Pico Rivera Chamber of Commerce by Los Cerritos Community News

“ G OL DE N B U S I N E S S OP P ORT U N I T I E S ”

The Business Journal Official Publication of the Pico Rivera Chamber of Commerce • October 2009 • www.picoriverachamber.org

Chamber Opens New Chapter With Grand Opening Celebration By Brian Hews

undreds of local city dignitaries, businesses and chamber members attended the grand opening/dedication of the new Pico Rivera Chamber offices located at 5016 Passons Blvd. in Pico Rivera. "This is a great day", said Chamber President Alex Saulus of HealthFirst

Medical, "with a new home, new City agreement, new staff members and new directors, the coming year represents a new beginning for the Pico Rivera Chamber of Commerce". Many could attest to that statement, beginning with the new offices. "The office before this was in a industrial warehouse, not very conducive to conducting business,

said new Chamber Executive Director Robert Tapia, "now we are at a retail storefront with much more visibility and a business friendly atmosphere". City manager Chuck Fuentes is very pleased with the new arrangement between the city and the chamber. "Its a new lease, a fresh start. Every city needs a vibrant chamber of commerce to support and promote the businesses

in the city and we are on the right track to reach that goal. I look forward to working with the chamber board and staff". The celebration began at 5 pm and ran to well past 7 pm, with food and drink supplied by El Pollo Loco, Round Table Pizza, Cafe n Stuff, Wienerschnitzel .and entertainment provided by TST Entertainment.

More pictures on page 6

Members of the Pico Rivera Chamber Board, Councilman Ron Beilke, City Manager Chuck Fuentes and Executive Director Bob Tapia (second from left) look on as Mayor Pro Tem Bob Archuleta cuts the ribbon signifying the opening of the chamber's new offices. Photos by Oscar Castillo.

[l-r] Chamber President Alex Saulus-HealthFirst Medical, Cheryl Romero-Preferred Bank and Jaime Rodriguez, field representative for California Senator Ron Calderon inside the new office of the chamber. The opening signals renewed cooperation between the city and the chamber.

Rubios Host Mixer in Pico Rivera

Measure TR Offers Tax Relief For Residents Reduces Utility Users Tax without cutting vital services.

{l-r} Chamber Executive Director Robert Tapia, President Alex Saulus, Assistant Pico Rivera City Manager Debbie Lopez, Mayor Pro-tem Bob Archuleta and staff/ownership take a break to pose for a group photo at the Rubio's Taco chamber mixer. Photo by Oscar Castillo The indetia below is not an error. Due to new postal regulations the address indetia must be at the top of the publication, printing the indetia this way places it at the top of page one when the paper is held upside down.

Pico Rivera voters will be given the chance to lower their taxes next month thanks to a ballot measure approved by the City Council. Measure TR reduces the Utility Users Tax (UUT) paid on electricity, gas and telephone service by onehalf percent, bringing the rate down to 4.5%. Residents and businesses will save about $400,000 a year in taxes should the measure be approved. City Manager, Chuck Fuentes, said prudent financial management, reductions in City spending, and voter approval of Measure P have put the City on solid financial ground—so much so that the City can afford the tax reduction provided by Measure TR without further cuts to City services. “At a time when other cities are having to make drastic reductions in staff and services, the positive state of the City’s finances allows us to move forward with our New Pico Rivera agenda,” Fuentes said. “It also allows the City Council to offer residents a dividend in the form of a lower tax rate.” Pico Rivera’s UUT is already among the lowest in the region. Several nearby cities have rates at or

above 8%, with one at 10%. Passage of Measure TR would decrease Pico Rivera’s rate to 4.5% If Measure TR is not approved, utility taxes will remain at their current level. The opportunity to propose the rate reduction came about because of a requirement to seek voter approval to amend and modernize existing UUT ordinance language. Dramatic growth and technological advances in wireless communications combined with changes in federal regulations have made portions of the current UUT ordinance outdated and obsolete, putting UUT revenues at risk. Proposition 218 requires such an update be submitted for voter approval. Voters in a number of California cities, as well as the City and County of Los Angeles, have recently approved modern UUT ordinances. By modernizing and clarifying Pico Rivera’s UUT ordinance, Measure TR protects the UUT as an on-going revenue source for the City and helps ensure continuation of critical City services such as increased Sheriff patrols, expanded graffiti removal and much-needed street improvement projects. You must be registered to vote to participate in this election. For assistance, please call 562.801.4390.

