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BUSINESS JOURNAL
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OCTOBER 2019
VOLUME 4 ■ ISSUE 10
IN PROFILE
Tapped Apple in Salida is drawing visitors from throughout the Central Valley eager to try the hard cider. PAGE 3
NEWS
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED
Wine grapes take top spot in San Joaquin County.
Save Mart opened their flagship store in their hometown of Modesto on Oct. 1.
PAGE 9
Flagship Save Mart store opens in Modesto
NEW ERA OF GROCERY SHOPPING BY SABRA STAFFORD
I
209 Business Journal
n 1952, Save Mart opened their first grocery store on Crow’s Landing Road in Modesto with a focus on bringing fresh foods from local farms to Central Valley homes. Fast-forward to 2019, and that focus remains the same, but the stores certainly have a brandnew appeal. The Save Mart Companies celebrated the opening of its 54,000 square foot, prototype Save Mart store in Modesto on Oct. 1, with a bevy of new features and conveniences that are re-shaping the grocery industry. “Modesto is more than where we are, it’s who we are,” said The Save Mart Companies Chief Executive Officer Nicole Pesco. “We’re family-owned with deep roots and longstanding friendships with local ranchers, farmers and producers who help fulfill our vision every day. It means a lot to us to be part of this neighborhood because this is where we grew up and are now raising our own families. We’re proud of our hometown and the hardworking people who live here.” The flagship store sought to promote the local connection
to agriculture and the products made in the region. From the minute they enter the store, guests will recognize products from local farms and purveyors—like Fiscalini cheese, Ratto Bros. produce, Rosie’s Donuts, Diamond Almonds and Dust Bowl beer. Signature experiences, farm stand-style produce, loads of freshly-made options, and new ideas in every aisle make this store a destination for shoppers from throughout the region. A highly specialized store team provides services new to the Save Mart stores, including sliced-to-order produce preparation, ground-to-order sausagemaking, marinated- and grilledto-order meats, a nut station that offers fresh-made peanut butter and locally sourced honey and maple syrup, a deli market with hot and cold selections, and an olive oil station. Further, cheese and seafood specialists will roam the store providing guests insight on food pairings and how to prepare the season’s fresh fare. “I’m thrilled to open this new store. We truly had the Modesto family in mind when we developed our food selection, creSEE MARKET, PAGE 10
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED
The Beer Cave is home to over 550 varieties and sizes in a very easy to shop layout. It’s a bit chilly in there, so guests may want to bring a sweater.
209 BUSINESS JOURNAL
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OCTOBER 2019
IN PROFILE
Turlocker offers healthaiding honey and more BY ANGELINA MARTIN 209 Business Journal
TERESA HAMMOND/209 BUSINESS JOURNAL
Lisa McPhee of Backroad Blooms in the field of flowers just adjacent to the storefront at 10040 Highway 120, Oakdale. McPhee started the business with her oldest daughter Alyssa in September of 2018.
Blooming business firmly planted in Oakdale BY TERESA HAMMOND 209 Business Journal
Life has gotten a little busy for Lisa McPhee and her daughter Alyssa. The mother/daughter duo and founders of Backroad Blooms don’t really have much time for stopping to smell the roses these days and that is okay by them. What seemed a simple venture to support her daughter Alyssa in her aspirations as a Business Marketing major at Sonoma State, has since blos-
somed into a full-time job for the mother of four and her 20-year-old daughter. The stand, at 10040 Highway 120 in Oakdale, adjacent to Oakdale Cheese and Specialties, first opened in September 2018. The idea seemed basic — rent the building, offer flowers from their “back road” property in rural Oakdale, as well as some pumpkins and gourds. “We have a big pumpkin patch at our house that we’ve had for years,” Lisa said. “Originally we grew
pumpkins and gourds for fun. Now we sell them at the shop as well as some from an outside vendor.” The duo also acquired some adjacent land, enabling them to grow more flowers and have them close by to freshly pick for the stand. “Everything we grow, we grow out in the field. So, we close for the winter months and then we’ll re-open in the spring,” Lisa said. “I’m not a flower shop, if it’s not in season and blooming SEE BLOOMS, PAGE 5
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Turlock resident Natalie Meneses set out with one goal in mind when starting her business a year ago: to offer eco-friendly products that would make a positive impact on society. Thus, Naturacentric Inc. was born, offering a wide variety of products that have helped the community lead healthier lives. Unhappy with her career trajectory, Meneses began making products she couldn’t find at the store — honey infused with organic, sustainablyharvested herbs as well as the highest quality CBD on the market, hand-blended
Naturacentric Inc. Location: @ naturacentric_inc on Instagram; www. natceninc.com Contact: naturacentric@ yahoo.com Specialty: CBD-infused and herbal-infused honey
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED
Natalie Meneses of Turlock offers a wide range of infused honey, loose leaf teas and essential oil-based soaps that help the community be their best selves.
loose-leaf teas and essential oil-based soaps. Within seven months, the response to her products was so overwhelming that she was able to quit her job as an associate teacher and dedicate all of her time into her self-run business. “Demand started growing for my products through word of mouth and it took off from there,” she said. To begin with, Meneses offered a selection of
herbal-infused honey like liver-supporting hibiscus, immune-boosting elderberry, nutrient-dense cacao and spicy habanero, to name a few. By infusing the honey with different herbal remedies, the already-present healing powers of the raw product are enhanced, she said. “It’s healthy and delicious and can be used so many different ways,” she said. “It pairs perSEE HONEY, PAGE 5
209 BUSINESS JOURNAL
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IN PROFILE
The bright cider life BY ANGELINA MARTIN 209 Business Journal
Residents of the 209 who may not have time for an apple picking trip this fall can still enjoy the classic fruit with a trip to Salida, where they can find its fermented counterpart in a glass at Tapped Apple. Modesto residents Corey Martin and Wells Mounday own and operate the small tasting room that attracts patrons from
all over the Central Valley, but the pair didn’t set out with intentions to start their own hard cider business. As the two friends tasted different samples of the beverage during a barbecue one night, a new venture was born. “Wells had invited me over, and we were sampling a bunch of different styles and manufacturers of ciders. By the time we got done with that, we
were really overthinking,” Martin laughed. “(Wells) said, ‘We should totally just make some.’” The pair met thanks to Little League, where Martin coached Mounday’s daughter. The two had never before attempted to brew or ferment any type of alcohol, but before they knew it, they had completed their first batch of hard SEE TAPPED, PAGE 6
VINCE REMBULAT/209 BUSINESS JOURNAL
The daughter-mother duo of Alexus Kearney and Kristie Tate work the counter at the recently opened Austin’s Coffee Crafters in Ripon.
