Cvbj sept2015 final lowres new by Central Valley Business Journal

September 2015

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SEPTEMBER 2015 VOL 11 • NUMBER 1

Business Journal CENTRAL VALLEY

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

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

Want customers to find you? Get your own website

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By PATRICIA REYNOLDS Business Journal writer

New credit and debit cards are coming.

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New Almond Option Chemical-free salmonella-killing option gets validation.

Page 18 ELIZABETH STEVENS/CVBJ

Grower Nick Mussi and Farm Solutions pilot David Alamillo look at a drone that has flown over Mussi’s tomato field near French Camp.

Rise of the drones Staying Rational Keeping your head when the globe rocks the stock market.

Page 35

WHAT’S INSIDE Publisher’s Notes.............Page 2 On the Web.......................Page 5 Briefs......................Pages 46, 47 Legals............................Page 49

Farm technology takes off with aerial data gathering

By ELIZABETH STEVENS Business Journal editor estevens@cvbizjournal.com

FRENCH CAMP — About 200 feet above Nick Mussi’s tomato field a black speck buzzes in the sky taking pictures and collecting data. After 20 minutes it lands, bringing a wealth of information about the state of Mussi’s crop. “[We’ll look] to see the different places, the crop vigor. There’s a lot of variation in one field,” Mussi said.

Mussi asked tech company Farm Solutions to bring its unmanned aerial vehicle, or drone, to his farm to show him how it works and what it can tell him about his crop. After just a couple of trips over the 80-acre field, the drone had collected more data about the tomatoes in a couple of hours than Mussi could have collected if he’d walked the field himself. “That would probably take all day,” Mussi said. “And you probably wouldn’t get as good a

survey as they’re getting.” In the agriculture industry, which is becoming more sophisticated in its use of technology, drones are the newest thing. Drones got a boost late last fall when the Federal Aviation Administration started giving out, on a case-by-case basis, Section 333 exemptions which permit companies to fly drones commercially. One of the first companies in California to get an exemption Please see DRONES Page 7

MODESTO — Google. Facebook. Twitter. YouTube. Less than 20 years ago, these now well-known monikers were unheard of, and the term “social media” had no applicable meaning. Today, companies that do not harness the power of these digital platforms risk losing business opportunities and perhaps endanger their very survival. “Eighty-nine percent of Internet-using adults use a search engine to make buying decisions,” said Jason Roth, CEO of the Tuleburg Group in Stockton. “Nowadays, if you don’t have a digital presence, the chance that you’re going to be found and be able to be understood, -- have your business understood the way you want it to be — is probably not going to happen.” According to a digital survey conducted last spring by the professional service consulting firm Clutch, a surprising 25 percent of small businesses in the United States did not have a website. However, it’s unclear what the corresponding percentages here in Central Valley are. “Very, very, very rarely do we ever find a business that doesn’t have a website, but most of the companies we’ve worked with had a website developed in the early to mid2000s and just never updated it,” said Roth. Having a website is often not enough to keep up with today’s digital world, though. Social media now plays a significant role in a company’s digital presence, working alongside and in conjunction with a website. Posts on Facebook, TwitPlease see WEBSITES Page 8

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September 2015

“There’s no right way to do the wrong thing” Greetings, My son Blake, recently sent me a text that a I’d like to share with you. It’s making its rounds on the Internet, and he sent it on to me. After the recent shootings in our country, well, I felt this timely. Blake is stationed in Pearl Harbor, serving in the United States Navy. This spoke to my heart, and I’m filled with joy. I Was Raised! Sharon I didn’t just Alley Calone grow up. I was taught to speak when I entered a room. Say “please” and “thank you.” To have respect for my elders, and to get up off my lazy butt and let the elder in the room have my chair. Say “yes, sir” and “no, sir.” Lend a helping hand to those in need. Hold the door open for the person behind me. Say “excuse me” and “I’m sorry” when it’s needed and love people for who they are and not for what I can get from them. I was also taught to treat people the way I want to be treated, be respectful of others and love myself for

Publisher’s Notes

who I am. End each day with a prayer to God for all my blessings. I was raised... Amen, my son. Yes, you were raised... After watching the news today, I can’t think of anything more important for me to speak of than my sincere gratitude for the men and women working for our local law enforcement agencies, the sheriffs and police officers who devote their lives to ensure our safety. They risk their lives every day protecting us. It seems almost commonplace to hear of another officer being shot or killed. How can this be? It’s certainly not the America I grew up knowing and loving. Without these brave people responding to our cries for help in times of need, where would we be? Respect is most certainly vanishing. I grew up in the ‘60s. We were always so mesmerized when a police officer would visit our school and share his experiences. We were awed by the bright, shiny star on his uniform. The officers instilled in us the importance of obeying the law. They beamed with pride for protecting us. The respect our teachers instilled in us toward these heroes was never questioned. We just knew we were safe with these guys. In fact, my uncle was a policeman, and I admired him. My heart aches as we hear the horror stories of fallen officers. When you’re afraid for your

life, and danger is eminent, who will you call if not an officer? A gang member? Seriously? If respect is not given to these men and women, and law and order is not honored, how can we expect anyone to pursue this profession? Imagine a country without protection. It’s unfolding right in front of our eyes. This must be reversed, and I believe it starts at home with parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles as role models. Raise your children. Teach respect. My sincerest thanks to Sheriff Moore of San Joaquin County; Sheriff Christianson of Stanislaus County; Sheriff Warnke of Merced County; Chief Jones of Stockton; Chief Carroll of Modesto; Chief Andrade of Merced; Interim Chief Patterson of Lodi; Chief Jackson of Turlock; Chief Jenkins of Oakdale; Chief Obligacion of Manteca; Chief Hampton of Tracy and the many others who vow to serve and protect our communities. You are my heroes. I salute you! I’m thrilled that Stockton has invested in the new body cameras. The department joins Modesto, which was one of the first in the country to use them. Police in Ripon and Ceres also use them. The Edible Extravaganza is Sept. 3. This is a great chance to sample the best from Modesto area restaurants, and it benefits the Center for Human Services, which serves youth and

PHOTO COURTESY BOWMAN CPA

families in Stanislaus County. I’m signing off with a favorite quote from Herb Bowman: “There is no right way to do the wrong thing.” We would all be wise to remember this simple phrase. Mr. Bowman passed away Aug. 3 at the age of 93. Herb was a remarkable role model, a brilliant CPA, a loving father and grandfather, and a native Stocktonian. He graduated from, Harvard and was the first person to graduate from Humphrey’s law school. My husband, Rich, held Herb in the highest esteem. He will be missed. See you at the Lodi Grape Festival, Sept. 17-20. God bless America, Sharon Alley Calone

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Drought takes $1.8 billion hit on farming By KENT HOHLFELD Business Journal writer khohlfeld@cvbizjournal.com

STOCKTON — California farmers have proven to be CALIFOR N a drought-reDROUGHT IA sistant group according to a new study by UC Davis. While the study, released Aug. 18, tabbed the 2015 agricultural impact of the drought at $1.84 billion and the overall economic impact at $2.74 billion, it’s not as bad as it could have been. “It’s a bit less than I would expect,” said Richard Howitt, professor emeritus of Agricultural and Resource Economics who co-authored the study. “The farmers have done a number of clever things in moving crops around to deal with the drought.” The state is finding ways to mitigate the damage of the drought, but it’s still taking a toll. The $2.74 billion of economic damage is $500 million higher than in 2014. Despite the drought’s impact, farm employment actually rose slightly during the last year. Still, if not for the drought’s impact, nearly 10,100 ad-

Farmers have done a number of clever things in moving crops around to deal with the drought. Richard Howitt UC Davis drought study co-author

ditional seasonal jobs directly related to farm production would have been available. That was up from 7,500 jobs lost last year. Roughly 542,000 acres of farmland will be idled this year, 114,000 more than the researchers’ 2014 drought estimate. Many of the worst effects of the drought are being seen in the southern portions of the Central Valley. Tulare and Kern counties have been especially hard hit. “Tulare is taking at least half of the impact,” said Howitt. “They, along with Kern, have taken a big hit as a whole.” The report tabulated the cost of direct crop revenue losses due to the drought at $900 million and dairy and livestock producers’ losses at $350 million. The biggest problem for those hardest hit by the drought has been the lack of groundwater to make up for

BUSINESS JOURNAL PHOTO

The $2.74 billion of economic damage this year is $500 million higher than last year.

lost surface water allocations. That has prompted some farmers to move crops farther north to where groundwater is more plentiful. “This area tends to have more secure water rights,” said Jeffrey Michael, director of the Business Forecasting Center at Eberhardt School of Business at the University of the Pacific. “The industry, as a whole, has been able to grow even in the face of

the drought.” One of the biggest factors in that growth has been the timing of the drought. While it’s never good to have an extended dry spell, having one when commodity prices are relatively high and demand is solid helps take some of the bite out of the drought’s effects. “The 2009 drought was less severe,” Please see DROUGHT Page 15

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September 2015

Industrial project signals regional confidence By KENT HOHLFELD Business Journal writer khohlfeld@cvbizjournal.com

MODESTO — The Stanislaus County logistics industry is growing once again. Work officially began Aug. 27 on the Beard Logistics Center, a 476,580-square-foot building that could be used as a manufacturing center or for distribution. The new facility, the first of several buildings planned near the site, will be located at 585 Garner Rd. at the corner of Leckron and Garner roads in Modesto’s Beard Industrial District. That area already includes companies such as Frito-Lay, Sysco, Del Monte and Nestle. “Demand for industrial space in Stanislaus County has grown rapidly since the advent of the Great Recession,” said Beard Land Improvement Company (BLICO) President and CEO Ron Jackson. His company is developing the industrial park. “Occupancy for Beard fell into the low 70 percent range, and we believe we fared better than many landlords. In 2013, the pace of activity picked up and has not let up. Our phone is ringing with requests for space that we simply do not have.” The building will sit on 23.5 acres and include amenities such as large rail doors for trucks, 60 speed bays for

IMAGE COURTESY BEARD LAND IMPROVEMENT COMPANY

The new facility under construction will be nearly a half-million square feet and could be used for manufacturing or distribution.

unloading large trucks, grade-level loading, insulated ceiling, parking space for up to 53 trailers and 246 spots for employee parking. Rail service is available from Modesto and Empire Traction Company (M&ET), a short line railroad and sister company to BLICO. M&ET connects with two Class I railroads, BNSF and Union Pacific, and can provide

daily rail service to future tenants. BLICO expects to have the facility finished by spring 2016. The construction is further evidence of the growing importance of the logistics industry in the Central Valley. Both Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties have become logical locations for distribution and warehouse centers because of their prox-

imity to rail, port, interstate highways and the Bay Area. That growth gave Beard confidence to build the facility without a dedicated tenant already in place. “We are confident that the space will be absorbed quickly,” said Jackson. “In fact, we believe it’s highly likely that the new building will be spoken for before its completion in early 2016.” There are more than 12 million people living within 100 miles of the two counties, making for a healthy potential customer base. It’s a combination of factors other areas haven’t been able to match.” “This just illustrates how viable the area is right now,” said David White, CEO of the Stanislaus Business Alliance. “They are a conservative company. If they are doing this right now, they know that it isn’t going to stay vacant for very long.” Blake Rasmussen, senior vice president at CBRE, the marketing agent for the building called the facility a “significant addition to the Central Valley.” “Beard Logistics Center is the first speculative building constructed within the submarket since 2008,” said Rasmussen. “Given the current vacancy rate of less than 1 percent, this project will provide a unique opportunity for companies seeking Class A industrial space within the region.”

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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

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New EMV cards aim to prevent consumer fraud Oct. 1 is deadline for businesses to have new readers installed By SIM RISSO Business Journal writer srisso@cvbizjournal.com

STOCKTON — The banking and credit card industries are changing to more secure cards, and it’s up to businesses to change with it. However, according to a survey conducting by Gallup on behalf of Wells Fargo, only about half of businesses are even aware they need to be able to accept payment from EMV chip cards by Oct. 1. EMV stands for Europay, MasterCard and Visa. The chips have been used in Europe, Asia and South America for more than 20 years. Oct. 1 is the deadline to have them installed in the United States. The conversion is part an effort to make card-present fraud, or fraud that occurs during in-person transctions, more difficult. Fraud at the pointof-sale accounts for 37 percent of all credit card fraud in the United States, according to Aite Group, a financial consulting company. “It should definitely reduce the card-present fraud,” said Farmers and Merchants Bank Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer Debbie Skinner. “So for example, some of the recent big compromises — Home Depot, Target — where they stored all the card data then that was compromised and used to create duplicate cards that access people’s accounts, that type of fraud should be minimized by this once it’s fully integrated into the system.” The EMV chip syncs and changes information with the terminals on each transaction. Consumers will still swipe their cards to make purchases. The only difference is that it may take the new terminals a bit longer to read the cards. “It’s going to be a little bit more of an inconvenience for the member because they have to hold the card in

what’s called a DIP reader, where you hold the card in and it reads everything and you take the card out. Not like at a gas station where it’s a quick in and out,” said Premier Community Credit Union Support Services Manager Arianna L. Stacey. The liability also won’t change for customers with the EMV chip. In other words, if a consumer is a victim of fraudulent transactions with an EMV chip card, he or she still will not held liable. However, the switch to the EMV chip does provide a liability shift for businesses. In the past, banks took responsibility for paying back customers who were victims of fraud. Businesses that don’t adopt the new system by Oct. 1 will be held liable for fraudulent transactions made at older point-of-sale terminals. The liability shift is why it’s important for businesses to get up to speed before the deadline. According to Skinner, statistics show that larger corporations have already made the switch to terminals that can read EMV chips. It’s smaller businesses that are behind. It costs about $500 to switch each terminal to one that’s capable of reading EMV chips. Smaller businesses are having to weigh that cost against the potential liability of fraud. Toots Sweets Bakery and Café in Stockton is one small business that’s planning to make the change prior to the Oct. 1 deadline. “I have a good customer-service rep,” said Toots Sweets owner Kim Kelso. “He called me and told me he’ll be in. He’s got the equipment already on order. He’s going to come in and switch it out for me, and I won’t even notice. If I’m not here, I wouldn’t even notice the difference.” For Kelso, who has two credit card terminals he needs to replace, making the switch was a no-brainer. He’d heard about the impending change

BUSINESS JOURNAL PHOTO

The new EMV cards have a gold square on the front and a security chip inside.

more than a year ago from his customservices provider is pushing them er-service representative and his bank. into a hefty hardware or system up As Bill Nunes Jr., vice president of grade and isn’t willing to share any of marketing at Oak Valley Community the cost, it may be a good time to call Bank, points out, the liability shift another provider or their bank and makes switching to an EMV-capable shop around.” terminal a necessity. He said if busi While the EMV chip is expected nesses feel like it’s too much of a burto cut down on card present fraud, it den to upgrade, they should look for won’t protect other transactions, such new vendors. as online purchases, which are grow “While there are anticipated costs ing in popularity. associated with the new hardware, “If I’m buying something online or knowing the increase of fraud incisomething over the phone, the EMV dence in the U.S. over the past few technology is not going to help that years, it wouldn’t be advisable for much more than what we do today,” businesses to put off adoption for said Nunes. “It gets lost in this. It’s m HE o m long,” said Nunes. “Small FFbusiness RT THET0HE HF E r o r O F o T r 0 ORFSOTR5 F amnegative thing that not everybody 5S0 T F5SO R R TER RSFO RS 5S0 S IRM R MERSETRthat owners should just keep inCFFUUIImind wants to talk about. But as a consumSST ME TOSLTFYOI!!MTO ! Y C COUN LU NSLYNLY! C ONO O if it feels like their current merchant er, people should think about that.”

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DRONES Continued from Page 1

was Farm Solutions in Ventura County. “I saw a need as a novice grower,” said the company’s founder and CEO Jon Tull. “I found that I didn’t have enough information to make consistently strong farm decisions. I found the tools available were not as intuitive or powerful as I felt was required.” Farm Solutions drones carry a variety of cameras to collect high-definition visual imagery, infrared, and thermal images. That data is loaded into the FarmSolutions software, interpreted and presented in an easy-toread graphical interface. The software detects specific anomalies in the field such as irrigation system water leakage, pest infestations or plant stress. Farm Solutions’ software draws a boundary around each identified problem and guides the agronomist or farm worker, using the GPS system on their phone, to the exact location where the problem was detected. Other companies offer drone fly-overs, but many give farmers video only. “The big distinction between aerial picture-taking and what we do is we convert the imagery into actionable data,” Tull said. Mussi looked into drone technology before but found it too expensive. He said that’s changing. Prices are coming down and the technology is improving. “Before it was just a picture -- this is

what it looks like,” Mussi said. “Now they have infrared and the RGB and all those different kinds of crop sensors they can use while they’re flying over.” Farm Solutions held a demonstration for about 40 Stockton-area growers in mid-August. The farmers are clients of Dohrmann Insurance, which has partnered with Farm Solutions to help its Central Valley farm customers be proactive in protecting crops. “The demo was really thorough,” said Bryan Colyer of Dohrmann Insurance. “Farm Solutions did a great job of walking everyone through the process of what each of the cameras did, what kind of images they were taking, what they identify and how the data becomes actionable.” Dohrmann Insurance’s CEO, Greg Dohrmann, is also a grower and said he was impressed by the detail Farm Solutions can collect. Having his company partner with Farm Solutions seemed like a good fit. “We’re always looking for ways to bring value-added services to our clients,” Dohrmann said. “We partnered with them to help our growers learn more about them, get a discount for their services, and really sort of take that technology to the next level, understand why they need it, what it’s going to do for them.” Dohrmann plans to have more demonstrations later in the fall in other parts of San Joaquin County. The cost to contract with Farm So-

ELIZABETH STEVENS/CVBJ

Drone pilot David Alamillo loads a flight plan prior to flying Mussi’s field.

lutions varies depending on the size of the field and the number of times a farmer needs to have it flown, Tull said. However, generally the cost is about $9 to $11 an acre. His company supplies the drone, the pilot, the flight plan and the software, for which there is a monthly fee. The type of crop a farmer has also helps determine how many times it should be flown. Tull said an almond farmer, for instance, may have his orchards flown to look at new flush, again during blossom, after fertilizing and before harvest to assess the canopy.