PRESORT STD. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Artesia Permit No. 133

PO Box 847 Pico Rivera CA 90660-6347 Phone (562) 949-2473 Fax (562) 949-8320 www.picoriverachamber.org

2 PICO RIVERA BUSINESS JOURNAL • OCTOBER 2009

Pico Rivera

Chamber of Commerce PO Box 847 Pico Rivera, CA 90660 (562) 949-2473, Fax (562) 949-8320 info@picoriverachamber.org

Executive Committee President

Alex Saulus

HealthFirst Medical Group Vice President

Jose Medina

Funeraria Del Angel/Morrow Vice President

Jim Osborn

Whittier Fertilizer

Treasurer Cheryl Romero Preferred Bank Past President

Koko Judge

Crowne Plaza Hotel at the Commerce Casino

Board of Directors Sylvia Southerland Southern California Edison

Omar Martinez Farmers Insurance

Von Stroff

Extra Space Storage

Sergio Quinones

Cobe Chemical Labs

Adrian Lechuga A Mi Hacienda

Bill Kalpakoff Cal Met Inc.

Oscar Mendoza

Rubio's Mexican Grill

Victor Caballero

Mid Valley Yellow Cab

Ray Chavez

Friends of the Pico Rivera Libraries

Dr. Liza Dimaranan

Pico Rivera Optometric Center

Wesley Kruse

Kruse Properties

Staff

Robert Tapia Executive Director Elena Ramos Administrative Assistant Andre Martinez Business Membership Development

Business Journal

To place an ad in the Business Journal call 562-407-3873 for rates or visit www.picoriverachamber.org and click on Advertising. Advertisers must submit artwork two weeks prior to publication date. Artwork must be submitted in pdf, tiff, or jpeg format at 300 dpi.

2009 Publication dates July 20, Aug 24, Sep 21, Oct 19, Nov 16, Dec 14

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Message from the President

The Pico Rivera Chamber and the Pico Rivera business community play a significant role in the economic and social development of the community. The majority of our members not only work in Pico Rivera but they live here as well. We have all been battered by the news – bailouts, the credit crunch and a stock market that has taken a rollercoaster ride. After the bad news, I have come to a decision: in defiance of the Alex Saulus current gloom and doom, I plan to keep looking forward with great optimism! It has legitimately been a rough few months and it has heavily affected some of our local businesses. But I believe the following:

• That our local executives – from one-person businesses to the CEO managing hundreds – will demonstrate the leadership and planning needed to ride out these challenging times. • That our local elected officials will continue to act wisely in leading our community. • That YOUR Chamber of Commerce will do everything in its power to keep the local economy strong. • That while being cautious is good; panicking only leads to failure and keeps you from seeing the new opportunities that surface in hard times. That is why the Chamber promotes shopping locally and supporting your Chamber members – “Shop Pico Rivera First-it makes good cent$”. The chamber provides you ways to network and connect you with many other businesses, community leaders and lawmakers. We face many challenges this year. We must overcome many more challenges by working together. Your

chamber membership is a great value and for many a revenue-generating investment. Being involved is a great way to promote your business – together we can make it work! On another note, the Pico Rivera Chamber of Commerce held the regrand opening of their new office located at 5016 Passons Blvd. It was a great success and I would like to thank all of our members for coming out and joining us in the celebration. I would like to give special thanks to the City of Pico Rivera for their continued support and all of their efforts in helping us obtain our office. Also, special thanks to our sponsors, Rita De Benedictis of Café & Stuff, Rene Ramos of El Pollo Loco, Nadine Espinoza of Round Table Pizza and Tracy Bunn of TST Entertainment. Thank you all for making this event a special night to remember. I look forward to seeing all of you at our next Chamber event.

