CORONA BUSINESS NEWS
Corona Shopping Centers Poised for Success/Change
VOL 6 | #2 MARCH/APRIL 2020
By Wes Speake
Small Business Week Reminds us to Celebrate Shop Local Initiatives
R
W
etail is changing; no doubt Amazon and other e-retailers have made an impact. Despite this, people still care about shopping as an experience. Now it is in the hands of retailers/centers to give people what they want. Oliver Chen, managing director, retail and luxury sector at Cowen and Company, says that retailers must give people something to do, then they will shop. But shopping can’t be the thing to do. Centers need to be convenient, curate relevance, and create a culture for the community. Retail, and more importantly the American Shopping Center, is NOT DEAD.
e are excited to announce this year’s National Small Business Week, May 3-9, 2020! For more than 50 years, the President of the United States has issued a proclamation announcing National Small Business Week, which recognizes the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners. More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and they create about two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year.
Corona has several wonderful shopping centers in various stages, from the brand new Metro at Main shops, to ones who have updated and evolved, including: North Main, former Kmart center that reinvented themselves with alternative uses (Crunch Fitness, Aldi ... Continued on page 15
Made in Corona: MCA Tile
As part of National Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration ... Continued on page 4
Corona 2020 Eliminates 500,000 Hours of Traffic EMPLOYMENT | HEALTH CARE | INFRASTRUCTURE
$7
million saved in lost economic opportunity saved by attracting 2,500 jobs to Corona Working locally to create more opportunity for you and your organization, the Corona
Chamber of Commerce is in the third year of its groundbreaking partnership with the City of Corona and dozens of businesses in an effort entitled “Corona 2020”. To date, Corona 2020 has
eliminated more than an estimated 500,000 hours of traffic from our roads and highways. The plan is basic and straight forward: every job attracted or ... Continued on page 13
In This Issue
By Eugene Montanez
2020 Labor Law Update pg 2
H
ow many times have you driven by one of the industrial buildings in Corona and wondered what they produce inside the walls? This is the first of a regular series of articles to highlight a few of the great manufacturers we have right here in Corona. Our first business represents an industry that has been in Corona and the surrounding areas for over 100 years, manufacturing products from the fertile clay that sits under our City. If you have ever tried to soak your yard and wonder why the water just sits on the surface, that is your clay-based soil! MCA Tile is the leader of the clay roof tile industry in the country. The company manufactures clay roof tile on historical, institutional,
Ambassadors Lester Li of Town Planner Community Calendars and Crystal Lopez of Carter Bradley Insurance Solutions highlight local eatery El Taco Lucas.
Chairman’s and CEO’s Corner pg 3 New Members pg 4 Economic Forecast Recap pg 6 Photos from the 109th Installation pg 8-9 MCA Tile products on display at the Historic Mission Inn in Riverside
commercial and residential buildings. Mission, Spanish and Mediterranean architectural styles began growing in popularity in the early twentieth century, resulting in large numbers of manufacturers establishing themselves on the West Coast. MCA Tile was originally
associated with a sister company in Japan; the factory in Corona was built to capitalize on the high-quality clay soil in the area. As homebuilders looked for less expensive roofing material, genuine clay tile was being used less and less, to the point that only a few
manufacturers remain. Yoshi Suzuki, MCA’s owner, has a passion for clay tile and remains committed to providing quality tile that will last for decades. Replacement clay roof tiles are nearly impossible to find, as most of the ... Continued on page 10
Local Business Acquired by Nationwide Company pg 11 Explore Egypt pg 12 Local Naval Base Dominates pg 14