You do have a

The information that is gathered is uploaded to a secure server. Tull said it’s proprietary information owned by the farmer and that his company does not sell or rent it. Tull has 11 drone pilots working for him now, but he said his company is growing fast and he expects to have 100 pilots training throughout California by the end of the year. “We have sought and are receiving ag exemptions to fly virtually all ag drones,” he said. “I believe we’ll have more ag drone exemptions than any other drone company.”

choice

We believe our Patients deserve the best!  State-of-the-art Technology  Multi-Specialty Surgery Center  Professional, Compassionate Staff  Demonstrated Performance

Directory

of Surgeons

• • • •

Armita Akbarnejad, DDS ............... Pediatric Dentistry William Anderson, MD ................... ENT/Plastic Sami Behrouz, DDS ....................... Pediatric Dentistry Huy Dao, DO.................................. General

• • • • • • • • •

Scott Colquhoun, MD .................... Orthopedic Alfonse Doan, DDS.......................... Pediatric Dentistry David Ellertson, MD......................... Vein Specialist/Gen. Gerry Emmanuel, MD .................... Anesthesia James Greenbarg, MD................... General Sabina Gupta Sud, DMD, MS ........ Pediatric Dentistry Thomas Helsby, MD... ................... Anesthesia Jose Juarez, DDS.. ........................ Pediatric Dentistry Roger Lewis, MD .......................... OB/GYN

• Alfred Patino ................................. Podiatrist • Joseph Romeo, MD ....................... ENT • Tapita Ray, MD.............................. Anesthesia • Anjani Thakur, MD ......................... General • Lanita Williamson, MD................... Orthopedic

209.216.3470

1801 Colorado Ave., Suite 140, Turlock, CA

Central Valley Business Journal

CVBJ

WEBSITES Continued from Page 1

ter and other social media platforms are indexed by Google, so utilizing social media helps boost online traffic to businesses. “Every single post gives your website or business name a more authoritative ranking within Google, so it’s always good to have a page, but it’s not good to have an inactive page,” said Roth. “In terms of digital presence, they tend to go hand in hand. And we always recommend to clients that the more active someone is on social media, the better results they will have.” Never Boring Design in Modesto works with clients to design websites. Many of those clients are start-up businesses launching a digital presence for the first time. Web and Interactive Director Lloyd Schutte agrees that it’s important to use all available digital platforms in clients’ designs. “You want to have a website work with your social media to help your marketing because the way the SEO (search engine optimization) works now, the more you influence your community with what you’re saying in your message the better your SEO is going to be,” he said. Likewise, using social media without having a website is not effective. “When you use social media you want to have it point back somewhere or lead somewhere,” he said.

Today’s websites differ from their earlier counterparts in that they are fluid and interactive. “We do a lot of video and we add that to websites,” said Kevin Aguirre, digital media director for Orbit Creative Media in Modesto. “We are always making sure of a lot of things. One, there’s a lot of visuals — video is a part of it — and then it’s basically integrated into social media platforms.” Being found is the primary objective of a strong digital presence. “You absolutely have to have a digital presence or you are invisible. You don’t exist,” said Aguirre. “If you’re not online with multiple platforms, they’re not going to find you.” A company’s specific digital need will vary depending upon the type of business it is, the industry it serves and its size. “As far as the robustness of a website, do I think a small mom and pop shop needs to have a $50,000 website? No,” said Ali Cox, CEO of Ali Cox and Company Marketing in Turlock. “But if you’re a small mom and pop restaurant, then your menu and reservations need to be online. People are searching for that. Without a web presence [those businesses] are probably not going to be in the game unless they serve a very small niche with a very small demographic.” According to Cox, an appropriate digital presence also depends on what each business’s sales and distribution goals are. For example, social media

E V E RY D O L L A R H A S A M I L L I O N P O S S I B I L I T I E S E V E RY D O L L A R H A S A M I L L I O N P O S S I B I L I T I E S Now, in its second year, the One Purpose campaign Now, in its second year, the One Purpose campaign continues to help outstanding students succeed continues to help outstanding students succeed through academic scholarship by raising $1 million through academic scholarship by raising $1 million during the University’s only annual six-week fundduring the University’s only annual six-week funddrive. Join us in uniting the campus and the region for drive. Join us in uniting the campus and the region for One Purpose: Scholarships for Student Success. One Purpose: Scholarships for Student Success.

GOAL: $1,000,000 GOAL: $1,000,000 Pledge your support by October 2015. by Pledge your 9, support October 9, 2015.

DONATE TODAY DONATE TODAY (209) 667-3131 www.csustan.edu/one-purpose (209) 667-3131 www.csustan.edu/one-purpose

September 2015

PHILIP JOHNSON/CVBJ

Kevin Aguirre of Orbit Creative Media says video and images are critical to the success of a website.

offers little value to businesses whose clients are other businesses. “Social media is not for everybody. It’s not for every brand, and it’s certainly not for every industry,” she said. “And in most cases, it’s a complete waste of time if you are a B-toB business.” In cases such as Monte Vista Farming, a Cox client and almond processing firm, the objective of having an updated digital presence was to tell global almond buyers about Monte Vista and also about its growers. “We wanted our website to be the

first point of contact where customers could go and learn specifically about not only Monte Vista Farming Company but the growers that are producing the product we sell,” said Monte Vista Farming’s CEO Jonathan Hoff. In terms of the agriculture industry and similar businesses, Hoff believes websites are definitely a necessity. “For processors similar to us that don’t have websites, they’re missing out on forming direct relationships with really, really strong customers — especially customers that are new to the almond world,” he said.

September 2015

www.cvbizjournal.com

Central Valley Business Journal

Rail expansion gets wide support at public hearing MODESTO — A standing-room-only crowd of business and community leaders from throughout the northern Central Valley turned out Aug. 21 to voice their support for improvements to passenger rail service in Northern California. Merced’s Assemblyman Adam Gray, who chairs the Assembly Select Committee on Rail, held the meeting in downtown Modesto to get public input on the expansion of Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) and Amtrak’s San Joaquin service in the Central Valley. Sen. Anthony Cannella, R-Ceres, and the vice chair of the Senate Committee on Transportation and Housing, was also on the hearing’s panel. He said the improvements, especially ACE expansion, were a “no-brainer.” “Extension of ACE is the project with the greatest potential to help my region,” he said. ACE will provide 1.4 million passenger trips this year. With no improvement, ridership is expected to grow to 2.4 million by 2025. However, if the service were expanded, ACE estimates ridership would grow to more than 6 million over the next decade. ACE wants to expand its service, which currently runs between Stockton and San Jose, into Modesto by 2019 and to Merced by 2023. ACE also want to

increase daily roundtrips from the current four to six by 2019 and 10 by 2023. The total cost of the ACE Forward plan, as it is known, is about $950 million. About $199 million of that would pay for the extension into Modesto. The addition of the fifth and sixth daily roundtrips would be $202 million. Another $394.7 million would pay for extension of service to Merced. And $200 million would go for the seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th daily roundtrips. A wide variety of stakeholders spoke in support of the service extension citing reasons including improved air quality, ease of commuting, economic development, the chance to better connect the region’s universities and easing traffic congestion. No one spoke against rail expansion, but one Modesto resident expressed frustration with California’s reluctance to embrace public transportation and for how long the funding process takes. “Are we crazy?” asked Sandra de Alcuaz. “Go do it. Stop talking about it.” Gray said competition for limited resources keeps progress slow. “These are expensive projects, and you’re talking about impoverished communities, frankly. There aren’t a lot of local resources to go into it,” he

• • •

September 2015

BUSINESS JOURNAL PHOTO

The Altamont Corridor Express currently runs between Stockton and San Jose but there is a push to extend service to Modesto and on to Merced.

said after the hearing. “We really need the state to step up and do, perhaps, even a little bit more. A lot of state funding formulas disadvantage small communities like ours.” Gray said the next step will be his proposal to bring the expansion programs of ACE and the San Joaquin rail services to the attention of the San Joaquin Valley Legislative Caucus in order to get a formal resolution of support for the programs. He’ll seek a commitment from the caucus to work with ACE and the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority to

secure funding. He also proposed getting the San Joaquin Valley Caucus to support increasing the Cap & Trade Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program to 20 percent of the ongoing Cap & Trade fund. “Frankly you see urban areas of the state take advantage of state funds at a far greater rate than we’re able to,” Gray said. “And so I think we need the state to step up and provide some additional resources, and I think the ongoing discussions about the potential transportation bonds, cap and trade expenditures, provide a pathway.”

September 2015

ALL PHOTOS: PHILIP JOHNSON/CVBJ

www.cvbizjournal.com

Dr. Sam Romeo of Tower Health and Wellness.

Tower Health and Wellness Center in Modesto.

Surgical hospitals offer patients lower costs By PATRICIA REYNOLDS Business Journal writer preynolds@cvbizjournal.com

TURLOCK — Surgery is big business. In 2009, Americans underwent 48 million procedures at a cost of more than $166 billion, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As the Affordable Care Act rolls out, and businesses pass more of the cost on to employees through higher deductibles and premiums, more patients are shouldering a bigger portion of the cost for surgery. The pressure is on to get that cost down. Ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) position themselves as cost-effective and convenient alternatives to traditional hospitals offering cost relief to both patients and the health care system without sacrificing the quality of surgical care. “As patients take more responsibility for their health care, they need to know that they have an opportunity to utilize ASCs and the benefits they provide,” said California Ambulatory Surgery Association Executive Director Elizabeth LaBouyer. According to LaBouyer, the benefits include cost savings, convenience and high quality medical treatment.

“It’s such a great experience for the patient. It’s smaller. It’s not a big institution, and they see the latest technology,” she said. “They see the same quality of excellent care, nursing, equipment, the infection prevention practices. They’re very satisfied with a great outcome.” Ambulatory surgical centers provide outpatient non-emergency procedures, allowing physicians to perform surgery and discharge patients to return home the same day. The formula has already proven to be cost-effective with Medicare patients. “ASCs have saved the Medicare program and its beneficiaries about $7 and a half million for the four-year period 2008 through 2011,” said LaBouyer. “If you look over the next decade ASCs will save the Medicare program an additional $32 and a half billion.” With the influx of 4 million previously uninsured Californians as a result of the Affordable Care Act, ASCs will become an increasingly cost-effective contributor within the system, according to LaBouyer. Physicians associated with ambulatory surgical centers also believe demand for ASC services will grow. “The trend is to minimize the use of hospitals. In hospital intensive care

units, patients go in for major types of heart surgery, brain surgery and those kinds of things. But everything else can be done in an ambulatory setting,” said Dr. Sam Romeo, president and CEO of Tower Health and Wellness Center in Turlock. “If you can do it in ambulatory surgery, you’re in, you’re efficient, with the idea being to fix you and get you home. That gets about three quarters of the cost down.” Tower Health and Wellness Center houses the Tower Surgery Center opened in 2005. It is a multi-surgery facility where privileged physicians perform procedures across a broad spectrum of medical specialties including ear, nose and throat; gynecology; plastic surgery; dental; orthopedics; gastrointestinal; and pain management. The 10,000-square-foot surgery center has two operating rooms in which 9,966 patients have been treated since 2009. On average, Tower Surgery Center performs 1,568 procedures a year. The idea behind the Tower Health and Wellness Center is to maintain multiple aspects of health care provision under one roof. The goal is to keep people well and thereby reduce health care costs. “Part of the concept is what can you do to facilitate the perception of medi-

cine?” said Romeo. “We can no longer afford to take care of sick people if we don’t think about prevention and wellness and lifestyle.” Stanislaus Surgical Hospital (SSH) in Modesto also offers a wide range of non-emergency surgical procedures including orthopedic, ophthalmology, pain management, neurosurgery, urology, cosmetic, and gastrointestinal. The hospital has 23 inpatient beds, but 85 percent of procedures are performed on an outpatient basis. SSH also operates three other facilities including Precision Imaging, a pain management center and a hyperbolic oxygen program, all in Modesto. “It’s easy for us to schedule. We can do things very timely because we control probably more things than a larger hospital that has trauma, emergency room services and things like that,” said SSH President and CEO Doug Johnson. That efficiency, along with rising health care costs, will continue to attract more patients to ambulatory surgery centers, Johnson believes. “There’s no question in my mind as the cost of health care becomes higher and companies make decisions on how Please see SURGICAL Page 19

Central Valley Business Journal

September 2015

ADVERTISING & GRAPHIC/WEB DESIGN FIRMS

In San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced Counties. Ranked by Number of Staff. Ties are Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Tuleburg 401 N. San Joaquin Street, Ste. 212 Stockton, CA 95202

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

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

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

Port City Marketing Solutions 216 Dorris Place Stockton, CA 95204

Ali Cox and Company Marketing 202 West Main Street, Ste. 199 Turlock, CA 95380 Hill Media Group 1295 N. Emerald Avenue, Ste. C Modesto, CA 95351 Orbit Creative Media PO Box 4093 Modesto, CA 95352 Power Marketing 6333 Pacific Avenue Ste. 510 Stockton, CA 95207 Alexandria Perrin Company 915 14th Street Modesto, CA 95354 Digital Sign Network 9619 Grayfox Way Oakdale, CA 95361 Big Monkey Group 10 E. Alder Street Stockton, CA 95204 Fernandes Advertising 6507 Pacific Avenue, Ste. 307 Stockton, CA 95207 Younnel Advertising 3137 Fareway Drive Stockton, CA 95204

Web Design

Social Media

Graphic Design

Never Boring Associates 1016 Fourteenth Street Modesto, CA 95354 445 W. Weber Avenue, Ste. 124-A Stockton, CA 95203 Palmer Ad Agency 343 E. Main Street, Fl, 10 Ste. A Stockton, CA 95202 466 Geary Street, Ste. 301 San Francisco, CA 94102 Ad Club Advertising 1304 W. Roseburg Avenue Modesto, CA 95350

Marketing Plans

Address

Percentage of business thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Public Relations

Rank

Company Name

David Boring, President Julie Orona, VP Creative Director (209) 526-9136 neverboring.com

1983

Yes

50%

25%

15%

10%

Advertising marketing, graphic design, web design, social media, film & multimedia, publications, custom signs and fleet graphics Outdoor, TV, print, broadcast, digital and social media

Drew Palmer Agency Principal (209) 472-2904 (415) 771-2327 palmeradagency.com

1983

Yes

Full service ad agency providing inbound and outbound marketing Advertising, social and digital media

Daniel Walsh, President (209) 613-3409 adclub.com

1987

75%

20%

Advertising graphic design and bulk printing Human resources, Recruitment

Top Executive No. of Phone Staff

Year Est.

Web Address

Services Media Specialties

Jason Roth, CEO (855) 438-8853 tuleburggroup.com

2012

Yes

10%

15%

30%

15%

30% Business development and management; A full-service firm offering development, comprehensive consulting and marketing Digital strategy & innovation, social strategy & management, corporate identity & storytelling, management consulting & operations, brand marketing & experience

Marcia Herrmann, Owner (209) 521-0388 her2man2.com

1987

Yes

20%

30%

20%

Brand strategy, graphic design, web design, public relations, advertising and marketing Branding

Carrie Sass, Owner (209) 957-7277 sasspr.com

2006

Yes

50%

25%

20%

Advertising, marketing, graphic and Web design, social media, event planning, marketing consultation Business launch, groundbreakings, public relations consultation

Judith Buethe, CEO (209) 464-8707 buethecommunications.com

1989

Yes

75%

12%

Strategic development and implementation of public outreach programs, event coordination, branding, graphic and web design, multi-media programs, research, advertising, photography and social media Print, direct mail, outdoor and photography

Erin Diego, Kristen Dyke Dan Natividad (209) 965-PORT portcitymarketing.com

2000

Yes

30%

25%

15%

Strategic planning, marketing plans, graphic and web design, Social media, search engine optimization, market research and branding

Ali Cox, CEO (209) 214-8686 alicox.com

2007

Yes

40%

20%

Boutique digital media and branding shop, serving the agriculture and professional services industries Digital and social media

Jerad Hill, President (209) 222-8422 hillmediagroup.com

2010

15%

60%

20%

Website, search engine marketing, online marketing, search engine optimization (SEO) Video production, commercial photography

Kevin Aguirre (209) 529-4835 orbitcreativemedia.com

1986

Yes

100%

20%

30%

50%

Strategy development, digital and social ads, websites, microsites, content and Video marketing and productions, email, SEM and SMM marketing, online Video productions.

Sharon Ringness, President (209) 473-0321 gopowermarketing.com

1997

Yes

50%

30%

10%

Strategic marketing plans, media placement, graphic design, social media, web design, TV and radio production TV, radio, print, outdoor, direct mail, research and production

1987

Yes

50%

15%

20%

Marketing and public relations integrating traditiona and digital media

2014

Yes

50%

Digital billboards Billboards

Shawn Crary, Owner (209) 932-9252 (888) 289-0521 bigmonkeygroup.com

1999

20%

80%

Graphic design, marketing plans, marketing consulting and printing Print and digital advertising, annual reports, logos, identity collateral

Ken Fernandes (209) 948-4343 fernandesadvertising.com

1992

25%

40%

25%

10%

Graphic design, web design, radio-tv production, digital marketing Radio, TV, newspaper, magazine, billboard and online

Creighton Younnel, President (209) 948-9339 younneladv.com

1975

Yes

60%

20%

Consumer advertising and marketing Television, newspaper, trade publications and local magazines

Jacob Keiper (209) 840-2585 straightpathdesigns.com

2013

40%

20%

Website and graphic design, IT Building custom designed websites and branding material

Roberto Carlo Chiesa (209) 571-2306 alexandriaperrin.com Andy Soares (209) 531-3111 digitalsignnetwork.net

Straight Path Designs 1037 Tim Bell Road Waterford, CA 95386

Martino Graphic Design, Inc. 1300 10th Street, Ste. F Modesto, CA 95354

Marian Martino, President Paul Martino, VP (209) 579-2165 martinographics.com

1985

30%

50%

15%

Communication Campaigns, Advertising and Marketing Specialties are graphic design and communication

Allusions Designs 905 Nolte Lane Modesto, CA 95355 Cardoza & Associates, Inc. 302 Treecrest Circle Oakdale, CA 95361

Laurie Ann Leer-Martinez (209) 523-1481 allusionsdesigns.com

2002

10%

60%

30%

Graphic design, web, SEO, print

Carrie Cardoza Bordona (209) 581-2274 gocardoza.com

1998

Yes

10%

15%

10%

Marketing communications, community relations, consensus building, stakeholder outreach, media relations, brand development Special events and community mobilizing

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 Danette Conley 08/2015

September 2015

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Central Valley Business Journal

September 2015

Emergency Food Bank provides food, education By SIM RISSO Business Journal writer srisso@cvbizjournal.com

STOCKTON — The Emergency Food Bank in San Joaquin County is serving more than just food. It’s also serving food for thought. The food bank is providing nutrition classes and offering produce to its customers to promote healthy living. “We have some curriculum based on the cooperative extension, on some of their nutrition and healthy eating habits,” said Mario Supnet, executive director for the Emergency Food Bank. “It’s just basically trying to promote eating healthy, using more fruits and vegetables in their diet, getting away from the junk foods.” The classes are held at the food bank from 11 a.m. to noon every Friday. The first portion of the class is a sit-down session. The last five to 10 minutes features education on exercise, and participants are encouraged to move around. Cooking demonstrations show clients how to make some of the recipes they’ve learned about. Pat Brown

Nonprofit

WAYNE DENNING/CVBJ

Cal Fresh Outreach Coordinator Maria Venegas teaches a nutrition class to Emergency Food Bank clients.