Use the Chamber Newspaper to Your Advantage By Bob Tapia, Executive Director One of the things I constantly hear from business owners is lack of funds for marketing their business. One of the most important parts of running any business is advertising, but it is one of the first items that get cut from the budget when the economy has a downturn. I know it is difficult to do, but the last item that should be cut from your budget is advertising. Why? Everyone else is cutting; it is the best time to grab additional customers and market

share simply because your competitors are not advertising. You can create your own advantage by cutting somewhere else and increasing your advertising budget during lean times. Look at all the big box stores as an example. Have you seen less advertising in newspapers, TV, or radio? Probably not, because they subscribe to the above theory and you should too. This chamber newspaper offers local businesses a chance to advertise to other businesses and residents. It is mailed to all businesses and chamber members in Pico Rivera, delivered to over 30 business in the city, and dropped at all city organizations (City Hall, Parks and Recreation, and the Police Department.)

New members thinking about joining our great chamber will get a free eighth page ad (3 x 4) as well as a picture and a description of your company, talk about extending your marketing budget! Existing members are welcome to send any press releases to us; we will certainly give them priority when publishing the newspaper. If you have any questions/comments on any of the above, please do not hesitate to call me at 562- 9492473 or email me at info@picoriverachamber.org

TO ADVERTISE CALL 800-901-7211

PICO RIVERA BUSINESS JOURNAL • OCTOBER 2009

Chamber and City Officals Welcome Great Western Building Materials to Pico Rivera By Brian Hews Over 200 guests, including city officials and staff, attended the chamber ribbon cutting at Great Western Building Materials in Pico Rivera last week. Great Western President Larry Rogers acknowledged the crowd and thanked the city for helping the company establish a presence in

Pico Rivera. Great Western Building Materials, formerly Oxnard Building Materials, was established in 1926 in Oxnard, California. William Rogers purchased the company, originally a small lumberyard called Oxnard Lumber and Supply, in 1964. William’s son, Larry, has owned and operated the business since 1972.

{l-r} Pico Rivera Councilman Ron Beilke, City Manager Chuck Fuentes, Great Western President Larry Rogers, Great Western General Manager Shaun Radcliffe, and Chamber President Alex Saulus. All Photos By Oscar Castillo.

Great Western has built its business on long lasting professional relationships with its contractor customer base. They have a wide range of building products including: gypsum wallboard, joint treatment / texture, caulk/sealant/adhesive, masking products, fiber cement products, insulation, tools & equipment, scaf-

fold & ladders, lath & trim products, doors, hardware & access panels, fire extinguishers & cabinets, commercial bath accessories, plaster products, cement & stucco products, and stone veneer. Great Western is located at 8542 Slauson Ave Pico Rivera, CA 90660-4727. Phone-(562) 949-9730, fax-(562) 949-9735.

{l-r} Senator Ron Calderon’s Representative Javier Rodriquez, Great Western General Manager Shaun Radcliffe, and Great Western President Larry Rogers (holding proclamation from Senator Calderon).

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Chamber officials and board members along with city staff and Great Western President Rogers cut the ribbon.

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Remember when Facebook was simply a great way to stay connected with friends and family? Perhaps you don’t. Perhaps you were never caught up in the “What are you doing right now?” age and could care less which comic hero your friends are most like or how many virtual drinks you have accumulated on your Facebook profile page. Nonetheless, Facebook can be a great way to stay connected, and not just with friends, but with current and potential customers By Brian Hews and employees. In fact, companies large and small are taking advantage of Facebook’s instant grassroots communication to promote their brands, market events, hire talent and, at times, provide real impact on their bottom line. To get your creative juices flowing, let’s take a look at a few examples of how various organizations have approached this relatively new medium: A small local publisher of children’s books, Megan Hearts, has been using Facebook since 2008. By using the Facebook “events” feature to announce book tour events with compelling pictures and dialogue, they have grown their fan base from just a few friends to more than 3,500. Recently, one particular event,