Austin’s Coffee Crafters sets up shop in Ripon BY VINCE REMBULAT 209 Business Journal
Even on a slow day, Austin’s Coffee Crafters can be quite busy. That’s the new coffee house in Ripon located not too far from the Mistlin Sports Complex in the Ripon Terrazza Shopping Center, 222 W. River Rd. Customers come by one to four or five at a time to
relax, read or just conversate about everyday life. A bespectacled young man and first-time customer asked Alexus Kearney, who, along with her mother Kristie Tate, co-own the coffee house featuring high quality fair-trade beans and in-house scones and biscotti, on a good, nice caffeinated drink on this Monday afternoon.
She was quick to suggest ‘The Troublemaker,’ an iced caramel latte which is fast becoming the most popular drink at Austin Coffee Crafters. It wasn’t too long ago that Kearney was a designer in the marketing field. She put the word out on this family business endeavor by using social media not
ANGELINA MARTIN/209 BUSINESS JOURNAL
Modesto residents Corey Martin and Wells Mounday own and operate Tapped Apple in Salida.
SEE AUSTIN’S, PAGE 6
Happy cows. Fun Flavors.
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We pump the milk to the processing plant 20 feet away during milking. We then do antibiotic testing to ensure antibiotic free milk. We then pasteurize and homogenize, making it ready to go to the bottle. From cow to bottle in just a few hours and it is only milk from our cows. We offer Whole milk, 2%, Half and Half and Lactose free whole milk.
Our cows make great tasting milk, so we wanted a package that didn’t change the flavor. Glass bottles keep the milk colder, there is no taste changing residue from glass. We reuse the bottles over and over so no milk containers in the landfill. A $2.00 deposit exchange for every bottle. RETURN CLEAN BOTTLES TO ANY STORE THAT SELLS NUTCHER MILK FOR YOUR DEPOSIT BACK!!!!
nutchermilk.com
209 BUSINESS JOURNAL
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OCTOBER 2019
IN PROFILE
Downtown Oakdale shop is a dream fullfilled BY TERESA HAMMOND 209 Business Journal
Traci Codde knows a little bit about small towns and hard work. The Riverbank mother of two and Riverbank High Grad Night pioneer is now branching into the Oakdale business sector. Codde, along with the help of her father, Norman Gilbert and a small village of supporters recently opened the doors to Momma’s Closet. Located at 139 N. First Ave., Oakdale, the shop offers a unique blend of old and new treasures. The newly opened shop is open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. “The vision came from … back in the south you can walk into the ricketiest buildings ever and they are gorgeous,” she noted of her findings while shopping in Tennessee during a trip to visit family. “They are mixed with new and old and vintage and you name it, they’re doing it. It gives it a different look and people are loving it.”
New boutique brings elegance to Turlock BY ANGELINA MARTIN
A Twist of Elegance
209 Business Journal
One of Turlock’s newest shops is helping the community prepare for some of life’s most special events through fashion, whether it be a wedding, birthday party or even prom. Patterson resident Miyako Cooper opened the boutique A Twist of Elegance in May near downtown Turlock, offering a unique selection of hand-crafted gifts, casual clothing, formal wear
Location: 216 Lander Ave., Turlock Hours: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday Contact information: 209-427-2071 Specialty: Formal wear
and children’s clothing as part of a business endeavor that’s been years in the making. SEE TWIST, PAGE 6
Traci Codde proudly stands outside Momma’s Closet at 139 N. First Ave., Oakdale. Codde, along with her father Norman Gilbert, opened the shop as a family venture to honor her late mother Barbara. TERESA HAMMOND/209 BUSINESS JOURNAL
A previous vendor in the space, when under different ownership, Codde shared her shop hosts multiple vendors with a unique approach. Rather than have vendors separated
by booths, all are blended throughout the shop offering a more traditional retail feeling to the space. “Everything is tagged with the same tag so you have no idea there’s ven-
dors in here,” she said of the shop’s assortment of home décor, furniture, wood signs and more. “It’s the vision of the way we’ve SEE CODDE, PAGE 6
ANGELINA MARTIN/209 BUSINESS JOURNAL
Patterson resident Miyako Cooper (left) stands with her daughter Kaiwa Cooper in her new Turlock boutique, A Twist of Elegance.
HELPING VALLEY BUSINESS GROW
Deep Roots ~ Strong Branches
866.844.7500 • www.ovcb.com Oakdale • Sonora • Modesto • Turlock • Patterson Escalon • Ripon • Stockton • Manteca • Tracy • Sacramento Bill Loretelli Jr., Veronica Loretelli, and Bill Loretelli Sr., with Oak Valley’s Sylvia Orozco, Modesto-McHenry Branch Manager, 579.3365
“We’re treated so well at Oak Valley, everyone is friendly and happy to see you – it’s like family. If you look at our customers, you see local people who support us and we naturally try to support other local businesses too. We only wish we switched sooner.” -Bill Loretelli Sr., Loretelli Farms
209 BUSINESS JOURNAL
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IN PROFILE
Smith Woodcraft and Design building a name in Hughsona BY ANGELINA MARTIN 209 Business Journal
Since he first began working with wood during his sixth-grade year at Ross Middle School in Hughson, Kevin Smith instantly found a way to feed his creative side. After years of creating favors for friends, Smith and his wife, Linzi, decided to open their own side business creating corn hole boards, wine stave projects, end tables, charcuterie boards — the list goes on. “We enjoy working with your customers to make their visions come true,” Smith said. “You dream it, we make it happen. Who doesn’t like a homemade gift for Christmas?” Smith Woodcraft and Design offers a variety of customizable products that would make fantastic holiday gifts for both men and women, like adult- and kid-sized versions of the
HONEY
FROM PAGE 2 fectly with a wide variety of cheeses, drizzled over waffles or pancakes, oatmeal, smoothie bowls, yogurt, homemade salad dressings and glazes for barbequing and more.” As her honey’s popularity grew, Meneses knew the next logical step was to introduce an ingredient that would truly supercharge the product’s benefits: CBD. CBD, or cannabidiol, is an active ingredient in cannabis that doesn’t provide a “high” like its counterpart THC, but a healing component that has been scientifically proven to help treat conditions like anxiety, chronic pain and insomnia among countless other ailments. “The pairing of two of the most ancient medicines used for over thousands and thousands of years creates not only a sweet tasting treat, but a
popular yard games like corn hole, yard dice and Jenga. Chalkboards and wine barrel candleholders make for charming home décor, and a lazy Susan or custom shelf can provide more options when it comes to organization. Most recently, Smith Woodcraft and Design had a hand in making corn hole boards for the new Ten Pin Fun Center in Turlock. The experience highlighted his favorite part about being a maker in the 209, Smith said. “I enjoy working with our community and seeing my products be put to use,” he said. To see more of the Smiths’ custom woodworking or to place an order, visit @ smith_woodcraft_and_design on Instagram or Smith Woodcraft and Design on Facebook. potent medicine for the whole body,” Meneses said. Naturacentric Inc. offers four different CBDinfused honey flavors that target specific issues, such as inflammation, sleep aid and neurological support — the latter of which was developed for the father of Meneses’ boyfriend, who suffered a stroke. Meneses purchases honey from a local Turlock beekeeper and the CBD she uses is an organic full spectrum distillate. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, she said, with a majority of customers returning for more of the best-selling product. “It’s not in our company’s interest to persuade or argue with those who look down on it. We are focused on those who are already familiar with CBD or willing to learn more and try it as a healthier alternative for relief,” Meneses said. “We are a natural products company and
PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED
Smith Woodcraft and Design makes a variety of wood products, including signs and games.