leads the demonstrations and talks about the nutritional value of what she cooked. She allows the participants to sample the food and provides the recipe so they can replicate it when they go home. “So maybe I put onions in a recipe. I tell them, ‘When you get home, you can change this up,’” said Brown. “We completely understand that everyone has different eating habits. You can take

bra brand ndstrategy strategy gra graphic ph icddesign esign wwe e bbdesign design public publicrelatio relations ns www.her2man2.com www.her2man2.com

aadv dveertising r tising

GGR ROOUUP P

ALWAYS ALWAYSEXCITING EXCITING

marcia marciaherrmann herrmanndesign design

209.521.0388 209.521.0388| 1127 | 112712th 12thstreet streetsuite suite104 104| modesto, | modesto,caca95354 95354

away from these recipes and you can substitute and put in something else.” The classes are open to the general public. The food bank has brochures and more information available for those who are interested in attending. The classes were prompted by the rising obesity rates in the county. According to California Food Policy Advocates, a group that promotes health policies for low-income Californians,

out of the state’s 58 counties, San Joaquin County was the 51st worst for its percentage of overweight/obese adults. The food bank also runs a program called Mobile Farmer’s Market. The program started in April 2007 to address obesity. The food bank gets the produce at heavily discounted prices as part of the California Association of Food Banks’ Farm to Family initiative and distributes the produce throughout the county. The Mobile Farmer’s Market is paired with other programs such as Head Start, senior centers and community centers. While the aim is to promote healthy nutrition overall, the Mobile Farmer’s Market specifically targets children. “We know that the nutritional aspect of it starts in the home when children are young,” said Brown. “So we’re working really hard to help parents come up with new ideas, recipes — things like that to encourage the children when they’re small to eat more fruits and vegetables. At first, the Mobile Farmer’s Market traveled to five sites. It’s now up to 58 sites throughout the county. The food bank serves roughly 10,000 people per month, with 5,000-6,000 of them receiving assistance through the Mobile Farmer’s Market. Other Please see FOOD BANK Page 15

September 2015

CVBJ

www.cvbizjournal.com

DROUGHT Continued from Page 3

he said. “But it was hitting the ag industry when dairy prices were in the tank. That made it harder to make up for the impact.” The use of groundwater to supplement available surface water has also helped farmers in the northern half of the San Joaquin Valley avoid the worst of the drought’s impacts. The UC Davis study predicts that the agricultural industry will have to pump approximately 6 million acre-feet of groundwater to offset losses of 8.7 million acre feet of surface water in 2015. “Some of the most lasting damage of the drought could be the depletion of the groundwater,” said Michael. One of the difficulties in understanding how much damage the drought is doing to the groundwater supplies is the lack of controls on how it is used. Under California’s gold rush-era water rights system, many landowners were entitled to pump as much water as they pleased on their property. Some local water agencies had sustainable plans for managing

CVBJ

FOOD BANK Continued from Page 14

participants receive their food daily from the food bank. The Emergency Food bank also delivers to Pantry Partners, a program that distributes food through local churches and other organizations. According to Supnet, in total the food bank serves about 85,000 customers per year or about 12 percent of the county’s population of 700,000. An average of 400,000 to 600,000 pounds of food per month is distributed through all its programs. Gilbert Camacho is a program assistant with the Mobile Farmer’s Market. Since January, he has traveled with a nutrition educator and delivered food throughout the county. At each location, the program’s participants receive items of food while the educators demonstrating cooking techniques, passing out recipes and teaching proper nutrition. It’s a position Camacho relishes. When he first came in contact with the Emergency Food Bank a few years ago, he was on general assistance. He volunteered his time in exchange for a daily distribution of food. “It got me to where now I’m an employee,” said Camacho of the food bank. “I would say it’s a good program.” Camacho is no longer on general assistance. Now he’s helping those who are in the same position he was in not too long ago. “I like it because I’m giving back to the community,” said Camacho. “People that are struggling or less fortunate, I’m bringing them assistance. We make their day. They’re very grateful. It’s nice to be able to do something to give back.” To learn more about donating or volunteering to the Emergency Food Bank, call (209) 464-7369.

groundwater, but no statewide standards were in place before 2014. That was when the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act was passed. The legislation gave local planners until 2017 to choose or establish a groundwater sustainability agency. Between 2020 and 2022 those agencies will have to draw up sustainability plans that will put groundwater basins on a path to sustainability by 2040. “We need to have a better idea on the pumping,” said Howitt. “How deep are wells being drilled and how much

is being pumped out is essential information. It’s been essentially private information in the past and now we are getting past that.” While the new legislation might help manage the groundwater and survive future droughts, the current drought is already taking a heavy toll on those resources. “Some rural communities are running out and their wells are growing dry,” said Howitt. While Howitt’s study estimates that groundwater sources can help fill the void for the next two years, the danger

A SEA OF OPPORTUNIT Y

We import over

90%

of the fertilizer used by Central Valley farms. Guess business isn’t the only thing we help grow. From asparagus to almonds to apricots, the Central Valley grows more than 230 different crops. We’re thrilled to play a small part in helping feed this great city, state and country.

For more information call 888.635.8143 or visit portofstockton.com/fact1

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

is that so much water is taken from the underground supplies that rain, snowmelt and runoff can’t resupply those sources. Recent studies by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association predict that future droughts could be as much as 15 to 20 percent worse due to the changing climate. That will make groundwater supplies even more crucial. “Twenty years from now, when another severe drought hits, we may not have that resource to buffer dry periods,” said Michael.

Central Valley Business Journal

September 2015

IT & NETWORK CONSULTANTS

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

Company Name Address

Local Contact Number Phone of Employees Web Address

Days and Hours of Operation

Services Offered

Year Est.

Mon. - Fri. 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. 24/7 Support

Managed IT services, Cloud services IT project design and integration.

2005

Everyday 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. 24/7 Emergency

Provides managed services and information technology solutions to organizations of all sixes. Our team can act as a small-to-mediumsized companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entire IT department or supplement the in-house IT team of larger operations including enterprise corporations, school districts and government agencies.

1999

Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. 24/7 Emergency, 365

Managed IT services, monitoring and management. Maintain Outsourced IT help desk. CLEC providing PUC regulated telecommunication services and VoIP phones. C-7 Licensed cabling, installing voice, data and fiber cabling. Backup solutions with off site data centers.

1986

Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Technology solutions, computer network services and monitoring, upgrades, project and maintenance service.

1979

Mon. - Fri. 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

IT Services java, .net, jQuery, AJAX, ORACLE, php and functional areas.

2007

Chad Sublet and Jeff Gilbert (209) 244-7107 vervenetworks.net

24/7 Emergency service

Cloud services, IT support, help desk, network implementation, proactive maintenance, network monitoring and management.

2006

Jason Roth (209) 438-8853 tuleburg.com

Mon. - Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m Emergency service

Web development, hosting, digital strategy consulting, database development and custom programming.

2012

Heath Couchman (209) 530-1750 adventtechnologies.net

Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Emergency service

David Darmstandler, CEO (209) 521-0055 mydatapath.com

Datapath 318 McHenry Avenue Modesto, CA 95354

Solid Networks 5686 Pirrone Road Salida, CA 95368

Adtech 1571 E. Whitmore Avenue Ceres, CA 95307

IT Solutions/Currie 1801 Tully Road, Ste. E Modesto, CA 95350

TechSol4U, Inc 95 W 11th Street, Ste. 206 Tracy, CA 95376

Verve Networks 246 E. Main Street Stockton, CA 95202

Tuleburg 401 N. San Joaquin, Ste. 212 Stockton, CA 95202

Advent Technologies, Inc. 503 Bangs Avenue, Ste. J Modesto, CA 95356

EZ Network Systems 4203 Coronado Avenue, Ste. 1 Stockton, CA 95204

Raymond R Smith (209) 477-4390 ez-netsys.net

Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 24/7 Emergency

Computer Link, Inc. 4343 Pacific Avenue, Ste. E-2 Stockton, CA 95207

Anthony Wilson (209) 474-0530 comlnk.com

Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sat 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Help desk, computers, networking, cloud hosting, backup services, spam filtering, IP phone systems, cloud/hosted phone systems, voice and data cabling, fiber optics, camera systems IT services, local help desk, network monitoring, VoIP, DSL, T1, colo, back up, hosting, virus removal and protection Computer sales and service, remote management, network installation/repair, apple certified service center, carry in and onsite repair available.

Coneth Solutions 574 Commerce Court Manteca, CA 95336

Zubair Desai (209) 824-8727 coneth.com

Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Emergency service

IT consulting, managed IT support, cloud services, network design and hosting solutions.

2001

Bill Bunnell (209) 985-4745 networkbuildersit.com

24/7 Emergency service

Provide enterprise level outsourced IT help desk service to small and medium size businesses, VoIP and Cloud.

2006

Matthew Ford (209) 579-3000 ayera.com

24/7

Collocation, hosting (shared/dedicated) email hosting, database services, wireless internet, cloud computing and SaaS, LaaS.

2001

Katherine Kennedy (209) 369-3733 qglobal.net

Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

IT management, installation and support for IT environment from communications to servers to workstations and peripherals.

2002

K Saif (209) 476-7100 solutions2k.cc

Mon. - Fri. 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Emergency service

IT consulting, network management, EHR/EMR implementation and support.

1998

Tim McFall (209) 833-9988 compumonitor.com

Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Managed IT services, data recovery, website design and hosting.

2002

Brandt Pemberton (209) 368-4400 computer-impressions.com

Mom. - Thurs. 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Fri. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Emergency service

Computer repair, IT services, network management, maintenance and installation, residential and commercial services available Sunday appointments available.

2005

12 13 14 15

Network Builders IT, Inc. 4623 Mc Henry Avenue, Ste. B Modesto, CA 95356 Ayera Technologies 801 Tenth Street, Ste. 702 Modesto, CA 95354 Quasar Global Broadband, Inc. 6333 Pacific Avenue, Ste. 99 Stockton, CA 95207 Solutions2000! 6844 Pacific Avenue Stockton, CA 95207

Joe Cram,CEO (209) 338-1400 solidnetworks.com

James Lawson (209) 541-1111 Adtech-IT.com James Dempsey (209) 578-9739 itscurrie.com Suneel Ravi, COO (209) 833-3212 (510) 637-8066 techsol4u.com

2009 2001 1994

Compumonitor 672 W 11th Street, Ste. 335 Tracy, CA 95376

Computer Impressions 1420 W. Kettleman Lane, Ste. C Lodi, CA 95242

Tracy Computer Services 3117 N. Tracy Boulevard Tracy, CA 95376

NA (209) 835-8096 tracycomputers.com

Mon. - Fri. 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Sat. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

IT solutions, software installation, data backup and transfer, PC support, virus and spyware removal, wireless networking and more.

2001

Cantrell Networks Inc. 1103 Val Gardena Street Lodi, CA 95242

Kevin M Cantrell (209) 331-6700 cantrellnetworks.com

Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Emergency service

Computer, server, and network repair, maintenance, monitoring and planning.

2011

Information Management Associates (IMA) 2217 College Avenue Modesto, CA 95350

Dan Langhoff (209) 522-8841 imabiz.com

Mon. - Fri. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Emergency service

IT consulting, web design and development, programming, office automation, support for all small-office technology.

1985

Mon. - Sat. Point of sales systems, network design and deployment, small 8 a.m.-7 p.m. 1 business server, direct attached storage, network storage, backup 2006 22 24/7 and data recovery, communication wiring and digital security. Emergency service 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 Danette Conley 08/2015 SoHo Networks 1766 Fleabane Lane Manteca, CA 95337

Joe Sarinana (209) 649-3892 sohonets.com

September 2015

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Almond Board validates RF pasteurization process SACRAMENTO — The almond industry has an alternative to chemical and steam pasteurization. The Almond Board of California’s Technical Expert Review Panel (TERP) in August validated RF Biocidics’ chemicalfree pasteurization equipment. Third-party test results showed RF Biocidics’ chemical-free process, in use at Craig Powell Madera-based Ready Roast Nut Company, consistently met Almond Board standards in eliminating pathogens such as salmonella from almonds. “I can tell you within the industry, this was a very important milestone. not only for our company but really for the industry,” said RF Biocidics CEO Craig Powell. “Our process is non-chemical, and that’s a huge breakthrough.” Powell said the machine that was validated was a Generation 3 APEX system. Two Generation 4 machines are in the validating process at Sran Family Orchards in Kerman near Fresno. Those machines, Powell said, could be used for organic almonds. According to Tim Birmingham, the Almond Board’s director for quality assurance, the chemical used to kill salmonella, propylene oxide (PPO), is used at rates far less than the EPA has

deemed harmful. It can’t be used for organic almonds, however. While some consumers prefer even raw (unpasteurized) almonds over those pasteurized with PPO, Birmingham said it’s important to know that salmonella is the real health threat. Outbreaks led to illnesses and recalls in 2001 and 2004. That led to laws requiring all almonds be pasteurized by the handler, shipper or manufacturer. The industry has been using PPO or steam to treat almonds. “We know we’ve got an issue with salmonella contamination with almonds,” Birmingham said. “You can’t completely eliminate it from orchards.” As an alternative to steam and chemical treatments, RF Biocidics uses volumetric heating to remove pests and bacteria using radio frequency waves. The process alters the cells’ metabolism, effectively removing bacteria, molds, insects and other undesirable elements often found in foods, without changing the nutrient content and taste, the company said. “That’s our strategy,” Powell said. “We want to provide a chemical-free solution that also does minimal impact on the sensory nature of the almonds.” The APEX system machines start at $1 million, Powell said. Entry level machines can process 2,000-3,000 pounds per hour, but they can be scaled up to process more.

Stockton airport signs agreement with Chinese STOCKTON — The Stockton Metropolitan Airport signed a cooperation agreement with Chengdu Shuangliu Airport in China Aug. 22. The Stockton airport hopes the agreement will improve opportunities for international trade, tourism and economic development that strategic cooperation can create. “We’re very pleased to develop this cooperative relationship with Chengdu Airport that we believe will benefit both airports,” said Stockton Airport’s Executive Director Harry Mavrogenes. Chengdu Shuangliu Airport is China’s fourth largest airport and is actively seeking to expand its international passenger, cargo and charter business. A delegation of 18 government officials from Chengdu were in Santa Clara the week of Aug. 17 for a reception hosted by China Silicon Valley. China Silicon Valley founder and CEO Victor Wang assisted the Stockton airport in reaching out to the Far East

for air service development. The agreement was signed in Santa Clara on Aug. 22. China Silicon Valley is a non-profit organization focused on facilitating business investment and collaboration between area cities and fast-growing cities in China. The Stockton Metropolitan Airport, which is seeking to become a low cost International Airport, is actively pursuing opportunities and developing facilities to accommodate international air passenger, cargo and charter services. Earlier this summer, San Joaquin Council of Governments Board of Directors approved funding the airport needs to begin developing a Federal Inspection Station (FIS). The FIS is critical for starting international service. The approved bond financing plan will provide as much as $9.7 million for the project. Currently Stockton’s airport has just one carrier, Allegiant Air, which flies to Las Vegas and Phoenix.

September 2015

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Free Wi-Fi now available in downtown Modesto MODESTO — People who want to check Facebook or send a quick email before a movie in downtown Modesto can do it without taking a hit on their data plan. The area near Brendan Theatre now has free Wi-Fi service. The city has been looking for ways to bring free Wi-Fi downtown for years, but the effort was always stalled by cost. City officials said it could cost up to $100,000 to provide Wi-Fi for three years. Fire2Wire, a Modesto-based Wi-Fi provider that serves seven counties in the Central Valley, stepped in and offered to provide the service at no charge. It was turned on the first week in August and officially unveiled at a press event Aug. 18. “We’ve been a corporate citizen,” said Fire2Wire Executive Vice President William Moreno. “We’ve always been involved in projects the city’s involved with. We provided Wi-Fi during the Amgen races, X-Fest and the cart races last summer.” Right now the service is available only on 10th Street between J and K streets and down K Street to the DoubleTree Hotel. Moreno said there are plans to provide the service in three other areas early next year: the Gallo Center, near the State Theatre and at Graceada Park. There is no password to access the service, no cost and users see no ads. Service does time out, however, after an hour. Moreno said the purpose is to make it more convenient for people to come downtown for dinner or a movie,

CVBJ

not to encourage loitering. Wi-Fi has been available to customers at some individual businesses downtown, but this is the first time the service has blanketed an entire area. The Wi-Fi service is underwritten in part by ModestoView magazine and the owner of the building that houses Brendan Theatre.

BUSINESS JOURNAL PHOTO

SURGICAL Continued from Page 11

much they are going to pay, how much they are going to participate, there’s going to be an increase cost to the patients because of that,” Johnson said. The Stanislaus Surgical Hospital has been working with patients to deal with that trend by offering payment plans and credit to finance medical care. Alongside cost concerns, patients value the convenience and low infection rates ASCs offer. “If you’re staying in the hospital, there’s more likely a chance that you’re going to end up with an infection. In a surgery center, you’re not long enough here (so) the chances of infection are cut down,” said Tower Surgery Center manager Sandip Singh, noting that patients are often discharged three to four hours after arriving. Perhaps most important to patients who have just had surgery when they get to go home. On average, time in recovery at Tower Surgical Center is only one hour and 46 minutes. “We don’t say that patients have to go,” said Romeo. “The patients want to go.”

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September 2015

PHOTO COURTESY CV FARMLAND TRUST

CV Farmland Trust has preserved thousands of acres of land for permanent agricultural use.

CV Trust sets aside ag land for Valley’s future By NORA HESTON TARTE Business Journal writer nhestontarte@cvbizjournal.com

Sue dePolo, Executive Director Sue dePolo, Executive Director San Joaquin A+ San Joaquin A+

Sue dePolo, is a champion in our community. Sue dePolo, is a champion in our community. She is a dedicated advocate for early childhood education and literacy. She is a dedicated advocate for early childhood education and literacy. And she's a blast to work with! We enjoy partnering with her on efforts such as: And she's a blast to work with! We enjoy partnering with her on efforts such as: Beyond our Gates, Child Abuse Prevention Council, The Library and Literacy Beyond our Gates, Child Abuse Prevention Council, The Library and Literacy Foundation, First 5 San Joaquin, and El Concilio. Foundation, First 5 San Joaquin, and El Concilio. Join Sue and Team Sass at the Record's Literacy & Book Fair - Family Day Join Sue and Team Sass at the Record's Literacy & Book Fair - Family Day at the Park, Saturday, September 19 - 9:30am at University Park in Stockton. at the Park, Saturday, September 19 - 9:30am at University Park in Stockton. You can find her in the San Joaquin A+ booth. You can find her in the San Joaquin A+ booth. Bring your family, friends and grandbabies! Bring your family, friends and grandbabies! www.familydayatthepark.com Sue dePolo, Executive Director www.familydayatthepark.com

San Joaquin A+

Sue dePolo, is a champion in our community.