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PICO RIVERA BUSINESS JOURNAL • OCTOBER 2009

Members in the News Rio Hondo College Opens Massive New Library Resource Center The newest addition to Rio Hondo's landscape, the combination Learning Resource Center and Library has finally been completed and officially opened its doors to students and staff. The much-anticipated LRC building marks a momentous occasion as the first new building to the Rio Hondo campus in over 40 years. At an astounding 94,000 sq. ft., roughly the size of two football fields, the $34.7 million dollar project was mostly funded by 'Bond Measure A', which was approved by voters back in 2004. Featuring several improvements over the former and somewhat outdated Library the LRC includes new state of the art classrooms for what was once the language lab, reading skills lab, writing center, learning assistance center; all formerly found on the fifth floor of the former library. In addition to the 400 computers purchased for the new building the LRC features a multi-media resource center. Complete with a media studio for broadcasting students as well as video and audio production. With all these old and new features the new LRC has meeting rooms and tele-conference rooms. The LRC will now also be home to the Assessment Office and Testing Center, which will boast an upgrade to the former method of assessment testing. The new library layout also allows for a greater area to display the 80,000+ books and periodicals of the existing collection and features individual study stations and

computers. The bookshelf aisles now include motion sensor lighting while looking for books. The library also features a copy center for Students' looking to make copies of texts and other documents.

The new Library Resource Center at Rio Hondo College.

In a statement to El Paisano Professor of Anthropology, and current President of College Faculty, Dr. Adam Wetsman said of the new building, "I think that the new LRC is an incredible gift that the community taxpayers have bestowed upon the students and employees of Rio Hondo College. This building aptly illustrates everything that we can accomplish together." However the new building is not without its foils the construction team responsible for the new building failed to include an Internet connection in three of the new LRC classrooms. This problem has also crossed

Rio Hondo College On National List of Top Associate Degree Program Producers For many students, attending a college or university that is nationally ranked is very important. Rio Hondo College has been recognized by Community College Week report of 2008 “Top 100 Associate Degree Producers in America” lists which are based on data assembled by the United States Department of Education. “These rankings truly show that Rio Hondo College is serving its local populations and doing so with impressive outcomes,” said André Quintero, President of the Rio Hondo College Board of Trustees. “This recognition is truly a reflection of the hard work of our faculty and staff, the strength of the College’s leadership and our students’ dedication to success.” Each year Community College Week, in association with the U.S. Department of Education, releases its list of the Top 100 “Associate Degree Producers in America.” The list, which contains multiple categories, highlights colleges that award the most associate degrees. Among the 27 separate lists, 19 were discipline-based and eight were based on demographic characteristics. Rio Hondo College was included in six lists: Total Minority, Hispanic, Asian American, Criminal Justice, Family & Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences and Security & Protective Services. The College placed 17th on the Hispanic list and 69th on the Asian American list, with 520 and 108 associate degrees

over into the lack of Wi-Fi available in the library, which can be a frustration for some students who wish to use the serene facilities provided but cannot due to the lack of Internet connectivity. First year student Merl Pizzaro

respectively, combined for the 41st place on the “Total Minority List” of the top associate degree producers. With regard to the discipline based lists, Rio Hondo College ranks among the country’s largest producers in the Criminal Justice category, tied only with Harrisburg Area Community College in Pennsylvania. Rio Hondo also finished second on two discipline lists. In the Family & Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences discipline, Rio Hondo College finished only behind San Joaquin Delta College. Handing out 73 associate degrees in the discipline (eight more degrees from the previous year) earned the College the second spot on that list. Another list including Rio Hondo College is the Top Associate Degree Producers in Security & Protective Services. “This designation is a testament to the perseverance of our students as well as that of our instructors,” says Ted Martinez, Jr., Ph.D., Superintendent/President. In fact, we are engaged in the development of new associate degree programs (the most recent is physics) to enable more students to earn an associate degree, even if they plan to transfer. It is our goal to move to a higher position on these prestigious listings.”