we believe that this is what medicine is truly meant to be. We are always here to educate if anyone has questions.” Most recently, Naturacentric Inc. released a healing Pumpkin Spiceflavored honey, and also offers hand-blended loose-leaf teas that can help with heartburn, sleep, menopause support and more, as well as essential oil-based soaps designed to soothe the body, calm the mind and treat a variety of ailments, like acne. “I love when I have a product for someone and it gives them relief when nothing else could,” Meneses said. In Turlock, Naturacentric Inc. products can be purchased at the Monte Vista Avenue strawberry stand, as well as downtown at OneSixteen Bijou Boutique. The company’s online store, www.natceninc.com, offers a full list of locations and products.
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I won’t have it. Sure, I can order it, but that’s really not what we’re about. “The last year, I’ve just learned so much,” she continued. “My daughter and I both said, the year of learning and we are both just so astonished by the support of the community.” Placing her marketing studies to the test, Alyssa handles all the promotions of the business via social media, as well as all photography. Her skills quickly paid off, as the 2019 season has kept the duo busy cutting, planting, arranging and even hosting events. “She loves the marketing end of it,” Lisa said of Alyssa, even all the way from her Sonoma State campus. With three young children at home and still in school, the stand hours are limited to 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday to Saturday. Backroad Blooms also hosts a self-serve counter, where flower arrangements are placed daily and customers may either Venmo or place payment in the money box. “When it’s not open, I
have self-serve out for the customers at 10 a.m.,” she shared, noting that she’s in the field daily either picking, harvesting or deadheading once her children are in school. “I put $15 bouquets out there.” Now with a full year under their belt, a business model which is thriving and a month left before wrapping up another season, Lisa shared she’s still not completely sure how they stumbled into this business. Neither mother nor daughter have formal training in horticulture or floral design. The majority of their learning has come through research and listening, as well as trial and error. “Mostly you have to learn by doing,” Lisa said. “I can’t remember how it all really happened. My husband is super supportive.” While the shop may be open from March to October, the work doesn’t end when the doors roll down at the final sale. “Always planting and planning,” she said, “almost a year ahead. Some things you can kind of go with, but everything is real zone specific.” In addition to the pre-
made arrangements, customers can also choose from a variety of flowers in the shop when opened. To keep pricing simple, they are priced by stem versus variety. Backroad Blooms also has a self-serve succulent bar, where visitors can pick a succulent as well as a pot of choice and create something special for themselves or a gift. They also host Fairy Garden parties and Girls Night Out events. “I love it,” she shared of working with her daughter. “It’s a lot of fun. You really need someone to bounce ideas off of. I love that she loves it too. “I don’t know how it actually turned into this,” she continued of the business success in its first full year. “Social media is great; free advertising and the local community. We have people stop every week to get flowers. It’s a lot of work and a lot of fun all at the same time.” To learn more about Backroad Blooms visit their website at www.backroadbloomsfarm.com or find them on Facebook at Backroad Blooms Flower Farm.
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209 BUSINESS JOURNAL
6
OCTOBER 2019
NEWS
636-unit self-storage planned for Central Lathrop BY JASON CAMPBELL 209 Business Journal
It has been more than a decade since a commercial project has been developed in the area referred to in planning documents as Central Lathrop. But by early next year, residents in the area that will eventually be home to a number of new residential housing developments in the coming years will have a place to store their personal effects without
CODDE
FROM PAGE 4 mixed everything together.” The shop name, as well as the purple front door, however, are where the real story lies. Still employed in a professional career, the small shop was a dream Codde once shared with her mother, Barbara Gilbert. Codde lost her mother to pancreatic cancer in February 2017. “This was her dream,” she said of her mother’s desire to have a shop. “She retired at 59 and this was something her and I were going to do together. “I don’t know what her vision was,” she continued. “I just know what she wanted to do, was to do something like this.”
TAPPED
FROM PAGE 3
cider from the comforts of the garage. Quickly, they realized it would be a learning process. “The first couple of batches were really, really bad,” Martin said. “We choked it down just because we had to.” But they kept trying. Internet research helped some, but ultimately Martin and Mounday tried their own techniques, they said, and found success. “There was a lot of trial and error. Probably after about four or five batches, it got to the point where our wives were actually liking it,” Mounday said. “That’s when we knew it was good, because they could be pretty tough on us.” After earning the approval from not only their wives, but other friends and family members, the cider went live as Martin and Mounday entered the wholesale world, providing their product to bars and restaurants locally. As Tapped Apple created
having to head anywhere else in town. According to a representative of the development firm that is bringing Golden Valley Storage – which will boast 636 storage units of various sizes as well as more than 100 spaces for RV and boat storage during the initial phase of development – to fruition early next year, the development process has been a seamless one in Lathrop. “Working with the City of
Lathrop has been a great experience,” said Marlon Bateman, representing the developers of the first project being constructed in the Central Lathrop area since 2005. “The planners, engineers, and public works people have devoted many hours in moving this storage project from concept to application faster than any other project we have built to date. “We would definitely do another development in
As a former vendor of the previous owner, Codde said when she learned of the shop vacancy she approached her father with the idea of bringing her mom’s dream to reality. Unsure of how his daughter would juggle her career as well as the retail space, Norman questioned his daughter’s ambition – briefly. “Mom always said if you don’t leap, you don’t know,” she reminded her father. And so, the two leaped. The father/daughter team secured the space on Aug. 1 as new tenants, the shop was open for business Aug. 10. “She’d be pretty stinking proud,” the current shop owner said with tear-filled eyes, noting her
mom would also be surprised by Norman’s hands on involvement as the handyman. “She would be pretty amazed with all we did.” But it could not have been done without the help of family and friends. As Codde looks ahead to the future success of the shop, she shared she’s encouraged by the foot traffic thus far from Cahoots to the south of her and Last Call Brewery to the north. “It took a village,” she said. “I had friends, family … when you’re trying to pull something off like this, you call your peeps.” And she also feels she has a bit of a guardian angel, in the form of her mom. “She’s looking down and thinking wow, this is amazing.”