MERCED — Bill Martin speaks of a time when California farmland was abundant. From buying strawberries at the front gate of Disneyland to picking apricots and plums off of Highway 101 in San Jose, he admits as a kid he never gave agricultural land much thought. He did, however, enjoy reaping its benefits. Now his fond memories are just that — memories. Gone is much of the farmland that used to sustain our state as well as feed countries around the world. In an effort to preserve remaining farmland in the Central Valley, Martin serves as executive director of the Central Valley Farmland Trust (CVFT). The organization, which started in 2004, purchases familyowned farmland. Called easements, these agreements offer protection of agricultural land. “It’s always a good thing to preserve agriculture land as much as we can,” said San Joaquin County Agricultural Commissioner Tim Pelican. “If you look at the urban growth in the last few years, especially in the southern tier [Manteca and Tracy] … they’re growing really quickly, so it’s good to be able to preserve some of that area for agriculture.” Land preserved for habitats and bee pollinators offer additional value, he said. Most recently, CVFT closed a deal in July on 100 acres in Merced County, where CVFT owns most of its land. A second deal was closed in June on 160 acres in San Joaquin County for the Machado family farm south of Linden. William Machado’s family owned the land since the early 1900s. Over time it was split into nine par-

cels to accommodate his children. Machado’s last wish was to combine the land into one parcel and have it protected by CVFT. The easement made it impossible for land to be sold off in pieces while protecting it as agricultural land. The last document he signed before his death was a form to ensure the easement deal would close. He got his wish. Water, technology, infrastructure, delivery systems and high-quality soil make the San Joaquin Valley unique, according to Martin. “There’s no place like it today in the world. You can’t just carve it out and drop it somewhere else,” he said. “If we allow development to continue, to consume valuable farmland, then at some point food security and food safety come into play. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to get my peaches from China. They have a difficult time making dog food.” CVFT deals exclusively with agricultural land. Specifically, irrigated, prime farmland on the valley floor. It caters to individuals who want to preserve their land for agricultural reasons and perpetuity. Most people who come to CVFT have inherited land, learned stewardship and respect it as agricultural property. Terms of the agreement mean the land may be sold, but the buyer must uphold the agreement in place with CVFT. All easements are forever. CVFT wants to get more people involved in its efforts, according to Pelican. However, he said some landowners hesitate because easements eliminate many options down the line. Funding is obtained through mitigation fees as well as state and federal agencies that allow funds for CVFT to purchase farmland. All farmland is purchased at about 30-40 percent of fair Please see FARMLAND Page 25

September 2015

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September 2015

TELECOMMUNICATIONS FIRMS In San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced Counties. Ranked by Number of Employees. Ties are Listed in Alphabetical Order. Rank 1

Company Name Address TelePacific Communications 3485 Brookside Road, Ste. 102 Stockton, CA 95219 Utility Telephone 4202 Coronado Avenue Stockton, CA 95204 AT&T 2858 W. Monte Vista Avenue Turlock, CA 95380

Top Executive Year Phone Established Web Address

Number of Employees

Products and Services Service Area

Sean Dugan (209) 870-6460 telepacific.com

1998

100

Voice and data for businesses, data centers, mobile services, Internet access California, Nevada, Texas

Jason Mills, President/CEO (209) 940-1000 utilitytelephone.com

1996

Business communications solution, telephone, Internet and data All of California and Northern Nevada

(209) 664-0620 att.com

2002

Phone, Internet, and cable service and sales United States

2005

Design, Installation and support of VoIP phone systems with vendor Shoretel. Project design and management of cabling and network infrastructures Fresno, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, and madera Counties

1973

Business telephone and data systems, Toshiba and Shoretel distributors Northern California is served through five offices

Steve Fetzer (209) 365-9500 4cct.com

1996

Telecommunication services voice and data, phone system installation and service, internet access, web hosting, data system service and engineering California and Nevada

David Darmstandler Co-Founder (209) 521-0055 mydatapath.com Jerry Greer (209) 572-5000 totlcom.com

Datapath 318 McHenry Avenue Modesto, CA 95354

Totlcom 3025 Dale Court Ceres, CA 95307

CCT Telecommunications, Inc. 1106 E. Turner Road Lodi, CA 95240

Evans Communications 5225 Pentecost Drive, Ste. 24 Modesto, CA 95356

Tim Taylor (209) 491-4900 (800) 669-7782 evanscompanies.com

1913

NEC, AVST/telecommunications, data and voice systems and other communication services Central Valley and Coast of California

Integrated Telecom Solutions 4092 Metro Drive, Ste. 100 Stockton, CA 95215 Advent Technologies 503 Bangs Avenue, Ste. J Modesto, CA 95356 Wilson Technologies 115 Mark Randy Place Modesto, CA 95350

Steven Kim (209) 952-5955 its-co.com

1998

Voice, data and video solutions Northern California

Heath Couchman (209) 530-1750 adventtechnologies.net

2009

Phone systems, VoIP, cabling, phone, internet, email, and surveillance services Hosted PBX. IT Consultation also available All of northern California

Dick Wilson (209) 577-2240 wilson-technologies.net

2000

Allworx, VoIP, video surveillance camera, all Avaya/Lucent products, voice and data wiring Greater Central Valley, Lodi to Madera, Los Banos to Sonora

Carl Tognolini (209) 549-4900 comtelphones.com

1984

Telephone sales and service including IP, prewire of voice and data Counties of San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced and Tuolumne

Chris Oliver (209) 847-7018 olivercommunications.net

2005

Telecommunications services, NEC, Shortel and Avaya expertise, new installation services, support and design for current VoIP technologies, voice mail & e-mail integration, wireless solutions California

Comtel Telephone Systems 1127 Kansas Avenue Modesto, CA 95351

Oliver Communications 485 Treecrest Circle Oakdale, CA 95361

In San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced Counties. Ranked by Year Established.

INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS Rank

Company Name Address

Fire2Wire 5462 Pirrone Road Salida, CA 95368

Top Executive Phone Web Address

Year Services Offered Established

William Moreno (209) 543-1800 fire2wire.com

1984

Fixed wireless, DSL, T1, Metro Ethernet, IT/Network consulting, server co-location

Adtech 1571 E Whimore Avenue Ceres, CA 95307

James Lawson (209) 541-1111 adtech-it.com

1986

Fixed Wireless, T1,DS1, DS1, DS3 and Metro Ethernet. C-7 licensed cabling, installing voice, data and fiber cabling through out California. Managed Telecommunications. CLEC providing PUC regulated telecommunication services and VoIP

CCT Telecommunications, Inc. 1106 E. Turner Road Lodi, CA 95240

Steve Fetzer (209) 365-9500 cctonline.net

1996

DSL, ISDN, TI, Wireless, dial up, Ethernet over copper, domain hosting and full carrier services

DBreeze Direct, Inc. Modesto, CA 95350

Murray Breeze (209) 524-2225 dbreeze.com

2000

Internet sales, service and installation for residential and commercial customers, satellite television, satellite internet, automation for residential and commercial

AT&T 5756 Pacific Avenue, Ste. 94 Stockton, CA 95207

(209) 478-8899 att.com

2002

Internet, phone and cable service and sales. Multiple locations throughout two-county areas

Cal DSL 1660 W. Linne Road, Ste. H Tracy, CA 95377

Chau Jasty (209) 832-4420 caldsl.net

2002

High speed internet access, IP voice and surveillance camera systems

Quasar Global Broadband, Inc. Katherine Kennedy Provides and supports complete solutions, fitting individual clientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; budgets and performance 2002 6333 Pacific Avenue, Ste. 566 (209) 369-3733 requirements qglobal.net Stockton, CA 95207 Velociter Wireless, Inc. Scott Vander Dussen 8 (209) 838-1221 2003 Internet service, wireless networks, and computer repair 1525 2nd Street velociter.net Escalon, CA 95320 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 Danette Conley 08/2015 7

September 2015

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September 2015

LENDING IN YOUR COMMUNITY Commercial • SBA • Ag • Home

ELIZABETH STEVENS/CVBJ

President Joseph Sheley unveiled the university’s new naming conventions, logo and motto during his fourth annual address.

Sheley unveils Stanislaus State’s re-branding effort At Oak Valley Community Bank, we take pride in offering a variety of loans at competitive rates, and our team of local lenders and decision-makers are dedicated to providing timely answers and quick turnarounds. This year alone we’ve put over $60 million to work in the Central Valley and Sierra foothills with new loans from $25,000 to $8,500,000. Commercial Real Estate $24.1 million Church/Faith Based Loans $10.9 million Commercial Real Estate Construction $9.1 million Commercial Loans/Line of Credit $8.5 million Agricultural Loans $8.0 million Non-Profit/Community Support Lending $3.0 million Medical/Dental Practice $0.6 million

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TURLOCK — During his fourth annual address to faculty, staff and students, California State University, Stanislaus President Joseph Sheley unveiled a new effort to increase awareness about the university beyond Turlock. After one year, 18 focus groups and 300 participants, the university has come up with a re-branding strategy that involves a new naming conventions, a new logo and a new motto. “All of this is aimed to help people see us more clearly and advocate for us more actively,” Sheley said. The new logo features the school’s familiar shield, which is part of the university’s seal, with an “S” on it. The university’s formal name will remain California State University, Stanislaus. The university will continue to use officially for things such as documents and diplomas. However, in an effort to bring consistency to the ways people inside and outside the region refer to the university, “Stanislaus State” has been adopted as the informal name, while “Stan State” will serve as the nickname. The school’s motto will be “Engaging. Empowering. Transforming.” “This is who we are,” Sheley said. After his speech, Sheley said raising the university’s profile is key because Stanislaus State has an important role to play in pushing the Central Valley’s economy forward. “If you travel up and down the Central Valley, go to all the counties and towns in the Central Valley, you find each of them somewhat different,

with one exception and that’s the percent of their labor force that has a college degree,” Sheley said. “It’s almost always in the teens. It should be in the 30 percent range -- 35-ish.” That low college-rate keeps businesses from wanting to locate here, Sheley said. By contrast, San Francisco’s college rate is 57 percent. In order to build a diverse business base so the region can weather the ups and downs of the economy, the Valley needs to increase the percent of the population that has a college degree. “If you don’t do that, you quickly get screened out,” Sheley said. One way the university is working to increase college rates is by partnering with Modesto Junior College and the Stanislaus County Office of Education to target more students and get them on the path to college. The plan is to take various programs and tactics that are working at each institution, coordinate them and scale them up to reach more students. Sheley said Stanislaus State won’t focus on degrees aimed at industry specialties that may be hot now. Graduates with those degrees would be lured out of the region, Sheley believes. He said it’s more about increasing the number of college graduates that stay here. “It isn’t so much the major right now as it is that percent,” Sheley said. “If we can get new companies to look at us because we have a high percent of labor population that has a college degree, then we start, I think responding to specific needs.”

September 2015

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UC Merced wins grant to help low-income students MERCED — UC Merced has received a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to establish support services for first-generation and low-income students who have not yet declared a major. The grant, which will total $1.09 million over five years, will launch the university’s Strengthening Talents and Exploring Pathways (STEP) program. That program will be part of the Calvin E. Bright Success Center’s existing Fiat

CVBJ

Lux program, which serves underrepresented students at UC Merced. “The idea of student support services is creating programs that help promote degree completion, student persistence and timeliness of degree completion among low-income, first-generation students,” said Bright Success Center Director Elizabeth Boretz. “It is a way of taking what we are already doing and building another arm out from there just for the undeclared.”

According to the university, the goals for the STEP program include: • increasing the retention rate by 5 percent • increasing the four-year graduation rate from 37.6 percent to 50 percent among students eligible for the program • ensuring each STEP scholar has declared a major by his or her junior year. Some elements for the STEP program

will be in place when school starts this year, but it’s expected the program will be fully launched by the end of the fall semester. At that time, a STEP coordinator and a counselor will have been hired. Boretz said the campus’ underrepresented students already get help through the Fiat Lux Scholars program, which focuses mainly on firstyear students. The new STEP program will create an even stronger community for undeclared second-year students.

FARMLAND

market value. The land’s overall worth is then reduced by the same percentage. Because purchase prices are high, businesses don’t typically contribute to land easement costs. However, through direct financial contributions and sponsorships, local businesses help fund operational expenses. The Farm Credit System, E.&J. Gallo Winery and Sunburst Plant Disease Clinic, Inc. are three of CVFT’s main sponsors. Their annual contributions help pay staff salaries and keep offices in Elk Grove. CVFT has a tiered-sponsorship program in place. In return for financial donations, CVFT gives event tickets, swag and advertising space to donors. Individuals are also welcome to contribute through the organization’s membership program, which offers similar perks for lower dollar amounts. Professional expertise is invaluable to the nonprofit that relies heavily on volunteers to run successfully. Barbara Smith, vice president of American AgCredit in Stockton, part of a network of local Farm Credit System businesses that give to the trust, serves as vice president of the board of directors for CVFT. She volunteers her time and uses her expertise with the credit system to help CVFT obtain land. Other staff in her office does the same. CVFT owns more than 10,000 acres in Merced County, approximately 2,200 acres in San Joaquin County, more than 300 acres in Stanislaus County and about 800 acres in Sacramento County, but land is not acquired quickly. In fact, according to Smith, it can take a year to obtain a single easement. Sometimes, when enough money cannot be collected, families will donate a portion of their land in order to close a deal. “It’s very difficult to come up with the money,” Martin said of the process. Sometimes funding is lost in the middle of the deal and CVFT will utilize a bargain sale to close. This was the case for the Machado family. The family donated about a quarter of their land after funding was lost. While that means they were paid less for the easement, the write-off can be used for tax purposes. Businesses and individuals who want to help can learn more by visiting www.valleyfarmland.org or by calling CVFT at (916) 687-3178.

Continued from Page 20

Lighting rebates

HVAC rebates

High efficiency Refrigerator motor rebates recycling program

Central Valley Business Journal

Recycling industry adjusts to changes in marketplace By KENT HOHLFELD Business Journal writer khohlfeld@cvbizjournal.com

MODESTO — The United States has undergone a cultural shift in its waste habits over the last 20 years. Lowering the amount of refuse headed to landfills and increasing the percentage of recycled waste has become a governing principle in homes as well as businesses. “When I am done with a water bottle, if I don’t see a recycling bin, I can’t just throw it away,” said Frank Ferral, program director for the Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce. That has become the prevailing attitude during the last two decades in which the ubiquitous blue recycling bin has become as common as trash cans once were. Education and government dictates have increased reusable materials and reduced garbagecluttering landfills. By almost every measure, recycling efforts in the United States have been a success. That success has been a boon to what has been a profitable enterprise for area businesses that specialize in dealing with recycled materials. That is, until recently. “Business isn’t doing too good,” said Keith Highiet, assistant manager at Modesto Junk Company. “It is a highly cyclical business. There is not a big economic demand for production of new materials from recycled product.” Modesto Junk Company deals largely with scrap metal but also takes bottles and cans from the public. The problem is that while the amount of reusable material is reaching all-time highs, the markets for that material have suffered through their weakest stretch during the last three years. That market weakness has had repercussions for area businesses. “We pay $1.95 per pound for [aluminum] cans,” said Highiet. “A few years ago it was up to $2.20 or $2.30 for the same material. It’s still higher than the state minimum of $1.58 per pound, but we are having to pay less.” The weakness in prices is an especially large issue for municipalities that have to deal with large volumes of various types of recycled waste. Waste Management is one of the nation’s largest recyclers and has refuse contracts with cities across the nation. Waste Management CEO David Steiner has said the entire industry is working under a “broken model.” “We have seen progress in our recycling operations, but the issues are complex and there is not an overnight

fix,” he said in a conference call with thestreet.com in July. A big issue for municipalities is the sorting process that items have to go through before they can be reused. The process hasn’t changed much since the 1990s when California companies developed a system that used people and conveyor belts to separate paper, plastic and cardboard based on the weight of each object. Today, lightweight plastics can end up mixed in with paper and glass. The system was also built with handling large amounts of newsprint in mind. Thanks to the explosion of the Internet and mobile devices, the amount of newsprint sent to recyclers has fallen from 15.81 million tons to 7.89 tons in the last 20 years. In addition, residential customers often fail to separate recyclable items from those that can’t be reused. At the same time that this cross contamination of various product bundles has grown, those buying bulk recycled materials have become more selective. “We do have to think about being smart about what we bring in,” said Linden Coffee, senior sales representative at American Recycling. “Buyers are pickier about what they buy.” American Recycling, with operations in Stockton and Modesto, deals largely with commercial operations. Canneries make up a large portion of its business. “Anyone will take clean plastic,” Coffee said. “Usually they will take dirty plastic too. Now, they will say, ‘We won’t take that dirty bucket with tomato paste.’ When you are servicing an industrial customer, they don’t care that the market is down or buyers are picky. They just want us to take the stuff away so they can focus on canning.” The fact that most (75 to 80 percent) of the material collected for recycling goes overseas is another complicating factor for area recyclers. Issues like the recent West Coast port slowdown and lockout made an already tough situation worse. “It stinks so much of our scrap material has to go overseas,” said Coffee. “There just aren’t enough mills in the U.S. to deal with all the material.” There have been local efforts to address that issue by increasing the amount of recycled material that is kept and used in the Central Valley. Ferral and the Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce have been at the forefront of that effort. “I have a different perspective on

September 2015

Over past year, the national average price of aluminum cans has dropped more than 39 percent, from 77.6 cents p

commodities,” said Ferral. “We do a great job of diverting material from landfills. That means we’ve got more quantities to ship overseas. What we have to answer is how can we keep that content here in California and employ more Californians and reduce our air pollution.” One answer is companies like Ecologic in Manteca. The company uses plastics, cardboard and old newspapers to produce new containers that can be used for a variety of items. Other area companies produce everything from bottles to landscaping items from recycled materials.

One of the biggest benefits of using that material in the Central Valley is in the energy and pollution savings that come from not shipping that material overseas. “It would be better to keep that material to manufacture that stuff here in California,” said Ferral. “We have excellent, cleaner energy so why can’t we use that to our benefit?” While it might be tough for some to believe that pollution produced in China can affect the Central Valley, that is exactly what scientists believe is happening. In March, UC Davis released a study that found that nearly

September 2015

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PHILIP JOHNSON/CVBJ

Linden Coffee of American Recycling said the business needs to be more selective of what it brings in.

QUICK FACTS – RECYCLING Aluminum cans have on average 68 percent recycled content (Keep America Beautiful, Recycling Facts & Statistics) In a landfill, aluminum cans take 80-100 years to break down (http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/) Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a television for three hours. (Keep America Beautiful, Recycling Facts & Statistics) A glass container can go from a recycling bin to a store shelf in as few as 30 days. (Keep America Beautiful, Recycling Facts & Statistics) More than 87 percent of Americans have access to curbside or drop-off paper recycling programs (Keep America Beautiful, Recycling Facts & Statistics) About 75 percent of the America’s waste stream is recyclable, but only about 30 percent is recycled. (Indiana University. “Waste & Recycling.”)

per pound in July 2014, to t 55.8 cents per pound as reported July 24.

10 percent of ozone pollution in California’s San Joaquin Valley is coming from outside of the state’s borders, particularly from Asia. Another report by NASA in February indicated that much of the reduction in West Coast ozone emissions, is being offset by higher emissions in China. All of these issues can be helped by keeping more of the Central Valley’s recyclables at home. Educating people and businesses on the best ways to recycle is important, business leaders believe. Both the Stockton and Modesto chambers of Commerce have programs aimed at

PHILIP JOHNSON/CVBJ

helping businesses operate efficiently when it comes to the environment. “We have a lot of experts come in and speak to our members and some of those are experts on recycling,” said Modesto Chamber of Commerce CEO Cecil Russell. He said that while the business cycle of recycling may go up and down, area businesses need to keep recycling efforts in the forefront. “It does require constant reminders,” he said. “You have to keep up the conversation on the importance of recycling, and we plan to be part of that conversation.”

The average person generates over four pounds of trash every day. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “Municipal Solid Waste., 2015) About 36 billion aluminum cans ended up in landfills last year with had a scrap value of more than $600 million. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “10 FAST FACTS ON RECYCLING,” 2015) About 21 billion California Refund Value (CRV) eligible containers were sold in 2013. Of those, more than 18 billion were recycled. (http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/) The 3 billion containers that ended up in the landfill had a refund value of $100 million. (http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/)

Central Valley Business Journal

September 2015

OUTPATIENT SURGERY CENTERS

In San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced Counties. Ranked by Square Footage. Ties are Ranked in Alphabetical Order. Company Name Rank Address Medical Director

Web Address Local Phone Fax

Director or Area Manager

Affiliated with/ Owner Group

Deborah Friberg, VP and Area Manager

Kaiser Permanente

Types of Insurance Accepted

Square Footage

Hours

Year Est.