says of the new LRC/Library "it's good but it's really barren and I get no signal on my phone which is really irritating, I have to wait five minutes to get one bar." The LRC sits atop the hill where the former Putnam Center once stood. The state of the art and environmentally conscience building overlooks the L.A. basin with a panoramic view of the Whittier landscape as a backdrop. With a modern international design the building reflects that of Rio Hondo's campus which today is one of the few intact examples in Southern California of an entire complex of buildings influenced by

the style. The building features what is being commonly referred to as the 'Tree House' which is a two walled reading room with bookshelves and tables for studying as well as a microfiche machine. The views from the windows overlook both the campus and the surrounding cities and are dotted with palms reminiscent of California's iconic palms. Mechanical Engineering student, Antonio Lopez says, "It's a great environment, very well organized and also it's good to study and relax." Part of the Facilities Master Plan, a planning and design proposal, the latest addition is the first of many campus wide improvements planned through to 2014. Projects include the renovation of the former library into the Rio Hondo Tower, the Applied Technology Building a brand new state of the art buildings such as an Arts Center, Physical Education Complex, Academic Commons, and Athletic Fields. All were planned with the idea of increased student population growth. However since the drafting of the Master Plan the proposed parking structures, which would have greatly alleviated traffic problems, have since been dropped. The LRC will had a ribbon cutting ceremony on Oct 15th.

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6 PICO RIVERA BUSINESS JOURNAL • OCTOBER 2009

Member News Thomas Lenz Named One of the Top 100 U.S. Labor Attorneys

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Chamber Office Grand Opening

Attorney partner in chamber member law firm Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo.

“Top One Hundred” winners have represented clients in a substantial volume of representation elections and achieved consistently favorable results for those clients. As employers face a challenging Thomas A. Lenz, a partner with economy and a period of significant Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & change in national labor law and Romo, has again been named to the policy, Mr. Lenz regularly advises list of “Top One Hundred Labor and assists employers in Attorneys in the United States business planning on labor for 2009” as compiled by issues as well as educating Labor Relations Institute, the business community. Inc., a leading industry In 2009 alone, hundreds of information source. He employers have benefitted made his debut on the list from his seminars and in 2006. training sessions on topics Inclusion on the list puts including the Employee Lenz in the top one percent of Free Choice Act labor attorneys in the legislation U.S., making him currently one of the most pending in active and Congress. successf ul Prior attorneys to joining representing AALRR, Mr. c ompa n ie s Lenz practiced in National law with the L a b o r National Labor Relations Relations Board-monitored elections. Board, Region 21, in Los Angeles. “To be included in the Top One Since joining the firm, he has played Hundred is a tremendous honor,” a leading role in advice, training, according to LRI CEO Donald P. and representation of employers Wilson. “It acknowledges these in unfair labor practice cases; attorneys’ professionalism and longrepresentation election cases; union term dedication to their clients.” organizing campaigns, including Lenz made the prominent corporate campaigns and salting; list by being selected from more collective bargaining; picketing; than 9,000 attorneys who have strikes; and related litigation. represented clients in union matters.

Alex Saulus {r} is presented a Certificate of Recognition by Jamie Rodriquez of Senator Ron Calderon’s office. Photo by Oscar Castillo

[l-r] Elena Ramos, Chamber Administrative Assistant; Sergio Quinonez & Mary Mercado of Cobe Chemical Lab. Photo by Oscar Castillo

Dad deserves the best! Take him where he really wants to go! Dad deserves the best! Take him where he really wants to go!

Andre Martinez, Chamber Business Membership Development; Lisa Herrera of Assemblyman Charles Calderon’s office; Jose Medina-Funeraria Del Angel/Morrow. Photo by Oscar Castillo

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PICO RIVERA BUSINESS JOURNAL • OCTOBER 2009

New City Pipeline to Deliver Recycled Water In an effort to conserve the area’s limited supply of drinking water, the City of Pico Rivera is partnering with the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works and the Central Basin Municipal Water District to begin work on the Pico Rivera Recycled Water Project. The project includes installing a pipeline along Mines Avenue between the San Gabriel River and Rio Hondo Spreading Grounds. This pipe is the initial segment of a larger system that will eventually carry recycled water to green areas alongside the spreading grounds as well as schools, parks and other public landscaping in Pico Rivera. Pico Rivera’s recycled water project will tie into Central Basin’s Southeast Water Reliability Project (SWRP), a 12-mile long pipeline extending from Pico Rivera through Montebello and southeast Los Angeles County that will move storm water and recycled water throughout the area. City Manager, Chuck Fuentes, said bringing recycled water into

the community is the single most effective way to conserve our limited supply of drinking water. When fully operational, the project could conserve more than 84 million gallons of water in Pico Rivera annually. Other benefits of using locallyproduced recycled water include less impact on fragile ecosystems, using less energy to pump imported water long distances and the availability of a reliable water supply for the region. Recycled water is also less expensive to purchase. “Keeping our parks and other public landscaping looking good requires a lot of water,” Fuentes said. “Using recycled water for irrigation not only protects our supply of drinking water, it saves the city a significant amount of money on an on-going basis.” The recycled water pipeline is only one of many projects being undertaken by the City to improve local streets, community facilities and other public infrastructure. See the accompanying Progress Report on City Improvement Projects for an update on other efforts.

Central Basin Launches New High Efficiency Gardening Workshop Series For Local Residents Central Basin Municipal Water District launched the High Efficiency Living Program (H.E.L.P) Landscape Workshop series this week, with workshops in the Cities of Huntington Park, Lynwood and Norwalk. In total, more than 175 residents attended the free workshops to learn about water saving landscape practices, California friendly plants, and the benefits of different soil types. Last year, Central Basin was awarded an $88,350 grant through Metropolitan Water District's Enhanced Conservation Program, to provide residents in disadvantaged cities with California Friendly Landscape workshops. In keeping with Central Basin’s strategic efforts to increase regional conservation, these workshops provide local residents with the information and tools they need to conserve water and reduce their monthly water bills. "This is a great program for our residents," said Central Basin Board President Ed Vasquez. "With most of our cities now adopting mandatory water conservation

ordinances, this is just another way for us to support our residents in reducing daily water use." Upon completion of the two hour workshop, the attendees received a state-of-the-art irrigation kit that included a set of high-efficiency MP rotators, a stand for the rotators and a hand-operated watering timer to connect to their water hose.

Upcoming HELP Landscape Workshops:

October 28, 2009 at 6:00pm: Montebello Senior Center, Montebello - English In addition to these workshops, six more will be scheduled this fall. For information on dates and times of upcoming H.E.L.P Landscape workshops, please visit www.centralbasin.org or call (323) 201-5514.

www. picoriverachamber. org

Attention All Pico Rivera Chamber of Commerce Members!

Western Theme Annual Business & Health Expo Thursday, October 22, 2009

El Rodeo - 8825 Washington Blvd, Pico Rivera from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Sponsorships Available Platinum Sponsors - $500.00

Your company named as a major sponsor in all news releases, recognition in Expo Program, Website listing and recognition in Business Journal, includes 1 table Special Recognition at event by MC.

Gold Sponsors - $300.00 Your company name in Expo Program, recognition in Business Journal, includes 1 table

Silver Sponsor - $250.00 Your company name in Expo Program includes 1 table For Reservations for Tables and Sponsorships contact the Chamber Office at (562)949-2473 or email: elena@picoriverachamber.org Members reserve your tables for &125 hurry! they are going fast!

Table Decorating Contest Win great prizes!

Show Your Spirt By Decorating your table with a Western Theme. Best decorated table will be entered to win a prize.

JUNE 20092009 8 PICO RIVERA BUSINESS JOURNAL • OCTOBER

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