a name for itself at businesses and through appearances at local festivals, customers had just one question: Where can I buy this? In 2016, Martin and Mounday opened the Tapped Apple tasting room in Salida, six years after crafting their first batch of cider in the garage. Not only did they then begin fermenting their cider on location thanks to giant, temperature-controlled tanks, but community members could now walk in, try a cider or two and get a jug filled with their favorite flavor. Eventually, the pair went from offering only jugs to now serving flights and pints of whatever’s on tap that day. Tapped Apple rotates through about 30 different flavors, from their best-selling Concert in the Park to unique concoctions like BluePom — a blueberry/pomegranate hybrid — and Lemon Chill-O, which tastes just like lemonade. “It’s different than going to a winery. You walk in and have this brewery feel,” Martin said. “It’s
more like a backyard barbeque — people are coming in, hanging out and relaxing; they don’t feel any pressure in any way.” Tapped Apple’s brick and mortar location went from just one or two people visiting at a time to now seeing a completely packed house on the weekends and over half of the cidery’s visitors are repeat customers. It’s something Martin and Mounday didn’t expect, but are thankful for. “I didn’t necessarily want to do the tasting room aspect of it, but I didn’t expect to have so much fun. We’ve met so many awesome people,” Mounday said. “I have my family and friends and then I have Tapped Apple family and friends,” Martin said. “It’s really cool, actually, because the community has given us so much support and they just encourage us to keep going.” Tapped Apple is located at 5648 Pirrone Rd. in Salida. They’re open from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays.
Lathrop.” Running adjacent to Golden Valley Parkway, the self-storage facility will cater to both local resident in Central Lathrop and River Islands as well as those passing by on I-5. The facility, Bateman said, will be visible from both the freeway and Golden Valley Parkway, and the location played a major role in why the firm chose to develop the project there. “The storage facility has
TWIST
FROM PAGE 4 “I always wanted my own boutique,” Cooper said. “This place is the start of my dream coming true.” A Twist of Elegance originally began online, she said, with Cooper selling clothing out of her home. The effort started with Cooper buying lightly-used prom dresses, cleaning them and selling them at a much lower price, she said — something she’s continued at her new, brick-andmortar location. Today
AUSTIN’S
FROM PAGE 3
to mention the website, www.austinscoffeecrafters. com. “My brother and I had always talked about doing something together on created community space,” she said, remembering Austin Peterson. He was known to his friends as “Smiley.” Peterson was 15 when he was struck by a commuter train while riding bikes with his friends in 2017. He was a freshman at Sierra High, where he played football, basketball and baseball for the Timberwolves. His tragic loss was the inspiration behind the name. Tate, who lives in Manteca, grew up in Denair and lived in Modesto for most of her life. She was employed at the Stanislaus County Office of Education for 18 years. Life changed with the loss of her son. “We found solace in good food, community and simplicity,” said the mother-daughter team in their website. This dream-turnedreality business uses the freshest ingredients and a partnership with Counter Culture Coffee Roasters out of Emeryville. “People don’t realize the amount of work that goes into making an individual
IMAGE CONTRIBUTED
Golden Valley Storage is a proposed 636-unit self-storage complex located on Golden Valley.
great visibility from I-5 and of course great visibility and access from Golden
Valley Parkway,” Bateman
Cooper also offers wedding gowns, quinceanera dresses and other formal wear in addition to gifts like bath and body goods. “Everybody’s always so excited when they’re shopping for those events,” Cooper said. “I think the best part about this job is making other people happy.” Cooper knew she wanted to be in Turlock when she began searching for a store location, she said, and when she stumbled upon A Twist of Elegance’s current location on Lander Avenue, she knew its proximity to downtown Turlock
made it the perfect fit. After some renovations, such as new flooring and a fresh coat of paint, the space is up-to-date and provides a bright, open shopping experience. “The walls were a dingy white and the carpet was dirty, but I looked around and said, ‘I can do this,’” Cooper said. Now, the business has been open for almost four months — a success story Cooper would love to see other women duplicate. “You’ve just got to step up and have the confidence to do it,” she said.
cup of coffee,” said Kearney on the ethos of fair trade, a grassroots movement which promotes goods that were made soundly by small, independent producers from around the world. As a designer, she wanted to develop a place that’s inviting to the community. “I spent a lot of time in coffee houses,” said Kearney, who has lived in Ripon for over two years. Tate indicated that they had sought out places where new construction was taking place – the Ripon Terrazza is part of the City of Ripon’s North Pointe Specific Plan, consisting of about 310 acres in the northern part of town bounded by the Mistlin Sports Park to the north, Highway 99 to the south, Fulton Avenue to the east, and Jack Tone Road to the west. At the build out, the project is expected to include to some 1,040 residential units and about 1.4 million square feet of non-residential uses (offices, retail and park spaces). “We had the design and the layout,” said Tate, who had a chance to work with the contractors during the building process. As for the menu, Austin’s offers up expresso, cappuccino, latte, americano, and mocha, coffee (light roast, dark roast, au lait and ice
flash brew), and tea (house iced or hot loose leaf ). Specialties include the aforementioned Troublemaker along with Schoolhouse Affogato (ice cream, espresso, caramel and whip cream), Austin’s Hot Chocolate, Elementary Chai Latte (house chai and steamed milk), Ripon Fog (Earl Grey tea, milk, honey, cinnamon and house vanilla), Summer School Julep (local lavender infused with lemonade) and The Librarian (half lemonade and half citrus black iced tea). Among the fresh-baked food items are the lemon poppy seed scones, southern blueberry scores, and Ma’s biscotti. “Our mornings are usually hopping,” said Tate, who notices an influx of parents stopping by after dropping off the kids to school. Later in the day – Austin’s is open from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. Austin’s Coffee Crafters has quickly become a popular gathering place for friends and families. Kearney and Tate currently employ a staff of 17. Of that, five are friends of Austin. They all share his memory. “They’re happy memories,” Tate said. “This has been something very positive.”
SEE LATHROP, PAGE 10
209 BUSINESS JOURNAL
7
OPINION
The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.
Vol. 4 No. 10 ■ October 2019 PUBLISHER Hank Vander Veen
GENERAL MANAGER Drew Savage
MANAGING EDITOR Sabra Stafford
NEWSROOM Dennis D. Cruz Kristina Hacker Teresa Hammond Angelina Martin Candy Padilla Vince Rembulat Virginia Still Dennis Wyatt
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Harold L. George
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Sharon Hoffman
SALES & MARKETING
—Vince Lombardi
I WANT TO BE ALONE Ask the typical employee what they most want from their jobs ... Go ahead; do it. I’ll wait right here. Chances are, the most frequent answer you received was something along the lines of “the sense of satisfaction that comes with working hard to help people solve problems that make their lives better.” In other words, they want “money. Lots and lots of money.” Ask me what I want from a job and you’ll get an altogether different answer. I want to be left alone. I’m an introvert, and there are plenty more like me. You don’t know this important factoid because we introverts are stealth employees — or try to be. Our goal is to never be asked a question, never stand up in a meeting and never have to talk to our co-workers, our managers and, most of all, that nosy parker, Dennis, from IT. To an introvert, the best thing a manager can say about you is “the name’s not familiar. Do they work here?” All of which proves what your mother told you: “To be successful is wonderful. To be anonymous is even better.” Ethan Hauser is a self-confessed introvert and the author of “The Plight of the Office Introvert,” a recent article in The
ROBERT GOLDMAN CREATORS SYNDICATE
New York Times. Ad Feedback According to the Times, lots of people are introverts. “Some say we may make up 25 percent of the population,” Hauser writes, “while others say the ratio is roughly 50-50.” There is much about the office environment that Hauser does not like. He does not like “orientation breakfasts, trust falls, should we whiteboard it?, team-building yoga, teambuilding karaoke, team building in general.” He especially doesn’t like brainstorming, and who can blame him? No introvert wants a bunch of weirdo workplace strangers storming the shadowy corners of their brains. Makes sense, yes? We introverts don’t want to be forced to answer intrusive questions, like “How are you?” or “Can you lend me a paper clip?” We certainly don’t want our co-workers marching through our subconscious in 10-gallon gumboots. While Hauser is very clear about what introverts don’t want to do, which is everything and anything that demands interaction with other human
people, when it comes to creative strategies introverts can use to protect their basic human right to be invisible, he comes up short. Fortunately, as an extremely outgoing introvert, I can provide the strategies that will provide shelter from the storm of snoopy colleagues and buttinsky managers. Strategy No. 1: Stop coming to work. More companies today are willing to let you work from home — or, in your case, not work from home. This makes all kinds of sense. Why should your employer pay for expensive office space for you to goof off in? You can be just as unproductive in your own home and save your company the money it would otherwise spend on electricity, heat and salty snacks. Best of all, when you’re at home, there’s no one who is going to demand you interact with them. Except Oprah, Ellen, Maury, Julie, Wendy and Dr. Phil. They’re annoying, you bet, but when they start getting personal, you can always turn them off. You can’t do that with Mary-Sue from HR. Strategy No. 2: Wear office camouflage. Hunters who want to sneak up on their prey will dress in camouflage. That means greencolored clothing which hides
you behind realistic designs of trees, plants and spiders. The same principle applies to office camouflage, which hides you behind realistic designs of workstations, copying machines and, of course, spiders. If you really don’t want to be noticed, come to work naked. People will see you, but they won’t remember it. The sight of naked you bending over the watercooler will be so horrible, it will sizzle their little brains. Strategy No. 3: Tell everyone EVERYTHING This won’t be easy. You will need to ingest a mind-altering substance to turn your brain inside out. (Ayahuasca works. So does scarfing a half-dozen cinnamon buns.) The strategy is to temporarily transform yourself from a meek introvert, who never says anything to anyone, into a loud-mouth extravert who never shuts up. Fill the workday with stories of your experiences in summer camp. Regale your co-workers with the secrets of Hummel collecting. Call everyone together and explain, with a detailed PowerPoint, why you think Billie Eilish represents the sonic evolution of Paula Abdul. If you can chat your way through one blabbermouth workday, you’ll be safe. No one will want to interact with you ever again.
Chris Castro Lorraine Bernaldes Beth Flanagan Dawn Hamilton Corey Rogers Melody Wann Charles Webber Jennifer Webber
DIGITAL Frankie Tovar Rich Matheson
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209MAG A Z I N E.CO M
209 BUSINESS JOURNAL
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OCTOBER 2019
BUILDING YOUR BUSINESS AT WORK
You know you have an online retail business when ... It’s the most commonly asked question eBay and Amazon sellers ask me: “I’ve been selling on eBay/ Amazon/Etsy/wherever for a while, but I don’t know if I should treat it as a hobby or a business.” Sooner or later, every online seller has to make the fateful decision: Should I do this only occasionally for the fun of it, or should I consider making it a part-time or fulltime living? Sometimes the decision is made for you, as when so many people are asking you to sell their stuff on eBay that before you know it, you’ve made $50,000 or more in profits and you almost have to treat it as a business. Here are 20 signs, David Letterman style, that your online selling activities are getting a wee bit beyond the hobby stage. 20. You’ve run out of things in your attic and basement to sell online, and your friends, neighbors, parents and children are complaining stuff goes missing each time you visit them. 19. After putting your garbage out by the curb on pickup day, you drive around the neighborhood to see if anybody is throwing away anything interesting. 18. You’ve taken out classified ads in the local newspapers and placed one-page flyers in all of your neighbors’ mailboxes offering to help other people clean out their attics and basements — for a fee, of course. 17.You begin haunting local funeral parlors, like Paul Newman in “The Verdict,” offering your online selling services to bereaved relatives who just can’t bear the thought of cleaning out Mom’s house. 16. You’re personally acquainted with every estate, divorce and bankruptcy attorney in your community. 15. A hedge fund wants to invest in what you’re doing. 14. You consider building out the shed in your backyard or adding a third story to your center-hall colonial so you’ll have more room to store your inventory. 13. You keep your Yorkshire terrier chained to your inventory at night so you can deduct him as a guard dog (hey, they’re mean little guys; you may actually get
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CLIFF ENNICO CREATORS SYNDICATE
away with it). 12. The first things you read in the newspaper every morning are the liquidation and creditors’ notices in the legal section of the classified ads page. 11. You carry rolls of hundred-dollar bills to garage sales, arriving just as the homeowners are putting out their stuff, and offer to buy everything they have, sight unseen. 10. You own the complete works of Marsha Collier, Lynn Dralle, Skip McGrath, Danna Crawford and other online selling gurus (if you don’t know who these folks are, you probably aren’t quite there yet). 9. You’re on a first-name basis with every employee of your town dump, the head of the local trucker’s union, and every freight liquidator, customs broker and factory outlet within a 50mile radius. 8. You arrive at 6 a.m. for your local library’s annual book sale with 36 empty liquor boxes and three day laborers to help you pack up your truck. 7. You have so many student interns helping you create your listings that the local community college has named a faculty chair after you. 6. You know exactly where you can find motor vehicles that were formerly owned by drug dealers. 5. You know which brands of perfume, housewares and other consumer goods are being discontinued by their manufacturers within the next six months — and which distributors are likely to have overstocks of these items. 4. The hosts of the “eBay for Business” podcast (https://community.ebay. com/t5/eBay-for-BusinessPodcast/gp-p/g-232) have your home phone number on speed dial. 3. The local kids can’t play basketball in the street anymore because they’re too busy dodging UPS trucks going to and from your home office.
2. You’re setting up a charitable foundation to teach convicts in your state prison system how to use eBay Selling Manager, Auctiva, Sellbrite and other online selling software. And last but not least ... 1. You make at least one penny in profit each year from your online selling activities. When you start selling things online, you have to take yourself seriously as a business. EBay, Amazon, Etsy and other online retail platforms will expect you to operate in a professional, businesslike manner and treat your buyers with respect. If even a couple of buyers post negative feedback saying they didn’t have a good experience with you, you may well be kicked off the site. Here are a couple of tips for getting started: —Have your accountant obtain a federal tax identification number (EIN) for your business. —Register for state sales, use and other business taxes. Your accountant can also do this for you, probably for free. —If you plan to have lots of shipments each week, set up a private mailbox arrangement at your local UPS Store and use that instead of your home address as your business address. Consider forming a corporation or limited liability company (LLC) for your business. A local attorney can do this for you for a fee in the $500 to $1,000 range. Set up a bad debt reserve (https://www.accountingtools.com/articles/what-isthe-bad-debt-reserve.html) so you can take a deduction on your taxes when buyers fail to pay you on time, return stuff other than the stuff you sent to them or threaten to post negative feedback online if you don’t let them keep your stuff AND their money. Cliff Ennico (crennico@ gmail.com) is a syndicated columnist, author and former host of the PBS television series “Money Hunt.” This column is no substitute for legal, tax or financial advice, which can be furnished only by a qualified professional licensed in your state.
209BUSINESSJOURNAL.COM
STARTUPS
Part 1: Finding Your Way, Finding Customers
FALL 2019
1,000 SCORE SURVEYED
NEW BUSINESSES
about their experience as startups Why focus on startups?
The number of new business startups is considered a significant indicator of economic health and innovation.
Their businesses were not started on a whim. Most entrepreneurs begin a new business with passion and experience.
14.6%
13.9%
Passion for the product/service I provide (40.2%)
15.1%
40.2%
Wanted the flexibility of self-employment (16%) Saw a gap in the marketplace that I wanted to fill (15.1%) Unemployment or underemployment at my previous job (14.6%)
16%
Wanted to be my own boss (13.9%)
New owners have on average 11.5 years of experience in their industry before starting. Only 15% start their businesses due to unemployment or underemployment.
Startup entrepreneurs turn to friends, family, mentors and their business plan for support. What motivated entrepreneurs when they hit rough patches during their first year in business:
66.2%
43.1%
42.9%
30.3%
29.5%
Support of family/friends
Plan for my business idea
Business mentor
Personal coach/ counseling
Networking groups
24.9%
19.6%
9.8%
6.0%
How-to training
Specific advisor in industry/field
Trade Associations
Co-working space
The most effective marketing tactics were those that directly engaged with prospective customers. Used (% of total)
Brought in customers (% of those who used)
70% 60%
68.9%
64.9%
59.8%
50%
52.1%
40%
89%
of start-ups have at least some paying customers by the end 57.9% of their first year of 53.6% operation.
66.8%
45%
30% Reached out to personal/professional network 60%
Social media
50.8%
49.2% 43.5%
42.1%
30% Email marketing
Formal networking groups
59.9%
50% 40%
Search engine optimization
Online advertising
39.5%
42.7%
42.2%
Print advertising
36.7% Speaking at events
29.9%
Cold calling
209 BUSINESS JOURNAL
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NEWS
When it comes to wine grapes, SJ County is No. 1 I have friends in San Francisco that practically turn up their noses dismissing the idea that great tasting wine comes from grapes grown in San Joaquin County. Last December, I dropped by on a trip to The City with a bottle of Gnarly Head Cabernet Sauvignon. They were familiar with Gnarly Head. They said they liked the bottle I brought them. I’ll have to take their word for it as I don’t drink wine. But when I told them where the winery is that produces Gnarly Head I realized they weren’t really wine snobs given they had never inspected the back label on the backside of the bottle that reads “vinted & bottled by Gnarly Head Wines, Manteca and Napa.” They simply had a deep-seated bias about the San Joaquin Valley in general. About the same time I met a couple that had moved to Manteca from San Jose while at Bass Pro Shops. We got engaged in conversation and they asked how good the wineries were in the foothills such as Ironstone Vineyards. When I mentioned Manteca had its own winery complete with a wine tasting room they were a bit taken a back. They knew about the Lodi Wine Country but they couldn’t believe Manteca had a winery. That’s understandable if you don’t stray far from the freeway umbilical cord for connects you to the Bay Area via the Altamont Pass and have not really explored San Joaquin County or even taken a drive into the Manteca countryside where vineyards, fields of pumpkins, dairies, and walnut orchards are intermixed with what seems to be endless almond orchards. One of the best kept secrets in the United States — and apparently for most of San Joaquin County’s 745,424 residents — is that when it comes to growing wine grapes, there is nowhere in California — or the United States — that tops San Joaquin County. Not Napa County, not Sonoma County, not Monterey County and not even the entire State of Washington or even all of Oregon. If San Joaquin County were a state, it would be second to only California when it comes to bearing wine grape acreage. Based on 2017 United States
DENNIS WYATT STAFF REPORTS
Department of Agriculture wine grape acreage reports, San Joaquin had 69,899 acres or roughly a seventh of California’s 460,438 acres of wine grape production. That is bigger than the No. 2 state of Washington at 55,445 acres, the No. 3 state of New York at 35,000 acres and the No. 4 state of Oregon at 23,000 acres.
San Joaquin is not a tourist Mecca with $300 spa treatments and $250 mud baths and top-tier dining although Ernie’s Fine Dining and Spirits in Manteca is impressive enough it draws clientele from San Francisco while Lodi’s wineries can hold their own for wine tasting. Wines & Roses in Lodi is a comparably affordable getaway with elegant rooms, top-notch space, fine food and wines plus it is next door to the Lodi Wine & Visitor Center. Altogether San Joaquin County has nearly 80 wineries with the vast major-
ity in the Lodi area. While downtown Lodi isn’t exactly Napa it has a quaint collection of shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues complete with al fresco dining accented with charming streetscape that isn’t quite Pleasanton but definitely can give Livermore more than a run for its money. And like Livermore that features wines from the Livermore Valley, there is a wine tasting spot in downtown Lodi that draws from the surrounding countryside. SEE GRAPES, PAGE 10
DENNIS WYATT/209 BUSINESS JOURNAL
The Delicato Vineyards wine tasting room is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for wine tasting and closes at 5:30 p.m.
The next closest county to San Joaquin is Sonoma County at 57,449 acres followed by Monterey County at 44,361 acres. It even tops the world-famous fabled Napa County with 43,279 acres. When you toss all grapes into the equation — table, raisin, and wine — San Joaquin County’s acreage jumps to 98,100 acres or 12 percent of the Golden State total. Two of the nation’s Top 10 wineries are in San Joaquin County — Manteca’s Delicato Vineyards and The Wine Group in Ripon. Stanislaus County that grows a 10th of the wine grapes San Joaquin County does also has two Top 10 wineries with Gallo and Bronco Wines. Gallo is the nation’s largest while among the four only Delicato has a wine tasting room. It is two miles north of Manteca at Highway 99 and French Camp Road. Delicato features daily wine tasting from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the tasting room closing at 5:30 p.m. Keep in mind a lot of grapes grown in San Joaquin County make their way to wineries throughout the state including those in the Napa Valley.
Local programs become recipients of region’s biggest ever EDA grant STAFF REPORT 209 Business Journal
Students at two Stanislaus County schools will be training on cutting-edge equipment, thanks to a grant of nearly one million dollars received from the Economic Development Administration, a bureau within the United States Department of Commerce. The training is expected to save 453 jobs while creating at least 20 new positions. The funding, allocated to VOLT Institute and Modesto Junior College, will be used for the purchase of equipment on par with machines used in industrial settings at local employers. David White, Chief Executive Officer of Opportunity Stanislaus, the organization responsible for conceptualizing VOLT Institute, knows the importance of high-tech equipment in the classroom. “The feedback we keep getting from employers is that our program is solid but that having equipment in the classroom similar to the machines students will be using in the field after graduation is essential to
their success,” said White. “We are launching PLC training in our next class starting in October and this will allow us to add coursework from the nationallyrecognized NIMS system to our offerings. We are especially excited to offer Amatrol’s popular mechatronics course.” For its part Modesto Junior College, a trailblazer in creating career pathways that lead to local jobs, will be adding equipment that complements its Career Technical Education programs with partner high schools. “We are happy to work with Opportunity Stanislaus, the Stanislaus County Office of Education, and local employers. This grant helps build a pipeline for local residents to gain technical skills and advance their careers through additional training and education,” remarked Modesto Junior College President James Houpis. The grant required match funding, a hurdle overcome by Assemblymember Adam C. Gray’s work to get a million dollars for VOLT
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209 BUSINESS JOURNAL
10
GRANT
they don’t always have the skills or experience they need to fill them,” said Representative Harder. “VOLT has already proven they can step in to fix this problem, and now they’re going to have even more capacity to get people prepped and into a good career. It’s good for businesses looking to hire, it’s great for workers, and it’s one more way we can signal to employers outside of our area that we have a highly-skilled workforce ready to get the job done.” VOLT Institute is a partnership between Opportunity Stanislaus, the county’s economic development organization that is committed to improving economic vitality in the region, and SCOE. Opportunity Stanislaus, SCOE, and Modesto Junior College have collaborated for the last year in a combined effort to build the best collaborative advanced manufacturing training program in California. This new grant will help strengthen the joint effort. SCOE Superintendent Scott Kuykendall was ecstatic upon hearing the news of the grant award. “We are excited to add to VOLT Institute these exciting new programs,” re-
FROM PAGE 9 Institute and MJC allocated in the 2018-19 California State Budget. “We have a significant shortage of workers with the real skills necessary to get these good-paying jobs. We are encouraged that VOLT and MJC were able to use this state money to assemble a total of $2 million from federal and state grants to train an additional 200 students annually by expanding its certified industrial maintenance program and the industrial electronics, manufacturing, and machine program,” Gray said. Gray is not the only legislator associated with support for the project. Congressman Josh Harder has made his support for technical training and VOLT Institute in particular known since taking office, attending several of the school’s events and calling training in key areas a matter of statewide importance. “This is huge news – we’ve got all these talented people in the Valley who want good-paying jobs close to home, but
MARKET
In the meat and seafood section, guests can request made-to-order brisket, ribs, pork shoulder, and sausage smoked over-night for the fullest flavor. The store team will make fresh sausage with flavors like mangohabanero and tomato-basil. To round it out, grilling specialists will cook meats and seafood to-order as guests shop. The store features a Beer Cave, which is the largest selection of cold beer in Modesto. The Beer Cave is home to over 550 varieties and sizes in a very easy to shop layout. If guests prefer wine, the store hosts cheese and wine specialists that are available to assist guests with pairings. Save Mart’s newest store
FROM PAGE 1
ated our prepared foods and picked the services to delight our guests,” said Jerald Smith, store director for Modesto’s Store 1. “We have assembled an excellent team to ensure a great experience for our guests every time they shop—and that experience will evolve as we test new ideas and concepts for the company.” At the store’s Bakery Bar, customers can mix-n-match cookies by-the-pound, alongside an assortment of Mexican pastries like churros and Mexican sweet bread. They also offer locally roasted Milone coffee or espresso drinks.
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marked Kuykendall. “The Tom Changnon Education Center is fast becoming a center of excellence for vocational training.” EDA grants are awarded through a competitive process based upon the application’s merit, the applicant’s eligibility, and the availability of funds. Because of the matching requirements and arduous application, the region has only ever received one such award of just over $140,000, allotted in 2010 to the City of Riverbank. But White hopes the award is the first of many for the county’s workforce development efforts. “We are committed to providing high-quality jobs and that starts with an emphasis on top-notch training. Enthusiasm and ideas for continuous improvement are not in short supply and this encourages us that funding is not either,” he said. “This federal grant is a great example of what our region can accomplish when we work together in support of economic development,” added Warren Kirk, CEO of Doctors Medical Center and Chairman of the Board for Opportunity Stanislaus.
and dCrALM ink TEQU ILA 5/20/2
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GRAPES
FROM PAGE 9 It’s safe to say if Clearance Clearwater Revival broke down in Lodi today they likely would have sung a different tune in recording the song “Lodi” with its anti-chamber of commerce refrain “Oh Lord, stuck in Lodi again.” While we are on the subject of the $2.5 billion worth of crops that come from the 58.2 percent of San Joaquin County’s 1,391 square miles that constitute farm-
LATHROP
FROM PAGE 6
said. “The storage space will be welcomed by the residents and businesses in both Central Lathrop and River Islands.” Once approved for thousands of homes that were expected to fill all of the land around Lathrop High School, development in Central Lathrop ground to a halt when issues with the initial developer arose and
brings together a group of 135 skilled team members from the retail, hospitality, grocery and agricultural industries “Save Mart’s new state-ofthe-art supermarket will not only serve the local community by providing fresh wholesome food, but will provide great jobs to local residents,” said Dave White, executive director of Opportunity Stanislaus. “The Save Mart Companies plays a unique role in Stanislaus County with its headquarters here and the company’s commitment to sourcing products from local growers and purveyors to their network of 207 stores.” The Tipping Point, a fastcasual restaurant with both indoor and outdoor garden
seating, is located inside the store and features tri-tip barbequed to perfection and served five different ways— wet or dry sandwich, torta, taco or salad alongside street corn, churros and other favorite side dishes. The Tipping Point will have a wide selection of local beer and wine on tap. It features Dust Bowl, Blaker Brewery, Heretic, Drakes, 21st Amendment, and Tioga. It also hosts four William Hill and Louis M. Martini wines on tap, along with a variety of bottled wines. Local selections will change seasonally and be announced to followers on the store’s Facebook page. The Tipping Point food menu and other signature prepared foods from throughout the new store’s hot bar and the service deli will be available for on-demand
OCTOBER 2019
land, this might be a good time to note if San Joaquin County were its own state it would rank as the 35th most productive farm state in the nation. California at almost $50 billion grows more than 400 commodities that account for 13 percent of this nation’s food production. The Golden State grows over a third of the nation’s vegetables as well as two thirds of the nation’s fruit and nuts. And here’s another surprise: San Joaquin is the top producing county in California for seven com-
modities. They are lima beans (93% of the state’s crop), pumpkins (88%), chicken eggs (59%), watermelons (39%), grain corn (34%), safflower (26%) and walnuts (18%). The county’s almond production doesn’t even make the top five. In terms of the county’s $2.5 billion worth of crop production grapes are at the top at $395.5 million followed by milk at $387.3 million, almonds at $362 million, walnuts at $317 million, and cherries at $184 million.
then the collapse of the housing market halted any future growth in the area for more than a decade. With the South County housing market exploding again, new residential tracts are currently under construction in the area, and the acquisition of the previous development rights from a firm that has rectified lingering bond debt issues from the previous developer means that the area is poised to grow as initially planned.
And more people means more opportunities for businesses like Golden Valley Storage to serve the growing community. “These self-storage spaces have great appeal for vehicle owners, small businesses, records storage, and business inventory,” Bateman said. “The GVSS market is primarily the local residential user. “The Central Lathrop area is currently underserved by self-storage facilities.”
delivery by DoorDash. Garden beds located in the midst of the Tipping Point’s outdoor seating will be planted and maintained by the horticulture clubs of the local Kiernan Klover and Empire 4H clubs. Twice annually, they will host a produce sale in front of the store to raise funds for their clubs. “Kiernan Klovers are excited to be working with Save Mart! We are grateful and thankful to bring a horticulture project to our group and members,” said Kiernan Lovers 4H Club President Jamie Smith. In addition to their partnership with 4H, the company made a $30,000 donation to the new Awesome Spot accessible playground just down the block from the store and a $20,000 donation to the United Way of Stanislaus County for coordination
18
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of homeless services. Modesto’s new Save Mart store will also serve as an innovation center for the company, that operates 207 stores throughout California and Northern Nevada under the banners of FoodMaxx, Lucky and Save Mart. Based in the Central Valley, TSMC is committed to sourcing a wide variety of local products to communities throughout California and Northern Nevada. In addition to its retail operation, the company also operates Smart Refrigerated Transport and is a partner in Super Store Industries, which owns and operates a distribution center in Lathrop and the Sunnyside Farms dairy processing plant in Turlock. The new Save Mart store is located at 3401 Oakdale Road in Modesto.
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209 BUSINESS JOURNAL
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ACCOLADES
PROMOTIONS, APPOINTMENTS, HONORS, ETC. Family Resource & Referral Center executive director appointed to Early Childhood Education Policy Council
Kay Ruhstaller, Executive Director of Family Resource & Referral Center has been appointed by the Rules Committee of the California State Senate to serve on the Early Childhood Education Policy Council and will represent San Joaquin County and the Central Valley. The Early Childhood Policy Council will advise the Governor, Legislature, and Superintendent of Public Instruction on statewide early learning and care policy, including Kay Ruhstaller implementation and evaluation of the state’s Master Plan for Early Learning and Care and the 2019 Assembly Blue Ribbon Commission on Early Childhood Education Final Report. “For me, this is the opportunity of a lifetime in our field….to be a voice for the Valley,” said Ruhstaller. Ruhstaller has served as Executive Director for Family Resource and Referral for the past 16 years, and has been at the helm of an agency that connects thousands of San Joaquin families to valuable resources such as child care and early learning opportunities. Additionally, she has been a Commissioner for First 5 San Joaquin, Children and Families Commission since 2009 and served as the Public Policy Chair for the statewide California Child Care Resource & Referral Network for six years. The Policy Council will provide counsel on some of the early childhood bills that include: providing subsidized preschool and childcare to more children, increasing pay for childcare providers and preschool teachers, helping teachers get more professional development and training and providing funds for building or renovating more child care and preschool classrooms. Screening more infants and toddlers to identify developmental delays, which are included in the Blue Ribbon Commission Report, will also be part of the Council’s work.
Oak Valley Jewelers celebrates silver anniversary
This October will mark the 25th anniversary of the family-owned and operated Oak Valley Jewelers in October. A business which first began in 1994 in the Kmart shopping center and has been in the SaveMart (Foothill Oaks) Shopping Plaza since July of 2000. Some might say, Kim Contreas was born for the business. His father, Don Contreras, was the owner and operator of Don Contreras Jewelers which started in Palo Alto in the early 1970’s. He eventually opened a second location in Sonora. Upon completing high school, he attended Gemological Institute of America in Santa Monica, in an eight-month program. Contreas and his wife Lori first relocated to the Central Valley so that Lori could be closer to her parents. Living in Modesto at the time and traveling to Sonora on occasion to visit his parents took the couple through Oakdale on a regular basis. “We saw an opportunity when they built the Kmart shopping center,” Contreas said.
“Providing something for Oakdale that wasn’t being provided, onsite repair service and onsite custom work that wasn’t being done anywhere in Oakdale at the time.” As the town was beginning to grow, the husband and wife team felt there would be plenty of customers to sustain a family business. “We embraced the community and fell in love with all aspects of it,” Contreas said. “The fundraising, donating and joining social groups and service clubs.”
Visionary Home Builders of California, Inc. announces Chief Real Estate Development & Financial Officer
Visionary Home Builders of California, Inc. has announced that Chief Operating Officer, Justin Llata, will become the Chief Real Estate Development & Financial Officer. Llata has more than fifteen years in real estate development and ten years in executive management and leadership at VHB. He is committed to community development and has been an Justin Llata advocate for posi-
tive affordable housing policy and policy changes throughout his career. With involvement in all aspects of the business and operations at VHB, his responsibilities include development, construction, finance, property management, and asset management. