Central Valley should consider reviewing and updating their employee handbooks and, if necessary, policies and procedures that are affected by these new laws. – 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.

Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

THREATS Continued from Page 41

files or system functions, or even render systems totally useless. Then it forces victims to pay ransom to regain access to their files or systems. Three keys to protection There are three vital keys to avoid losing money, your business or your job over ransomware. All three involve preparation long before an attack begins. 1. Backup The first key is backup. A surprising number of ransomware reports include news that the victim organization didn’t have a working backup of their data. So, to review: Back up using an established protocol (something like 3-2-1 is a good start if you don’t have a plan), and regularly test to

make sure that you can reliably recover data from your backup. If you’re unfamiliar, the 3-2-1 protocol means having at least three total copies of your data, two of which are local but on different mediums and at least one copy offsite. 2. Go farther than the perimeter An intruder might camp in your network for weeks or months before he or she springs the trap. You must have intrusion prevention or similar security systems in operation so that you can recognize unusual or unauthorized traffic from within your network — not just attacks from the outside. 3. Lock it down Companies must prevent workstations and user accounts from becoming attack vectors.

Windows 10 provides a vast array of identification, authentication and authorization features. Current-generation laptop and desktop workstations have the hardware components built in to take advantage of those features. A thorough review of security measures to protect against ransomware must include a close look at workstations to see whether they provide the facilities necessary to protect the total network from attack. Ransomware is a large and growing problem because it’s effective and profitable. The perpetrators are good at what they do, but you can be better by ensuring you have an uninfected backup at a secure location, you are doing everything possible to keep the attackers out of your workstations and your

network, and you have systems in place to recognize intrusion when your defensive efforts fail. 4. Leave security to the professionals Your networks security is of highest value to you. Security is not like installing a toilet yourself or some DIY project – this is serious business better left to an expert. You need to consult with a proven network security/IT company who knows what it’s doing. Take these four major steps, and the odds are in your favor to avoid being labeled “victim” in news reports. – David Darmstandler is CEO of Datapath, an IT services company with headquarters in Modesto. You can reach him at david@mydatapath.com.

HPSJ Continued from Page 36

families for whom health care might otherwise be unaffordable or unobtainable. Medi-Cal, with all of its innovations, government financial sup-

port, and enrollment expansions over the decades, is how it became possible for HPSJ to provide growing access to quality care, and to keep making gains in our

reach and impact. HPSJ continues with resolve and resourcefulness, to operate nimbly, to build efficient, secure business systems, to listen to our community, and to be alert to ways we can leverage our limited resources on behalf of the region’s viability, all the while maintaining our unique collaborative character. HPSJ has increasingly contributed as a major regional economic force as we’ve endeavored to be strong stewards of our resources. Viewed through my lens as chief financial officer, as HPSJ now annually distributes almost $1 billion into the local economy, what economists would call a multiplier effect is undoubtedly being felt throughout the region. This allows HPSJ to magnify the impact of our limited public funding so that as we directly support providers in our local healthcare infrastructure, they, in turn, are able to cascade revenues towards local businesses and organizations. Also having a multiplier impact is HPSJ’s long-time reinvestment in our community. Whether through sponsorship and underwriting contributions for hundreds of community partner agencies serving our underserved residents, or through HPSJ’s scholarship programs, health literacy investments, or our recently established Oral Health for Kids Initiative, we believe we are providing tangible support, as well as encouragement, that advances

wellness for our members and the broader community. As a recently appointed board member of United Way of Stanislaus County, I am also particularly proud of the personal philanthropy of HPSJ employees, who over the last 17 years have generously supported HPSJ’s collaboration with area United Ways, donating over $358,000. We are continually heading in the right direction, toward health care justice, as we celebrate health, and celebrate the 50th anniversary of Medi-Cal, and HPSJ’s 20th. But, we also need to be clear about the challenges that lay ahead. A billion dollars – even with a local economic multiplier impact – may sound like a lot, but we operate in one of the most low-funded Medi-Cal environments, while healthcare costs continue to rise. That we are in very good company — and making every penny count — reinforces the needs to steward our resources to maximum effect, and to strategize with area health care providers and other mission-focused collaborators to be successful in achieving our mission for healthcare value and wellness through community partnerships. – Michelle Tetreault is the chief financial officer of Health Plan of San Joaquin and a member of the United Way of Stanislaus County board of directors. Visit HPSJ online at www.hpsj.org.

Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016

Central Valley Business Journal

November 2016