Kaiser Permanente members

18,000

Mon. - Fri. 7am - 6 pm

1992

Kaiser Permanente Ambulatory Surgery Center Stockton Medical Office 7373 West Lane, Ste. 280 Stockton, CA 95210

kaiserpermanente.org 209-476-2000 Fax 209-476-3526

St. Joseph’s Surgery Center 1800 N. California, Ste. 1 Stockton, CA 95204

stjosephs-sc.com 209-467-6316 Fax 209-461-6895

Dr. Doug Solomon, MD

St. Joseph’s Medical Ctr., United Surgical Partnership International and 13 physicians

All major carriers

16,800

Mon. - Fri. 6 am - 5 pm

2005

Sutter Gould Medical Center Stockton Ambulatory Surgery Center 8011 Don Avenue Stockton, CA 95209

sutterhealth.org 209-955-3001 Fax 209-473-1296

Katrina Holmes, RN

Sutter Health

All major carriers

13,000

Mon. - Fri. 6:30 am - 4 pm

2009

Emanuel Medical Center 825 Delbon Avenue Turlock, CA 95382

Dr. David Canton, MD (EMC); Bernadette Khanania, Director Outpatient Surgery

Covenent Ministries of Benevolence

Most carriers including Medi-Cal and Medicare

10,000

Mon. - Fri. 7 am to closing

1985

Kathy Tuck, RN

Memorial Medical Center

All major carriers

10,000

Mon. - Fri. 5:30 am - 7 pm

1970

Nancy Collier, RN

Memorial Medical Center

All major carriers

10,000

Mon .- Thurs. 5:30 am - 5 pm

2001

suttertracy.org 209-835-1500 Fax 209-832-6076

Lucia Paniagua

Sutter Health

All major carriers

10,000

Mon. - Fri. 6 am - 6 pm

2000

Memorial Medical Center 1700 Coffee Road Modesto, CA 95355 Same Day Surgery Center at Spanos Court 1401 Spanos Court, Ste. 200 Modesto, CA 95355 Short Stay Surgical Center Sutter Tracy Community Hospital 1420 N. Tracy Boulevard Tracy , CA 95376

emanuelmedicalcenter.org 209-664-2700 Fax 209-664-2707 memorialmedicalcenter.org 209-569-7542 Fax 209-572-7049 memorialmedicalcenter.org 209-4500 Fax 209-525-5829

Tower Surgery Center 1801 Colorado Avenue, Ste 140 Turlock, CA 95382

tower-health.com 209-216-3470 Fax 209-216-3475

Dr. Sam Romeo, MD

Physician/Medical Center Partnership

All major carriers

9,740

Mon. - Fri. 6 am - 6 pm

2005

Northern California Surgery Center 3850 Geer Road Turlock, CA 95382

northerncalifornia surgerycenter.com 209-668-9866 Fax 209-668-9843

Dr. Daryl Bailie, MD

Mostly physician owned, small ownership stake by management company Nueterra Healthcare

Most PPOs, HMOs and other carriers

8,400

Mon. - Fri. 6 am - 5 pm

2005

ascstockton.com 209-944-9100 Fax 209-944-9307

Dr. Phillip Ruhl, DO Medical Director Chief of Anesthesia

Physician owned and USPI Partners Inc.

Most health plans

7,824

Mon. - Fri. 6 am - 5 pm

2001

Kerri Darnell, RN

Stanislaus Surgical Hospital majority owner, minority owner RMC Medstone

All, except CVMG

5,946

Mon. - Fri. 6 am - 6 pm

2004

Dr. William Pistel, DO

Physicians’ Surgery Center of Modesto, Inc.

Most health plans, all out of network

5,500

Mon. - Fri. 9 am - 5 pm

2007

Dr. Salman Razi, MD

Physician owned

All major carriers

5,400

Mon. - Fri. 7:30 am - 4 pm

2005

Dr. Christopher Arismendi, MD

Independent, community owned

All major carriers

4,140

Mon. - Fri. 7 am - 3 pm

1912

Dr. Magdy Elsakr, MD

Physician-owned

Most carriers not Kaiser, Sutter Gould or CVMG

3,500

Tues. - Wed 8 am - 12 pm Thurs. 12 pm - 5 pm Fri. 8 am - 4 pm

2006

regentsurgicalhealth.com 209-371-8700 Fax 209-369-1262

Kippy Pogue, RN

Lodi Memorial Hospital51%Physician owned-49%

All major carriers

2,000

Mon. - Fri. 7 am - 5 pm

2009

lodihealth.org 209-334-3411

Alvin Aguire, RN

Lodi Memorial Hospital

All major carriers

WND

Mon. - Fri. 6 am - 6 pm

1952

Kippy Pogue, Director

Endoscopy Center of Lodi, Lodi health, Regent Surgical Health

Most major carriers

WND

Mon. - Fri. 6 am - 4:30 pm

1984

Janet Ruscoe

Dignity Health-Mercy Medical Center

All Insurances

Mon. - Fri. 7 am - 3 pm

2006

Ambulatory Surgery Center of Stockton 2388 N. California Street Stockton, CA 95204 Coffee Road Surgery Center 1335 Coffee Road Modesto, CA 95355 River Surgical Institute 609 E. Orangeburg Avenue, Bldg. B, Modesto, CA 95350 Tracy Surgery Center 2160 W. Grantline Road, Ste. 120, Tracy, CA 95377 Alex & Faye Spanos Surgery Pavillion Dameron Hospital 445 W. Acacia Stockton, CA 95203

stanislaussurgical.com 209-232-2651 Fax 209-572-0151 riversurgical.com 209-527-6700 Fax 209-527-6711 tracysrg.com 209-836-5680 Fax 209-836-5778

Sylvan Surgery Center 2336 Sylvan Avenue, Ste. B Modesto, CA 95355

NA 209-338-0393 Fax 209-338-0292

Endoscopy Center of Lodi 840 S. Fairmont Avenue, Ste. 1, Lodi, CA 95240

11 12 13

Lodi Memorial Hospital Outpatient Procedures 975 S. Fairmont Avenue Lodi, CA 95240 Lodi Outpatient Surgical Center 521 S. Ham Lane Ste. F Lodi, CA 95242 Mercy Outpatient Surgical Services 315 Mercy Avenue Merced, CA 95340

dameronhospital.org 209-944-5550 Fax 209-461-7586

regentsurgicalhealth.com 209-333-0905 Fax 209-333-0219 mercymerced.org 209-564-3000 Fax 209-564-5111

September 2015

www.cvbizjournal.com

September is National Literacy Month visit www.hpsj.com/read

to learn more!

Healthy communities read!

As the local health plan we understand the impact that low literacy has on our community. With 66% of area 3rd graders reading below their grade level, we know that their ability to be successful as adults is compromised. From a health perspective, low literacy skills may mean fewer employment prospects, a lifetime of lower wages and limited health coverage. Challenges with reading also makes it a struggle, if not impossible, to read instructions from their doctor or medication warnings, fill out registration forms and health histories, or even take advantage of self-care advice available online.

Health Plan of San Joaquin is committed to changing the statistics and has answered our communities’ call to partner in a way that will impact children and adults that live, work and play right here in the Valley. With our longtime support of programs like Reach Out and Read, where pediatrician’s read books to young patients during visits, new partnerships with Regional Transit District’s Books on Buses Program, and Little Free Libraries, and our sponsorship of The Record’s Family Day at the Park we are helping to raise awareness and get books in the hands of families in our community.

Together we will read our way to good health!

Central Valley Business Journal

September 2015

Florists have new alternative to wire services By NORA HESTON TARTE Business Journal writer nhestontarte@cvbizjournal.com

TRACY — Wire services have long provided florists with a connection to a large Internet customer base, but the business format has had its problems. As a potential solution to the florist and customer complaints, BloomNation, an Etsy-like website alternative to wire services, has launched nationwide. Boasting lower commissions and no additional service fees, it claims to reduce costs while promoting local floral businesses. “It’s just bringing back the creativity and the artistry to the floral business,” said Brittany Sykes, public relations lead for BloomNation. The website allows local florists to upload photos of bouquets. If good photos are not available, BloomNation will arrange a photo shoot free of charge. By requiring images of actual arrangements, BloomNation says it offers transparency. Customers see items that local florists design and fulfill. Traditional wire services use stock images and then ask local florists to fill the order using what they have on hand, Sykes explained. Because the hired florist did not design the bouquet, the look may vary, which can cause customer dissatisfaction.

BUSINESS JOURNAL PHOTO

BloomNation offers customers an Etsy-like floral-ordering experience that lets florists keep more revenue.

Traditional wire services also mask the local florist making the design. They never communicate to the customer who is fulfilling the order. With BloomNation, customers choose the bouquet and florist themselves. They also receive a photo of the bouquet before it is hand-delivered, according to Sykes. “I would definitely consider it,” said Chris Downing, owner of Hart Floral in Modesto. He is familiar BloomNa-

tion but has never used it. “If it would cut out the high commissions that the traditional wire services take that would definitely be a benefit to our business.” Sykes cited fewer fees as a bonus for local florists. BloomNation collects 10 percent of each order, 3 percent of which covers the credit card processing fee. Florists keep the other 90 percent. Additionally, there is no contract, no service fee and no membership costs

charged to the business owner. “I’m probably going to narrow it down to just one wire service because I think their fees are too high, and they target our customers,” said Downing, who uses Teleflora and FTD. “It’s not looking as attractive to traditional florists to use wire services.” To support other florists, Hart Floral is doing more direct florist-toflorist orders, passing what it is unable to fill on to other florists without charging a finder’s fee. “Ten percent is a lot for them to take for our product,” said Belle Reynolds, owner of Belle’s Lodi Flowershop, which has been in business since 1917. “I think they should be happy with 2 or 3 percent.” “They aren’t doing this because they like us, they’re doing this because they make money off of us,” she added. Reynolds pointed out that 10 percent is sometimes a florist’s only profit, so she’d rather not hand that over and reduce her bottom line. Reynolds had not heard of BloomNation before but was familiar with similar platforms. She, said it is an improvement over traditional wire services. “At least we’re not filling their orders, you know — their pictures,” she said. Transparency does create a poPlease see FLORISTS Page 39

September 2015

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Central Valley Business Journal

September 2015

RECYCLING & WASTE DISPOSAL COMPANIES In San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced Counties. Ranked by Number of Employees. Ties are Listed in Alphabetical Order. Services Offered

Company Headquarters Year Established

250

Collection, recycling, transport and disposal of waste materials

Houston, TX 1894

Richard Gilton, Owner (209) 527-3781 gilton.com

200

Waste collection

Oakdale, CA 1947

Ron Crookham (209) 333-8088 dart.biz

140

Foam polystyrene (AKA - Styrofoam) Free PS Foam Recycling drop-off center

Mason, MI 1985

Kevin Basso, GM (209) 466-3604 disposal.com

120

Trash pick up, recycling and dumpster rentals

Phoenix, AZ 1972

Steve Holloway (209) 537-8000 bertolottidisposal.com

Transfer station, waste disposal and dump site

Modesto, CA 1972

Stockton Recycling Center 1533 Waterloo Road Stockton, CA 95205

Jaime Williams, President (209) 942-2267 stocktonrecycling.com

Processing and purchase of recycling, construction and demolition debris

Stockton, CA 1991

Turlock Scavenger Company 1200 S. Walnut Road Turlock, CA 95380

Alan Marchant, President (209) 668-7274 turlockscavenger.com

Residential, industrial, commercial, recyclable and green waste 15X48 yd rolloff boxes, weekly rental 2 yd front loader bins, storage box rentals 22 - long X 7.5 - wide

Turlock, CA 1935

California Waste Recovery Systems 175 Enterprise Court Galt, CA 95632

David Vaccarezza, Owner (209) 369-6887 cal-waste.com

Solid waste, commingled and separated recyclables and green waste. Residential, commercial and industrial solid waste and recyclables collection. Recyclables processing services for the greater San Joaquin Area

Galt, CA 1927

Jason Antypas, Sr. Buyer (209) 944-9555 (209) 833-3100 usrscrap.com

Full-service scrap metal recycling and processing center Roll-Off, flat bed, endump, ranch cleanup, general metal recycling, demolition projects Modesto and Sacramento locations available

Stockton, CA 1996

Jeff Highiet (209) 522-1435 modestojunk.com

Scrap metals, beverage containers, e-waste, plastic, and cardboard Provide bins and hauling for larger volumes clients, commercial, industrial accounts and farms and ranches

Modesto, CA 1920

Tony Alegre, President (209) 334-4038 alegretrucking.com/ftg

Recycling of broken concrete and asphalt. The sale and delivery of rock, sand, gravel, etc. to Central Valley and Bay Area Locations in Stockton, Lodi and Antioch

Lodi, CA 1973

Ronald Kemp (209) 234-7994 onsiteelectronicsrecycling.com

Responsible local recycling of electronics and appliances

Stockton, CA 2004

Chris Maschal & Chris Bonnet, Owners (209) 537-4410 americanrecyclingca.com

Recycling of paper, plastics and metals and business to business

Modesto, CA 2008

Tim Erlandson, GM (209) 546-8000 cencalrecycling.com

Recycling services-primary purchase programs include paper, cardboard, stretchfilm and plastics

Stockton, CA 2004

Vincent Tye and Ron Hurst (209) 463-1067 recology.com

Collect wood, concrete, asphalt, dirt, sheetrock, C&D materials, brush, leaves, and grass

San Francisco, CA 2003

NA (209) 948-4000 simsmm.com

Ferrous and non ferrous metals, CRV aluminum, plastic, glass and electronic waste

Richmond, CA NA

Ken Blacksmith (209) 551-0500 knkelectronics.com

Electronics recycling

Modesto, CA 2007

Turlock Recycling 1200 S. Walnut Road Turlock, CA 95380

Alan Marchant (209) 668-6060 turlockrecycling.com

Public recycle center

Turlock, CA 1935

Iron Valley Metals 1248 Reno Avenue Modesto, CA 95351

Paul Francis, Owner (209) 529-7878 ironvalleymetals.com

Industrial metal recycling, state certified recycler center, large farm land cleanup, locking bins and roll-off bins available

Modesto, CA 2005

Jim Newellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Iron & Metal 228 Empire Avenue Modesto, CA 95354

Jim Newell (209) 402-8420 jnmetals.com

Recycling of all ferrous and non-ferrous metals

Modesto, CA 1979

Address

Top Local Executive Number Phone of Web Address Employees

Waste Management 1333 E. Turner Road Lodi, CA 95240

David P. Steiner, CEO (209) 369-8292 wm.com

Gilton Solid Waste Management Gilton Resource Recovery 800 S. McClure Road Modesto, CA 95354

Dart Container Corporation 1400 Victor Road Lodi, CA 95240

Republic Services of Stockton Allied Waste Division 1145 W. Charter Way Stockton, CA 95206

Bertolotti Disposal 231 Flamingo Drive Modesto, CA 95358

Rank

Company Name

Universal Service Recycling, Inc. 3200 S. El Dorado Street Stockton, CA 95206 450 N. Tower Road Merced, CA 95340

Modesto Junk Company, Inc. Recycling Center 1425 Ninth Street Modesto, CA 95354

F.T.G. Construction Materials, Inc. 915 W. Anderson Street Stockton, CA 95206

Onsite Electronics Recycling 2331 N. Teepee Drive Stockton, CA 95205

American Recycling Company 2070 Morgan Road Modesto, CA 95358

CenCal Recycling, LLC 501 Port Road 22 Stockton, CA 95203

Recology Stockton 250 Port Road 23 Stockton, CA 95203

Sims Metal Management 1000 South Arrora Street Stockton, CA 95206

K & K Electronics Recycling 1616 Oakdale Road Ste. 3 Modesto, CA 95355

1 18 8

September 2015

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Central Valley Business Journal

September 2015

City of Modesto offers start-ups new funding EQUIPMENT LOANS & LEASES

Great Terms. Great Offers. Great Bank.

3 Year Term Loans & Capital Leases AS LOW AS

2.85

% *Subject to Credit Approval

3 Year Tax Leases

AS LOW AS

2.60

% *Subject to Credit Approval

Refinance or Purchase − Up to 100% Loan to Value 3, 5, and 7 Year Terms

CALL TODAY

Claire Brumley (209) 337-6007

Jared Steinwert (209) 337-6006

Bob Harmon (209) 337-6008

Eric Tobias (209) 571-4015

*Business equipment ﬁnancing only. Offer not applicable to existing F&M Bank loans. Rates based on Auto Pay from a F&M Bank Checking Account. Other rates and terms may apply based on your qualiﬁcations. Effective 3-23-15 and subject to change without notice. Ask for the current rate. F&M Capital is a unit of Farmers & Merchants Bank of Central California. © 2015 Farmers & Merchants Bank of Central California. All rights reserved. MSR 3191-CVBJ 8/15

fmbonline.com

Member

MODESTO — Modesto residents who want to start their own businesses now have a new option for financing. The city of Modesto, the Stanislaus Business Alliance and the Fresno Community Development Financial Institution have partnered to establish a new revolving loan fund. The city of Modesto is providing $250,000 from Kurt Clark a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block grant (CDBG) and Fresno CDFI is matching that amount dollar-for-dollar. The Stanislaus Business Alliance will provide application assistance and serve as the first point of contact for business owners looking for financing. The city believes the fund will help 13 businesses. “This is the city’s best use of the grant block funding,” said Margaret James, business analyst for the city’s Community and Economic Development Department. “The goal is to create jobs and retain job opportunities for moderate to low-income residents.” The Grow Modesto Fund is aimed at providing financing for small businesses that can’t get financing through a bank. There could be a number of reasons a new business can’t get a traditional loan. The most common is that a start-up, by definition, hasn’t been around long enough. “Banks like businesses with a twoyear track record,” said Kurt Clark, director of the Stanislaus Alliance’s Small Business Development Center. “The second reason is credit issues.”

Clark said CDFI considers clients with a FICO score as low as 600, but it looks at more than just scores. Loans from $5,000 to $300,000 are available to start-ups through the Grow Modesto Fund. Existing companies can also apply to finance working capital, equipment, tenant improvements and to refinance high-interest business debt. Companies that have been in business less than two years will have to provide a business plan. The Alliance will help businesses apply for the loan. It’s a process Clark said some new business owners find daunting, but he said the Grow Modesto Fund has simplified it. “One of the strengths of this program is the streamlined process,” Clark said. The turnaround time is typically two to three weeks for smaller loans which can be approved in-house. Loans of $50,000 or higher must go before CDFI’s lending committee, and approval can take six weeks. James said the Alliance’s assistance is another benefit of the program. Because of budget cuts, the city doesn’t have the staff to guide people through the loan process. “City staff often refer applicants to programs,” James said. “Now there’s help they can refer applicants to at SBDC.” Clark said lending options are opening across the board in the area, and the Alliance is working on other, similar finance programs. “We’re seeing a big resurgence in lending in Modesto particularly in the clientele we deal with — small business,” said Clark. “The lending market has recovered. It’s markedy improved over two or three years ago.” Anyone interested in applying to the fund should contact the Alliance SBDC at (209) 567-4910.

App lets Stockton drivers feed downtown meters STOCKTON — Those needing to add time to their parking meter in downtown Stockton got a hand starting Sept. 1. Motorists can now use a mobile app to add time to meters that are marked with a sticker that provides the Parkmobile website (www.parkmobile. com) and a toll free number (1-877-7275718) to call about the app. Motorists can download the Parkmobile app, create an account and then bill their parking directly to their account. They can also set alerts on their phones to let them know when time is about to run out and add more time without having to return to the meter. Meters fed by the app will appear as

though the time on the meter has expired. Parking officials will be able to check the status of a meter from handheld devices to make sure those who paid using the app will not receive a parking ticket. Posted time limits still apply. If a meter has a two-hour limit, using the app will not extend the parking time beyond that limit. The meters will still accept coins. The app is the brainchild of SP Plus Corporation, which the city contracts with to operate and manage downtown parking operations. For more information or updates about parking downtown, visit www. stocktongov.com/parking.

September 2015

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Business Journal Community Voices Don’t let fear drive your investments CENTRAL VALLEY

For the past few years, the stock market has moved up fairly steadily with no major “corrections.” But thus far in 2015, we’ve already seen periods of volatility — enough, in fact, to make some investors jittery. Nervous investors may be more prone to make decisions based on shortterm market movements — so how can you Charles Baker stay calm? Portfolio Manager First of all, Bank of the West when evaluating your investment decisions, stay focused on those factors that have historically driven stock prices. The U.S. economy is growing at a reasonably good pace, and corporate earnings remain fairly strong. Plus, stocks may not be as undervalued as they were a few years ago — as measured by the price-to-

Smart Investing

earnings ratio (P/E) — but they still aren’t overly expensive, either. Things can change, of course, but when market volatility seems to be primarily caused by short-term events, such as plunging oil prices, it’s important to look beyond the headlines to these less glamorous, but

probably more important, fundamentals of good investing. By doing so, you can help avoid making fear-driven investment choices. What else can you do to help ensure that you don’t let feelings of anxiety influence your investment moves? For one thing, evaluate your investment

mix. If you own too many stocks and stock-based vehicles, you could take a big hit if stock prices fall sharply during periods of volatility. Historically, however, bond prices have typically increased when stock prices fell — although, of course, there are no guarantees. So, if your portfolio consists of stocks and bonds, you are better positioned to weather the harshest effects of market turbulence. To further prepare yourself for downturns, you may also want to diversify your fixed-income holdings to include investments such as U.S. Treasury bills, certificates of deposit (CDs) and municipal bonds. The percentages of each type of investment within your portfolio should be based on your goals, risk tolerance and time horizon. Finally, you can help yourself maintain an even-keeled approach to investing by always looking for quality. Typically, higher quality investments fare better during market declines and recover more quickly when the markets rebound. How can you judge whether a particular investment is of good “quality“? Please see COMMUNITY VOICES Page 48

Central Valley Business Journal

September 2015

Using tech to improve customer service The benchmark for good customer service used to be fairly standard: friendly sales people, personalized service, easy refund or return policies, and attention to detail. In short, a high-touch service environment. It was fairly easy for any business to offer a high level of service because the basic needs and expectations of all consumers were David similar. Thus Darmstandler the golden rule CEO of of “do unto othDataPath, Inc. ers as you would have done unto you” was a universal service code easily implemented. Fast forward to 2015. Many service providers serve a widely diverse clientele. Not only culturally diverse but technologically diverse as well. These new descriptors of your customer make following the golden rule difficult, if not impossible, and create a whole new set of service demands. Today’s service mantra should not be the golden rule, but a universal

Tech Top 5

rule that states “treat people how they need to be treated.” This new philosophy considers the complexities of today’s consumers and is a better way to provide a true level of service. All you have to do is understand the needs of today’s consumers and apply that knowledge to your current services and marketing techniques. Here are five ideas to get you started: Ensure a positive web presence Does your website load easily on a wide variety of computers and devices? If you build a website for the newest devices only, you are guaranteed to frustrate your customers. Make sure to use clear language that helps customers understand that their credit cards are secure. Allow consumers to request information from the site without being hounded by the provider. Ensure visitors to your website can locate your contact information easily. Pay close attention to web traffic There are now ways to easily decipher the “who,” “what” and “how” of your website – who was on your website, what were they clicking on and how they got there. With new technologies such as VisiStat, you’re able to visualize the experience a visitor has on your website. From this, you’ll be able to identify potential leads and recognize browsing

patterns. This can make the difference between making a sale or losing one. Improve telephone service Is the automated portion of your telephone service truly responsive to customer needs? Do your prompts accurately reflect the majority of concerns your customers have? Have you called yourself to make sure it works? If callers dial a wrong extension, do they have to start all over again? Ensure that callers can reach a human being in a timely fashion before frustration overwhelms them. If possible, provide access to service and/or resources 24 hours a day by phone or on your website. Hire excellent service associates Do your hiring practices help you identify service-minded individuals? Are you training and authorizing your staff to meet the needs of your customers? Make sure you are praising good service behaviors and correcting the unacceptable. Confirm that everyone in the organization is aware of his or her role in your service initiative. Can your staff effectively solve problems for customers? Do they make you proud? Keep social media fresh Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, blogs and the like are an ever-growing way to market your services and gather potential customer information.

Loyal “friends,”“followers” and “subscribers” can be influencers for your programs and services. However, they will expect (and probably deserve) some extra consideration for this effort. These folks should be treated to advance sales or additional discounts. You can reward them when they like, share, or re-tweet your information. Your sites need to be lively, interactive and ever-changing in order to keep the interest of your savvy consumer. Followers only check in with you if there is something new to draw them in. It has been said that a tweet has a 17-minute shelf life, and I’m sure that was true in 2014. However, it will probably be 10 minutes in 2016! The bottom line is: social media must be frequently updated to be effective for your organization. High-tech and high-touch are possible. Take the time to assess your company’s customer service initiative in a non-defensive manner. Look for areas to increase your offerings for the tech-savvy as well as the novice customers. Most of all, commit yourself to providing the best service you can through every avenue available. –David Darmstandler is CEO of Datapath, an IT services company with headquarters in Modesto. You can reach him at david@mydatapath.com.

Ask for customer feedback like you mean it Have you ever taken a customer satisfaction survey and wondered if the business really cared what you thought? Maybe it was just a box-ticking exercise that left you disillusioned when your feedback was ignored. Don’t be that business. Follow these tips to ensure your survey is properly implemented, well managed and gets you the results you want. Make it quick Completing the survey should be painless. Decide which key areas you want to measure and ask a maximum of 10 questions. Be sure to capture a rating of overall satisfaction. If your survey takes more than five minutes to complete, reduce the number of questions. The slicker the experience for customers, the greater the response rate. Don’t cherry-pick Use an automated method of inviting customers to participate in surveys. Manual selection introduces the risk of cherry-picking customers who are most likely to give a positive result. That does not make for objective survey results, and you won’t really learn anything. Ideally, offer surveys to all your customers. That gives you the best possible response rate, the most broad representation of customers’ views and the most reliable data. Don’t change questions Decide which questions to ask be-

fore you launch your survey and then stick with them. Changing questions later makes it difficult to track trends over time against areas of satisfaction. If your survey responses suggest that you need to probe further into a particular area, then add a question about that rather than revising an existing one. But be aware of the overall length Dan Natividad of the survey. Partner Force meaningful answers Port City Marketing Consider the range of answer options you give customers. Avoid giving a middle ground option, such as “neither agree nor disagree,” to keep customers from sitting on the fence. Such responses are usually meaningless, unless you are trying to determine customers’ appetite for a new service. In that case a “couldn’t care less either way” option would be meaningful. Having a couple of degrees of positive and negative response is not a

Brand Building

problem, but force customers to go one way or the other with their opinions. Respond to bad feedback Don’t be afraid of negative feedback. Embrace it as an opportunity to show how much you value your customers and face the criticism head-on. Investigate every instance of negative feedback, resolve any outstanding issues and contact customers to tell them what you’ve done. They will be pleased that you have listened and when they realize you’ve made a change based on their feedback, you’ll retain the customer and create a new advocate for your business. Reward positive feedback When customers are saying good things about you, make sure this is passed on to the relevant team or individual in your business. If you don’t already have one in place, consider introducing rewards for employees who excel and recognition when they do. Track trends and make improvements Your survey results are an invaluable source of guidance on what you’re doing well and where you’re failing. Capture data accurately and regularly so both high-level and detailed results can be reported easily. That will help you identify and track trends key areas of dissatisfaction. Record what you’ve done to correct dissatisfaction as well as the ways you’re counteracting negative trends.

Publish results Be brave! Publish your results for your employees as well as your customers. As long as you are taking actions to address any areas of dissatisfaction, you have nothing to fear. Even if your early results are poor, you’ll be able to clearly demonstrate how your business is responding positively to feedback. You can be confident future reports will show steady improvement in satisfaction. Ultimately, continuous improvement in customer satisfaction will pay dividends in retention, sales and business growth. Designing, implementing and managing your survey by following these rules will give you the best results. Your business will drive a culture of customer engagement and continuous improvement, especially if you reward staff who excel. When you actively engage with customers to resolve dissatisfaction, your customer retention rates will improve. That sparks a cycle in which satisfaction levels steadily increase through better customer service. Ultimately, the setup and administration costs of the survey will more than pay for themselves when your business is transformed. – Dan Natividad, a Stockton native, is a partner at Port City Marketing Solutions along with Kristen Dyke and Erin Diego. Dan can be reached at dan@portcitymarketing.com.

September 2015

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Radiology centers get accreditation Evaluations assure patients of quality cancer treatment in Valley By CRAIG W. ANDERSON Business Journal writer canderson@cvbizjournal.com

STOCKTON — Radiation cancer treatment is a hard road for cancer patients even when it leads to remission. However, one concern that’s been alleviated is whether quality treatment can be found in the Valley. Two Central Valley cancer treatment facilities were recently awarded a threeyear term of Dan Vongtama accreditation in radiation oncology from the American College of Radiology (ACR). St. Teresa Comprehensive Cancer Center in Stockton was accredited in June. Dr.

Peter K. Sien’s Modesto facility was accredited in March. Both are part of 21st Century Oncology. To be accredited, facilities undergo peer-review evaluations to determine if they meet the specific guidelines and technical standards developed by ACR. “Nearly 30 years ago radiologists wanted to ensure quality treatment was available no matter where a patient was located,” said ACR’s Director of Public Affairs Shawn Farley. “They’re a conscientious group, and their goal was to ensure excellent treatment across the nation. So, a national standard was established to ensure care would be the same in New York City and Modesto.” The Radiation Oncology Practice Accreditation Program gives radiation oncologists third-party, impartial peer WAYNE DENNING/CVBJ

Please see RADIOLOGY Page 48

Radiation therapist Kim Byron works with patients at St. Teresa Comprehensive Cancer Center in Stockton.

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State receives 341 tax credit applications SACRAMENTO – The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) has received a total of 341 applications for tax credits for the most recent California Competes Tax Credit application period which closed on Aug. 17. Go-Biz is authorized to award $200 million in tax credits, of which 25 percent ($50 million) is reserved for small businesses. GO-Biz will post the next list of the applicants recommended for an award on its website by Oct. 30. The final decision on which applicants get the tax credits will be made by the California Competes Tax Credit Committee at a meeting on Nov. 10. The state, along with economic development groups, hosted a series of workshops to help businesses understand the application process. The tax credits are awarded on a

CVBJ

FLORISTS Continued from Page 30

tential hole in the business model. Customers can choose to forgo the middleman and contact the florist directly for an order because all of the information is readily available to them. “It happens,” Sykes admitted. To combat it, she said BloomNation offers services to its florists such as free websites and marketing assistance. When florists accept those services, BloomNation adds a “powered by BloomNation” stamp to their online shopping carts. It automatically subtracts 10 percent from orders made through the site. Florists, however, are not required to accept those services when they sign up. The floral industry as a whole has faced increased competition from grocery stores which offer lower prices. There is also the constant rise in product cost, according to Reynolds. While her shop used to do 40-50 daily orders, now she said they are happy to do 10. Most business comes from weddings and funerals. “It’s definitely changing with all these online services,” Downing said of the floral industry. Her business opened in 1943. “We’ve been in business for a long time so we have a pretty good customer base but as a whole, the industry is [shrinking] a bit.” “You know these guys think these things up in their offices but they’re not here in the real world,” Reynolds said. The founders of BloomNation have been open about their lack of experience in the floral market prior to opening. Awesome Blossoms in Tracy is the only Central Valley florist selling through BloomNation as of press time. “Central Valley is an area we do want to really start branching out in,” Sykes said. “They have a big market share,” Downing said of BloomNation. “We’d like to be a part of that.”

competitive basis. When applying, businesses indicate how many new positions they will create over the next five years. Businesses that are awarded tax credits get to claim portions of them as they reach their hiring milestones. “If they achieve all of their milestones, then they receive the full amount of tax credits that they were awarded,” said Scott Dosick of GO-

Biz said during a workshop in Stockton in June. Last fiscal year, GO-Biz allocated approximately $150 million to 212 companies. Those companies are projected to create over 29,400 jobs and make over $7.1 billion in investments. Since its start in June 2014, GO-Biz has given approximately $180 million to 241 companies. Those wanting more information

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City Council gives fee plan closer scrutiny STOCKTON — Mayor Anthony Silva had hoped to fast-track a proposal to reduce development fees and spark job creation. Instead, the plan he sponsored will be considered at a council study session in September, which will give members an opportunity to look more closely at the impact of fee reductions. John Beckman, CEO of the Building Industry Association of the Greater Valley, presented the plan at the Aug. 18 City Council meeting. The plan calls for the following provisions: • Reducing fees that pay for public facilities by $17,000 on each of 1,000 new homes in Stockton. • The total reduction in fees would be $22 million over three years. • Fifty units would be reserved for each of the six City Council districts. • 60 percent of the workers hired to build new housing would have to live within 50 miles of downtown Stockton. • Plan would expire in three years. “The fact that they didn’t say, ‘Well, let’s not discuss it anymore,’ I’m glad they didn’t do that. That would have been horrible,” said Beckman. “I was hoping they would say ‘Let’s discuss this again in two weeks.’ They said ‘Let’s discuss this again in less than 30 days.’” Stockton has been criticized by developers for having the highest building fees in the county. Silva said reducing fees would remove a barrier he believes is holding back development and job creation. “The bottom line is every city in this county is building again except for Stockton,” Silva said. While Council members and com-

munity leaders at Tuesday’s council meeting said they were generally in favor of new building, many had questions about the plan’s details. Tom Amato of People and Congregations Together wondered if reduced fees would result in less infrastructure. “I’m not against growth,” he said. “But what kind of growth do you want?” Former City Councilman Ralph Lee White said the committee working on the plan had not met with the black community. He believes the plan should focus more on vacant lots in Stockton, which would have a broader impact. “If you put new houses on a vacant lot, the house next door will pick up a little bit,” White said. Councilman Moses Zapien said the plan lacked detail and that it doesn’t do enough to diversify housing stock. He also said it wasn’t clear how services for new areas would be paid for if fees were reduced. “The public is right to be concerned,” Zapien. Councilman Elbert Holman called the conversation “healthy,” but said it needed to be more inclusive. He also said that any move to reduce fees so soon after emerging from bankruptcy should be approached “prudently.” In the end, it was Silva himself who moved to send the issue to a study session that would be scheduled within 30 days. That motion passed 6-0 with Councilman Michael Tubbs absent. A separate motion to reduce processing fees on development permits proved less controversial and passed Aug. 18. That will result in a 24 percent cut of those fees, or $1.27 million.

September 2015

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Looking for leaders among the candidates As Americans, it is our obligation to carefully select the leaders of this great country, from local school boards and city councils to state legislators, governors and representatives in the U.S. Congress. We have no greater responsibility than to choose an exceptional leader for president of the United States. That person will guide our country for four, and most Peter Johnson likely eight years. Pacific - Eberhardt He or she will be School of Business our representative to the rest of the world, will recommend a budget in the neighborhood of $4 trillion and oversee at least 4.2 million federal workers — including the world’s largest military. In working with organizations it never ceases to amaze me how many dysfunctional teams and poor leaders fill the ranks of businesses. Successful leaders possess several skills, two of which rise immediately to the top: clear vision and the ability to collaborate. With a great leader comes a clear vi-

Clear Vision

sion as well as an exceptional ability to communicate that vision. It is that vision that creates passion in people. Leaders who run corporations, non-profits, family firms and other organizations have the ultimate power to command and control. They know exactly what is needed to be successful, and they may employ all sorts of techniques to persuade their teams to get onboard. However, at the end of the day these leaders have the authority to say, “Just do it!” In contrast, with leaders in elected positions another critical factor comes in to play: collaboration. Collaboration is key in an environment where a single individual doesn’t have the authority to make a decision that is unchecked. Effective elected leaders know how to bring different points of view together and create a solution that works for all involved. The major challenge in Washington D.C. today is that our elected officials have become polarized and have forgotten the collaboration element of leadership. In the past, collaboration and crossing the aisle was the way to get things accomplished. In fact, during the 1980s each party voted along party line just over 60 percent of the time, but today the major political parties vote party line more than 90 percent of the time.

As I write this article, Donald Trump is the front runner on the Republican side in the campaign for the 2016 presidential election. By the time you read this he may still be leading or may already be yesterday’s news – that’s politics. This article is not meant to either support or oppose Trump, but to provide a scorecard to help objectively evaluate the candidates. Since Trump has had more TV news coverage than the other 15 Republican candidates combined, we’ve gotten a brief look at his vision, his communication style and his ability to collaborate. These may be insights into how effective he might be as president. So what traits does Donald Trump demonstrate? Trump does have a vision about which he is extremely passionate and that passion is contagious. People seem to love or hate “The Donald.” He has the ability to excite and to move his constituents to action. The Trump rally in Mobile, Alabama brought out 30,000 people on a hot, humid day. Trump does communicate his vision, and in fact, seems rarely afraid to say what’s on his mind, regardless of how it may sound or whether it is meets the standards of political correctness. One of the biggest criticisms of leaders is they

Our elected officials have become polarized and have forgotten the collaboration element of leadership.

waffle on their answers. Not Trump. He might even double down on a questionable comment. In terms of Trump’s ability to work with others, he often uses the term “I” rather than “we.” Best practices would be to use “we” when talking about vision and direction and use “I” when talking about failures and below par performance or results. Although Trump does verbalize what many Americans are feeling (albeit not always in the most correct or productive manner), and he is able to create passion in people (both good and bad), his collaboration skills may leave something to be desired. – 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

September 2015

Modesto’s Parks Printing expands, rebrands Company changes name to Parks Group to reflect broad services By CRAIG W. ANDERSON Business Journal writer canderson@cvbizjournal.com

MODESTO — Frank Parks knew his brand as a printing company needed to change, and that it was time to let people know that his firm, Parks Printing, does more than just printing. Late last fall, the 40-year-old company that began as a small, quick printing business changed its name. It became The Parks Group and expanded its business approach. “We’ve been Frank Parks branded as ‘just’ printers for more than 35 years,” said Parks, the company’s president, “But we do a lot more than printing and as a group customers ask ‘What do you do?’ and we tell them.” The newly branded company is, he said, a one-stop support system for customers — in effect, an “extension of their company.” The Parks Group has invested in technologies and staff to expand far beyond traditional printing work. With 40 employees and a 22,000-square-foot facility headquartered in Modesto, the company provides everything in-house: printing and bindery, creative service support, branded merchandise, mailing, fulfillment and warehousing. Its newest addition: wide format printing. “Wide format printing allows us to print directly to a variety of substrates [surfaces] up to 80 inches wide and 2 inches thick,” Parks said. “With the wide format computer system we can dial in the information to print and use our shape cutter to create a display that exactly matches the brochures and other materials in overall

image continuity. This has opened up a new revenue stream for us.” Parks began contemplating the changes his company would have to make back when the economy tanked in 2008. “We’d been committed to diversification then with direct mail, digital printing, direct marketing and more because to maintain our success, we had to do many different jobs beyond our printing,” Parks said. The company also had a built-in benefit: it is a family business. Parks is second-generation printer in an industry he said is “unique” in that there are still many private, owner-operated print shops in the Central Valley. Parks has a large staff of project managers, department managers, skilled operators, designers, production and warehouse personnel, all well versed in the newest technologies of every aspect of printing and ancillary services. The Stockton sales office is bringing in clients outside of Stanislaus County. Parks said technology is both bane and benefit to the business. “Technology changes rapidly. New equipment is very expensive, but as the business has evolved, we’ve had to evolve too if we wanted to stay in business,” Parks said. “Although we struggled for a while it became obvious that, in this industry, you must have a niche, a service level that will bring in new customers and retain your old and current ones.” And despite the vast advances in technology, Parks said the printing business retains its owner’s hands-on business tradition. “In this industry we’ve seen attrition, acquisition and consolidation and now it seems to have stabilized, but the image of the owner-printer has remained solid,” Parks said. During the recession that affected both provider and customer alike, Parks said clients stayed with his

Wide-format printers at the Parks Group.

ALL PHOTOS: PHILIP JOHNSON/CVBJ

Employee Isidro Molina checks the quality of a fold on a project.

company during challenging times because Parks never compromised either quality or service. “People recognize quality work and in this business you get what you pay for,” said Parks. “Our customers are people who appreciate quality work and fast service and for the most part they’ve been loyal.” “The bank has been using Parks services over the last several years,” said Bank of Stockton’s Vice President and Director of Marketing Angela Brusa. “The Parks Group accommodates our special and unique projects and has opened up a whole new area of what we can do with marketing.” Brusa said The Parks Group has created 3-D lobby counter cards and helped with out-of-the-box projects. All of it was done quickly, and she said the quality was good. “The Parks Group is very service oriented,” Brusa said. “I work with Jeff Wright, and he’s terrific.” Loyalty is driven in great part by the variety of services offered, including all elements of direct mail; variable data printing; creative services

including design, newsletters, social media management and more; and wide format printing. Parks uses non-solvent based inks, state-of-the-art printers that use less ink to do the same work as older printers and this contributes to less energy being used by The Parks Group. The company is also a member of the Forest Stewardship Council, a not-for-profit organization that promotes responsible management of the world’s forests.” “Business is good and I’m much less apprehensive now than I was last year,” said Parks. “You know, sometimes it’s a love-hate relationship but I still enjoy coming in to work every day.”

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September 2015

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Central Valley Business Journal

September 2015

When to challenge property tax assessments If you own real property in California, the local county tax collector sent you a property tax assessment notice that states the property’s valuation on which the future tax will be based. Each year this bill seems to increase a little more, but you begrudgingly pay it. Why? When you purchased your property, the county assessor’s office determined Richard Calone the value of the property from the Calone & Harrel Law Group sales price. That valuation is called the “base year value” and you will pay a 1 percent property tax on that value each year. In years after the purchase of the property, the county assessor’s office can increase the base year value to match inflation but not by more than 2 percent per year. So, if you bought the property for $100,000 and there is an inflation factor of 2 percent in the next year, your property’s adjusted base year value is $102,000. The property tax for the second year would be 1 percent of the adjusted base year value, or $1,020.

Taxing Matters

Institute for Family Business 209.946.2956 ifb@pacific.edu www.Pacific.edu/IFB

Sometimes your property tax bill may have even gone down. Under the California Constitution Amendment Prop 8 (1978), when a property suffers a major decline in value, the county assessor’s office may lower your property tax bill based on the reduced fair market value. That lower value tax bill will continue until property prices rise again up to the base year value without a 2 percent limitation. If your property is located in San Joaquin County you can file an Application for Changed Assessment with the Clerk of the Board before Nov. 30. You will then have an opportunity to argue your opinion of your property’s value. That argument needs to be supported by proper evidence. Typically that means an appraisal. If you do not agree with the assessor’s opinion, you may protest in this manner. The county assessor’s office is allowed to change the base value when the property or part of the property is sold, or there is new construction. If the real property is owned by a legal entity, such as a corporation, LLC or partnership, then the county can change the base value of real estate owned by the entity when someone new gains control of the entity or more than 50 percent of the original company ownership changes hands. You are required to file a form with the State Board of Equalization,

BOE100-B, within 90 days. Failure to do so makes you vulnerable to a penalty of 20 percent of the assessed value. When this happens, the county will send out a notice to the entity that states they are changing the base value of the property owned by the entity and assessing a supplemental property tax from the date of transfer. If you feel the valuation is not the fair market value of the property or there was no event that would cause a reassessment, you can appeal the tax bill to the county assessor and then to the county assessment appeals board. There you can present evidence of valuation or argue why the property did not change hands. You have 60 days from the date of the notice to file an Application for Changed Assessment with the Clerk of the Board, San Joaquin County. The county may also send out a tax bill known as an escape tax assessment. This occurs because some event happened that increased the base value of your property but the county did not immediately issue a tax bill or you did not inform the county about the change. Years may have passed from the taxable event before the county sends out an escape tax assessment. That bill is usually large, as several years of property taxes are lumped together with interest. Those bills are appealable as well,

if you think the county is wrong. Simply follow the above procedure within 60 days of the notice. San Joaquin County is currently working through the changes from 2009. In some instances, the county may assess escape tax bills for more than a decade worth of tax years. This may happen if the owner of a company that owns land dies and the children inherit the property, but the county was not informed of the change in ownership. To prevent this escape tax assessment, the children must file Form BOE-100-B with the Board of Equalization at the County-Assessed Properties Division within 90 days of the initial transfer, which did not happen. However, if no Form BOE-100-B is filed, then the county has the ability to retroactively assess tax for all years from the date of the change in ownership. It is crucial to file appeals on time. If you file the application late, it will be rejected and you will be denied your hearing. You will not be able to re-file the appeal or file a lawsuit in a California Superior Court as you must first exhaust your administrative remedies before a lawsuit can be filed and the timeline passed. – Richard S. Calone is a partner at Calone & Harrel Law Group, LLP. He is a certified specialist in taxation. Mr. Calone may be reached at rsc@caloneandharrel.com.

September 2015

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Good customer service starts with names “Hey, Teacher!” That’s all I said, and I don’t think I was speaking unkindly. But my mean, cranky substitute kindergarten teacher glared back at me with a terrifying scowl and snarled back, “My name is not ‘Hey Teacher’!” And that was it. We didn’t work on learning her real name. Apparently that wasn’t important to her. John Parker She was one Professional of those anti-heDevelopment roes. You know, Adventures the person we do not want to be like? Thankfully, her shock-therapy may have sparked the light bulb moment when my desire to call people by their names got illuminated. I feel badly about the “Hey Teacher!” thing, but I was working at a disadvantage. I was only 5 and I hadn’t taken any Dale Carnegie training or read his classic customer service book, “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” published in 1937 and still popular.

Carnegie’s advice is “Remember, a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound — in any language” The Dale Carnegie websites seem to have heard about my miscreant behavior for they add, “One way Mr. Carnegie often showed his respect was by using names instead of the oftenoverused ‘Hey!’” So my crime is fully exposed and vilified! But “Hey!” I was just a kid! It’s handy to know what helps us remember names. I was leading a twoday workshop for SkillPath Seminars last month. On day two I managed to greet each person by name as they walked in. Someone asked how I did that. I responded that I am a visual learner and explained that once I saw everyone’s name on their name tent on day one their names stuck with me — at least overnight! My friends liked that I was going to write on this topic. One of them said, “Great idea, but warn your readers not to overdo the name thing!” That’s precisely why the “name thing” has been on my mind. A local business where I’m a regular customer is on a let’s-be-very-friendly jag. They practically throw ticker-tape at customers when they walk in. It

seems very contrived. I suspect their eager, new manager is behind it, and I sense the fear in the middle of it. Mandated, memorized and scripted customer service is easily pegged and hard to endure. Still, learning tips about using a customer’s name can be helpful if we adapt it individually and make it our own. Below are some ideas about using names. Feel free to share them with your own staff. Remember that using a customer’s name is good because: • It can personalize your interaction. • It can show the customer you care. • It can be lead to long-term relationships. “It can” implies possibility. These great results are activated with heartfelt desire, courageous effort and continuous practice. Some ideas to experiment with are: • Use the customer’s name sparingly. Using it appropriately once in each encounter may be more than enough. Overdoing it may be a turn-off. • Pronounce names correctly. Rather than pretending or avoiding, try slowing down, smiling and asking the other person to sound it out for you until they say you’ve got it. • Write down a difficult name — both the way it’s spelled and phonetically.

For Thai, also write Tie. For Jorge, also write Hor-hey. I’ve never seen anyone offended by this, and I’ve seen smiles of appreciation for my efforts. • If you bungle the name, forgive yourself. I have annoyed others by trying too hard and missing too many times. It may be better to let it go, quietly work on it and watch for a future opportunity. • Be more formal at first. Unless first names are clearly correct, start off with Mr. or Ms. You may want to ask along the way if it’s OK to keep calling them Mr. or Ms. and let them be the one to suggest something less formal. • Be careful about nicknames. James is Jim. Deborah is Debbie or Deb but don’t presume. That flips the other way too. My friend, Bob, says when he gets a voice mail saying “Hi, Robert,” he knows that person doesn’t have a clue. Hey Teacher and I parted ways after kindergarten. I’m glad she motivated me to call folks by name! Thank you, Ms. Teacher! “Say, Hey!” Let’s go play some more great customer service ball! – John Parker is the founder of Sealegs for Success workshops and an instructor for the UC Davis Center for Human Services. You can reach him at john@sealegsforsuccess.com.

The California Legislature is back in session! The legislature is considering a number of employment and labor-related bills which should be of interest to Central Valley business owners. The current legislative session is set to end on Sept. 11. While none of the bills summarized below have become law yet, it is likely that some will make it to the governor and be signed. Government regulation of the privatesector workplace is here to stay, and the number of such regulations grows every year. This column provides an overview of the most significant pending bills which will further regulate Central Valley workplaces. As always, this column does not substitute for the advice of legal counsel. The following bills are of particular interest to California private sector employers: • SB 3 would increase the California statewide minimum wage, set future increases (decreases not permitted) to a specified economic index and allow cities and counties to have their own minimum wages, as long as it’s higher. • AB 465 would prohibit binding pre-dispute arbitration agreements as a condition of hiring or continued employment. • SB 406 would expand the application of the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) to include employers of 25 or more employees (down from current application of 50 or more employ-

ees) and would expand other provisions regarding the CFRA’s scope. • AB 1509 would extend current employment retaliation protections to an employee who is a family member of a person who engaged in, or is perceived to have engaged in, legally protected conduct. • SB 358 would expand the bas- Bruce Sarchet Attorney, Littler es upon which Mendelson Law Firm an employee could file a private right of action under California’s equal pay act, would place the burden of proof on the employer to justify any gender-based salary differentials and would allow employees to disclose their wages to investigate a possible equal pay act claim. • AB 1017 would prohibit employers from requesting an applicant’s salary history information. • AB 1506 would, under the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA), provide an employer with the right to cure a violation of failing to provide employees with a wage statement containing the inclusive dates of the pay

period and the name and address of the legal entity that is the employer. • SB 667 would extend the duration of the state’s disability benefit period from 14 to 60 days. • SB 579 would expand the authorized reasons for which an employee can take job-protected time off from work under the Family School Partnership Act and amend specified “kin care” sick leave provisions. • AB 622 would expand the definition of an unlawful employment practice to prohibit an employer from using the E-Verify system when not required by federal law to check the employment authorization status of an existing employee or an applicant who has not received an offer of employment. It would also provide for a civil penalty of $10,000 for each violation. • AB 676 would prohibit an employer from discriminating against prospective job applicants on the basis of employment status. In addition, it would

institute a civil penalty against an employer that discriminates against unemployed job applicants. Central Valley employers who wish to keep informed as these bills work their way through the legislature can obtain information from a variety of sources, including Littler Mendelson’s Workplace Policy Institute: www. littler.com/products-and-services/ workplace-policy-institute. Employers interested in advocacy can contact their local Chamber of Commerce or other local business group, as well as local chapters of the Society for Human Resources Management. Copies of all bills, committee, and floor reports, and other information can be found at leginfo.legislature. ca.gov. – 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.

At Your Service

Legislature considers employment bills

Human Element

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SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

BRIEFS Gutierrez elected vice-chair of state Hispanic Chambers of Commerce Board SACRAMENTO — The California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce (CHCC) elected San Joaquin County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (SJCHCC) President-elect Bob Gutierrez, as vice-chairman of the Board and Frank Montes from the Greater Riverside Hispanic Chamber of Commerce as board chairman. The membership voted on the positions on Friday, Aug. 21. More than 124 delegates, representing 35 Chambers throughout the state, took part Gutierrez in the annual election. Gutierrez has served as director for the Central California region for CHCC for the last year and and decided to run for vice chairman to “expand my service to advocate for Hispanic businesses statewide in a way that will encourage the participation of our local Chambers to influence our legislators throughout California and unite our organization on a state and national platform.”

Visionary Home Builders gets grant to boost home ownership STOCKTON — The Bank of America Charitable Foundation gave Visionary Home Builders a $90,000 grant as part of the company’s commitment to boosting home ownership. The grant will be used to give 570 people housing counseling and help them become first-time home buyers. The money will also help 850 people get foreclosure prevention assistance and 77 united of affordable housing will be rehabilitated. Visionary Home Builders will also provide financial management and wealth building services to 1,130 people. The grant is aimed at helping people in the Central Valley achieve home ownership and learn skills needed to be successful home owners. For further information on programs offered by Visionary Home Builders or the grant received please contact 209-466-6811 or visit www.visionaryhomesbuilders.org.

Lodi doctor honored by Adventist Health LODI — Dr. Jorge Oceguera of Lodi Health has been awarded the 2015 Physician of the Year Mission Award by parent company Adventist Health. In awarding the honor, the company specifically mentioned Oceguera’s positive attitude and focus to Lodi Health Physicians Galt Family Specialty Care and the fact that he mentors his staff, encourages teamwork and assures patients are pleased with their experience. “You will often see Dr. O in the background living as an example we are all fond of in this journey of

life,” said Executive Director of Physician’s Administration Pam Schneider. “He is compassionate, caring and understands the ‘whole-person care’ philosophy.” Lodi Health became part of Adventist Health earlier this year. The company has a total workforce of 31,000, 20 hospitals, more than 275 clinics, 15 home care agencies, seven hospice agencies and four jointventure retirement centers.

September 2015

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STANISLAUS COUNTY

BRIEFS Oceguera

Health Plan of San Joaquin names new marketing director FRENCH CAMP — Jennifer Medina has been appointed director of marketing for Health Plan of San Joaquin. Medina was promoted from her position as marketing communications manager and will oversee creative and marketing services, outreach, enrollment and member engagement efforts, and digital media for the public health plan serving San Joaquin and Stanislaus County Medi-Cal recipients. “Health Plan of San Joaquin has a long-standing commitment to our local communities. I bring a deep understanding of our community needs and lead our marketing team with new and traditional strategies that continue to yield measurable results,” she said. “HPSJ’s membership is now at 315,000 – a third of that growth since the Affordable Care Act implementation in January 2014. We now are the top Medi-Cal managed care provider for Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties.” Medina started with HPSJ in 1998. She is a lifelong resident in the Stockton area. She and her husband, Daniel, are raising two daughters in Stockton. A third daughter is serving in Japan with the U.S. Armed Forces.

Lodi surgeon joins Gould Medical Group LODI — Orthopedic surgeon Tom McKenzie joined Gould Medical Group Aug. 3. “Our organization has been working diligently to expand specialty care services to our patients in Lodi,” said Sutter Gould Medical Foundation CEO Gary Zufelt. “With Dr. McKenzie joining Gould Medical Group, this marks another step forward to develop expanded specialty services for this community. We couldn’t be more pleased.” McKenzie McKenzie is a member of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine. He specializes in arthroscopic and reconstructive surgery for knees and shoulders, and performs minimally invasive hip replacement surgery. “Being a part of the Sutter Health network offers many benefits, including a state-of-the-art electronic health record system and a collaborative, cooperative culture, all geared toward providing patients the best care,” McKenzie said. McKenzie will continue to see Lodi area residents and Sutter Gould Medical Foundation patients at his office at 924 S. Fairmont Ave.

Oak Valley Bancorp buys Mother Lode Bank OAKDALE — Oak Valley Bank and Mother Lode Bank will be owned by the same company soon. Oak Valley Bancorp, the holding company for Oak Valley Community Bank and Eastern Sierra Community Bank, announced Aug. 26 that it has reached an agreement to acquire the Sonora bank. The sale is expected to close by the end of the year. Under the terms of the agreement, Oak Valley Bancorrp will acquire all of the outstanding common stock of Mother Lode Bank for $7.3 million in cash, or $1.65 per share of common stock. Upon completion of the sale, Mother Lode Bank Director Randolph Holder is expected to join the Board of Directors for Oak Valley Bancorp and Oak Valley Community Bank. “Mother Lode Bank is a natural fit for Oak Valley Community Bank’s service culture,” Chris Courtney, president and CEO of Oak Valley Community Bank said in a release. “We are committed to serving Sonora and the surrounding foothill communities and we intend to continue to serve Mother Lode’s customers from Oak Valley’s branch network, including our new Sonora branch which is scheduled to open in December 2015.” The sale is still subject to regulatory approvals.

Turlock student wins scholarship for sustainability project TURLOCK — A Turlock student placed third in a nationwide environmental competition and will receive a $4,000 scholarship. Kylie Upthegrove placed third by participating in a month-long research project that studied metal contaminates in Montana waterways and how they may be affecting local wildlife. She is one of six students who will receive a scholarship from the Evergreen Packaging Student Sustainability Leadership Scholarship Program. That program is open to college and high school students who have a parent employed by Evergreen Packaging. “Promoting a positive future for people and the planet is a major focus at Evergreen Packaging, and we believe encouraging our youth to do great things in their communities is critical to that goal,” said Evergreen Packaging President and CEO John Rooney.

Dust Bowl signs new distributor TURLOCK — Dust Bowl Brewing Company has added Richmond-based Bay Area Distributing Co. to its distribution network. Bay Area Distributing specializes in a unique mix of craft beer, cider and non-alcoholic beverages. It is the fifth company that has signed on to distribute Dust Bowl craft beers. Dust Bowl had been distributing its product in the Bay Area itself since 2010. “We’d been servicing this market on our own,

September 2015

but with the new brewery and increased production on the horizon, we believed the time was right to solidify a formal distribution partner,” said Dust Bowl founder, Brett Tate. “Bay Area Distributing will build upon our existing customer base and increase our presence in the East Bay.” Dust Bowl Brewing Co. currently produces a wide range of draft beer along with three yearround bottled products and several bottled seasonal offerings. The company plans a large portfolio expansion in early 2016 once its new brewery is operational. Dust Bowl Brewing Co. broke ground on the new facility in Turlock in April.

Modesto-based tech services firm makes Inc. 500 list MODESTO — Modesto-based Principal Service Solutions (PSS), has been named to Inc. magazine’s list of the 500 fastest-growing private companies in the United States. PSS ranked 289 among U.S. independent entrepreneurial businesses. “It is an incredible honor to be named for the first time to the Inc. 500 list,” said CEO Tim Wylie. “Recognition of this magnitude not only validates the need for customizable, highly-skilled technical workforce alternatives, but substantiates the strength of our technical workforce development platform.” The 2015 Inc. 500 list of fastest growing companies is ranked according to the percentage revenue growth rate when comparing 2011 to 2014. Between 2011 and 2014, PSS increased revenue by 1580 percent while growing its fundamental technical employee base to more than 200 employees, the company said. PSS was formed in 2010 as a partner in technical services and workforce development for semiconductor, solar and related high-tech manufacturing industries.

Datapath ranks on Inc. 5000 list MODESTO — Datapath has been named to the 2015 Inc. 5000 list of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies for the fifth year in a row. “We are one of very few businesses in our region to make the Inc. 5000 list and one of even fewer companies in the country to celebrate this honor for five consecutive years,” Datapath Director of Operations Max Rosemire. Datapath is a Modesto-based technology management company specializing in professional, cloud and managed IT services. Datapath ranked at 2,827 on this year’s Top 5000 list, and continues to rank highly among IT Service providers, historically the fastest-growing segment. The 2015 Inc. 5000 list measures revenue growth from 2011 through 2014, with average annual growth for 2014 coming in at 141 percent, according to Inc. To qualify, companies must be U.S. based, privately held, and have had at least $100,000 in revenue in 2011, and $2 million in 2014.

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MERCED COUNTY

Castle Air Museum to host Open Cockpit Day

BRIEFS UC Merced celebrates first decade MERCED — In 10 years, UC Merced has grown from a small 875-student campus to a school that now teaches 6,600 students. “We’re energized every day by the mounting evidence that our mission here in the Valley is making a positive difference,” UC Merced Chancellor Dorothy Leland said. said in a press release. “We begin the new year with excellent momentum, an exceptional team of faculty and staff, our largest student body to date, and an optimistic outlook for the next major phase of campus development.” When UC Merced opened in 2005, was the first new UC campus in nearly 40 years and the first ever in the San Joaquin Valley. In the last 10 years, UC Merced has led to an estimated $1.3 billion in regional economic investment ($2.5 billion statewide), thousands of new jobs, research expenditures in excess of $180 million, a doubling in applications to the UC system from Valley students and more than 4,000 new graduates. UC Merced is embarking on a $1 billion expansion proposal and a strategic plan.

Business start-up workshop set for Sept. 16 MERCED — If you’ve thought of owning your own business, you can find out more about what it takes at a workshop presented by the Stanislaus Business Alliance and the Small Business Development Center at UC Merced. The two-hour workshop introduces the entrepreneur to the basics of starting a new business by asking basic questions about the viability of ideas, financing options, how to fill out a business plan and the risks and requirements of a new business. This workshop is intended for the budding entrepreneur who has a rough idea for a business model. The workshop is from 6 p.m.-8 p.m., Sept. 16 at 1735 M St. in Merced.

International Export and Domestic Trade Fair set for Sept. 30 MERCED — The Greater Merced Chamber of Commerce is hosting the International Export and Domestic Trade Fair Sept 30. There will be 50 vendors on-site with food and wine samplings. There will also be trade forums with new speakers and topics every 30 minutes. www.firstchoiceservices.com The fair will be open 209.467.4426 from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. at the Merced County Fairgrounds.

ATWATER — Airplane buffs can get an up-close look at Castle Air Museum’s planes as the museum hosts its Open Cockpit Day Sept. 6. Dozens of historic aircraft will open for viewing. There will also be helicopter rides available. The museum is also offering tours of the former Presidential Aircraft used by six former presidential administrations for an additional $10 per person Admission is $14 for adults, $35 for families, $8 for seniors over 60 and $5 for children between 6 and 17 years old. Children 5 and under and active duty military personnel are free.

Los Banos Chamber hosts annual street faire LOS BANOS — The Los Banos Chamber of Commerce celebrating fall. It’s lining 6th Street with vendors of all kinds. There will be music and karaoke as well as dance and fitness demonstrations. And of course, food. The street faire is 8 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 19.

Children to learn about ag at FARM2U Day MERCED — Third-graders from Merced County will participate FARM2U Day on Oct. 8, when they will have a chance to learn firsthand about Merced County’s agriculture industry and the benefits of making healthy eating choices. The purpose is to make kids aware of the importance of agriculture in their daily lives. Businesses can become presenters at this year’s event. Subject areas include livestock producers, plant producers, processors, and health and nutrition. The Farm Bureau is also looking for volunteers and sponsors. Anyone interested in participating can contact the Farm Bureau at 209-723-3001 or emailing bramos@mercedfarmbureau.org.

Central Valley Business Journal

CVBJ

September 2015

RADIOLOGY Continued from Page 38

Is your money in a bind? • Tax Litigation (and Controversies) • Tax Planning to avoid Controversies • Estate and Wealth Management Planning • Post Mortem Estate and Trust Administration • Trust and Estate Litigation • Business and Commercial Transactions • Real Estate Law/Exchanges • Bankruptcy Planning and Filing

review and evaluation. Its findings are reported to the ACR Committee on Radiation Oncology Accreditation. “This isn’t a rubber stamp, and it requires many months to complete,” Farley said. “There is no automatic renewal. Facilities must go through everything again.” Since the program’s founding in 1987, more than 35,000 accreditations — each lasting three years — have been awarded. “Our program is the oldest and most recognized across the country — the gold standard, if you will,” said Farley. “There’s no federal law requiring accreditation. This voluntary accreditation is strict and supported by the medical profession.” California has 33 ACR accredited radiation oncology offices across the state with at least four in the Central Valley, Farley said. “We’re honored that the ACR recognized our dedication to patient care and awarded our center this accreditation,” said Modesto oncologist Dr. Peter K. Sien. “That [accreditation] means the patient treatment in our office is up to the standard set by our national organization.” Sien, a board-certified radiation oncologist with 35 years of clinical experience, said the accreditation of ‘academic quality care’ means that quality of care is as good as the university health care centers. St. Teresa Comprehensive Cancer Center in Stockton received its ACR accreditation in June. It is the only ACR accredited facility in the city. “It’s a great thing to have,” said Dr. Dan Vongtmama, who treats patients at St. Teresa. “After all, we’re dealing with people who’ve had a diagnosis and the experience of cancer, and we don’t want to add anything negative to their situation.” Vongtmama runs the practice with his father. He said the Center’s goal is to personalize cancer care specifically to meet a patient’s needs. “Helping patients going through their cancer journey, working with my father, and dealing with patients as unique individuals provide great satisfaction,” he said. “And the fact that my patients don’t have to travel out of

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This isn’t a rubber stamp, and it requires many months to complete. Shawn Farley American College of Radiology

town to receive treatments at the highest level is also satisfying.” Both St. Teresa Comprehensive Cancer Center and Dr. Sien’s practice are members in 21st Century Oncology, the largest global, physician-led provider of integrated cancer care services. Dr. Travers McLaughlin, radiation oncologist for the Ben Schaffer Cancer Institute in Lodi agreed with Dr. Sien and Dr. Vongtmama regarding what the accreditation means to his patients. “People have assurance that we’re state of the art with rigorous standards when it comes to their treatment.” Ben Schaffer’s linear accelerator and other equipment delivers the maximum radiation to the cancer and the minimum amount to good tissue; image guidance delivers dosages more accurately; and a method of delivery for lung cancer adjusts to the lung’s movement for an extremely accurate targeting of the cancer – it can also be used for breast cancer. McLaughlin has been in the business 10 years. “We have a good interaction with our patients and maintain a nurturing environment in the Institute where they’re getting the best treatment,” he said. “They can get their treatment here, in Lodi.” Ben Schaffer Cancer Institute is a member of the Oncure Medical Corp. national network of cancer treatment centers. Despite the various challenges Sien said, “Our philosophy is not turning patients away, no matter what kind of economic status they’re in. We strive to provide the most affordable care for all patients, as long as we are paying our expenses. [But] if we cannot pay the rent, we have to close the shop.”

COMMUNITY VOICES Continued from Page 35

A long-term track record is useful to study. It’s certainly true that, as you have no doubt heard, “past performance is no guarantee of future results.” But it’s nonetheless valuable to know how a particular stock, for example, has performed in various economic environments. If it seems to have done well relative to others in its industry and over long periods of time, that may give you a good idea of its quality. It’s never easy to take all the emotions out of investing, especially during periods of market volatility. After

all, you count on your investments to help provide you with the type of future you’ve envisioned. But by focusing on the fundamentals, putting together an appropriate investment mix and constantly looking for quality, you can help “de-stress” yourself — and, as the American poet, novelist and historian J.G. Holland once said, “Calmness is the cradle of power.” –Charles Baker is senior vice president and portfolio manager for Bank of the West. He can be reached at charles.baker@bankofthewest.com.

September 2015

Anandpur Express 3353 Dewar Lane Turlock, Ca 95382 Singh, Gurinderpal Anne Nepo Wellness Spa 1705 Coffee Rd Ste 2 Modesto, Ca 95355 Nepomuceno, Nhean

Church’s Chicken 947 110 E Charter Way Stockton, Ca 95206 H & R Foods Inc

LEGALS Fictitious Business Names Fairchild Backhoe Service 11222 E Fairchild Rd Stockton, Ca 95215 Ghio Joseph El Forestero 522 N Wilson Way Stockton, Ca 95205 Audelio Yanez Tovanche Yanez Jorge Pacific Heart & Vascular Medical Group 1801 E March Ln #Dyoo Stockton, Ca 95210 Stenzler Lee Michael Primack Daren Stephen Bains Suchdeep Singh Code Blue Cpr Training 8962 Terra Carvo Stockton, Ca 95212 Watkins Nathaniel B Sb Trucking|S B Trucking 17367 Stone Cellar Way Lathrop, Ca 95330 Singh Sukhdeep Cook’s Printing 226 W Pine St Lodi, Ca 95240 Floyd Jacqueline D Brumley Walter E Paskett Winery Llc 1160 Lucas Rd Lodi, Ca 95242 Paskett Winery Llc Gold Bar Books & Kollectiv Apparel 2715 W Kettleman Lane Suite 203 308

United By Blue 643 W Antigua Terrace Mountain House, Ca 95391 Law Enforcement Family Support Al’s Towing 26457 S Banta Rd Tracy, Ca 95304 Sandoval Sergio Ravelo Digital Lister 94 West Castle, Ste A Stockton, Ca 95204 Sharp William Life Saving Lessons 6507 Pacific Avenue 114 Stockton, Ca 95207 Rangel Vanessa M Rangel Maria E J & S Seafood 122 Machado Ct Tracy, Ca 95376 Zunun Felipe R Cortez Heidi Lodi Cuts 413 Park St Lodi, Ca 95240 Yim Pisey Inner Strength Warrior Elite|Inner Strength-Warrior Elite 20563 Paradise Rd Tracy, Ca 95304 Ocon Roberto J & M Icf Ddh Home Inc 1905 Amberwood Ct Stockton, Ca 95207 J & M Icf Ddh Home, Inc. Spot Pros Carpet Cleaning 1418 Middlefield Ave Stockton, Ca 95204 Karle Shayne Priority Lube 5175 Tudor Rose Glen Rd Stockton, Ca 95212 Reyes Roberto Tibi

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Orchard & Vineyard Consulting By Chris 2524 Winchester St Ste #8 Lodi, Ca 95240 Woodrome Christian Benjyman

Akamai Medical Transport Llc 1376 San Miguel Way Merced, Ca 95340 Akamai Medical Transport, Llc

Incorporated

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Lodi, Ca 95242 Delasnieves Joseph Delasnieves Laura

SJ COUNTY

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Meza Bros, Inc 2657 Pacheco Blvd Los Banos, Ca 93635 Meza Bros, Inc FLC Real Estate 710 West 18th Street, #2 Merced, Ca 95340 Debra Anderson

Aschwanden Hay 6437 Levine Road Turlock, Ca 95380 Al’s Farm Services, Inc

STANISLAUS COUNTY

LEGALS Fictitious Business Names A & K Towing Service 1428 Prospect Ln Modesto, Ca 95355 Marquez, Jose Guadalupe A Cut Above Painting 1315 Cindy Dr Oakdale, Ca 95361 Ranuio, Bryn Michael A Personal Touch 9025 Rodden Rd Oakdale, Ca 95361 Carter, Paula C Advanced Massage 3848 Mchenry Ave #120 Modesto, Ca 95356 Guan, Cuiling All In One Entertainment 3825 Pan Am Drive #1 Modesto, Ca 95356 Duncan, Kimahni Romel

At&T Authorized Retailer #1500 1809 Mchenry Avenue, Suite #A Modesto, Ca 95350 Spring Communications Holding, Inc. Which B O Towing 1331 Paulson Rd Turlock, Ca 95380 Soto, Oscar Alcauter Perez, Jose H Bay To Valley Appliance Repair 1267 Old Timbell Rd Waterford, Ca 95386 Scott, Raymond W Big Time Graphics 11336 Walnut Ave Oakdale, Ca 95361 Goodson, Michael Bill’s Safe & Lock 2318 Carol St Modesto, Ca 95354 Townsend, Edward Townsend, Kristi Birch Tree Homes 1324 “G” Street Modesto, Ca 95354 Investor’s West Llc C & T Appraisal 4837 Faith Home Road #37 Ceres, Ca 95307 Villanueva, Carlos

All In One Service 301 Strands Court Newman, Ca 95360 Gray, Jasper L

California Windows And Doors 600 Cameron Way Modesto, Ca 95357 Rosas, Jose

All In One Transportation 3825 Pan Am Drive #1 Modesto, Ca 95356 Duncan, Kimahni Romel

Cammie’s Cruiser 7172 Richardson Rd Oakdale, Ca 95361 Nelson, John Nelson, Camille

Am Road Service 722 Bennett Valley Ct Newman, Ca 95360 Magdaleno, Adrian

Cbs Solar 1220 Reno Ave Ste H Modesto, Ca 95351 California Building Sturctures Inc

American Seals West 3924 Starlite Dr., Bldg B Ceres, Ca 95307 Mcmillan-Hendryx

Cen-Cal Auto Sales 209 W Hatch Rd Ste B Modesto, Ca 95351 Khan, Nasir

MERCED COUNTY

LEGALS Fictitious Business Names

S&S Country Store 24030 William Avenue Hilmar, Ca 95324 David A. Silva The Heritage Management Group 755 East Yosemite Avenue, Suite J Merced, Ca 95340 Warren W. Wainwright, Inc

Frame Tech Manufacturing 85 W. G Street, #D Los Banos, Ca 93635 Michael Loretto

Dhillon Bros. Express 895 Sandra Street Los Banos, Ca 93635 Ranvir Singh

ABT Inc 2073 Piro Drive Atwater, Ca 95301 Satwinder Singh Atwal

Davidson Metal Magic 2845 Station Avenue Atwater, Ca 95301 Matthew Davidson

Douglas Eck, Dirk Mous, and Leonard 374 West Olive Avenue, Suite B Merced, Ca 95340 Douglas Eck Dirk Mous Merced Pools 2680 Wisteria Court Merced, Ca 95340 Mark Torrence Dutch Door Dairy 3493 Bvd Road. Merced, Ca 95341 Jason Dores Simon Vander Woude Oscar Valdez Consulting 6494 West Highway 140 Atwater, Ca 95301 Oscar Valdez Fast And Affordable Divorces 1560 East Pacheco Blvd, Suite C Los Banos, Ca 95365 Brandy Adams G.P. Norton Co. 90 West Child Street Merced, Ca 95344 Hajcca Corporation

Sony Transportation 1703 E. Street Livingston, Ca 95334 Mauricio Molina Garcia Arne’s Acres 6765 Moran Avenue Atwater, Ca 85301 Arne Anderson Green Signs 3181 Forest Grove Court Atwater, Ca 95301 Luis F. Molina Federico D. Rincon F. Reed Painting 2848 Bedford Drive Merced, Ca 95340 Frank Reed Samuelson Consulting 1251 Reba Way Merced, Ca 95340 Brad Samuelson The Backyard Farmer 512 Jefferson Avenue Los Banos, Ca 93635 Michael Aspesi JL Trucking 312 North Santa Ana Street Los Banos, Ca 93635 Jose C. Lopez

Central Valley Business Journal

Roar welcomes Pacific students

ELIZABETH STEVENS/CVBJ

The University of the Pacific welcomed its new freshman class with its traditional Tiger Roar Saturday, Aug. 22. As freshman and new students left the new student convocation, they were cheered by upper classmen and showered with confetti. Roar was followed by the university’s welcome barbecue on Knoles Lawn. Pacific has about 1,000 freshmen and another 900 transfer and graduate students. The Roar tradition started at Pacific in 2003.

September 2015

Stockton Heat lays out schedule, promotions STOCKTON — The Stockton Heat hockey team will begin its inaugural AHL season, Oct. 10 with a home game against the Rockford Ice Hogs. The Heat, which replaced the Stockton Thunder as the team’s minor league hockey franchise, will also face San Jose on Thursday, Oct. 15 to close out its first home stand. The team, which is owned by the NHL’s Calgary Flames, will compete in the AHL, hockey’s equivalent of a Triple A league. The Heat will compete in the league’s Pacific Division and will play California teams Bakersfield, Ontario, San Diego and San Jose a total of 12 times each. The heat will also play Texas and San Antonio six times each. Stockton has three separate occasions in which they will play four games at home, their longest homestand of the season. The team’s busiest month of the season will be March when the Heat play 13 games. While the team’s name, ownership and league will change, the Heat will keep many of the Thunder’s most popular promotions. Hot Pink 1 will help benefit St. Joseph’s Foundation–Breast Health Services, Nov. 6 and Nov. 7. We Paint the

Ice Night also returns during the first-ever Saturday matinee game on Jan. 2. The Teddy Bear Toss, will return Jan. 23. The environmentally friendly Covanta Easy Being Green event will take place on April 9 and 10. The final home game of the season on April 16 will be a chance for fans to thank all those who have served or who are currently serving the United States during Military Appreciation Night. Popular giveaways are also set to come back with three separate nights that children 12 years old and younger will receive a Stockton Heat replica jersey (Nov. 21, Jan. 30 and Feb. 28). Adults 18 years and older will receive a t-shirt during the giveaway on Dec. 5 and a jersey giveaway of their own on March 12. Other giveaway items include additional bobblehead nights than in previous seasons, an equipment bag and a Heat lunchbox. For more information about the upcoming season, visit StocktonHeat. com for a complete list of promotions and giveaways.

September 2015

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See Our Progress Theresa

Customer Relationship Manager

“

Tracy residenT

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

”

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

together, Building a Better California

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

pge.com/SeeOurProgress

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

in the Central Valley

Central Valley Business Journal

September 2015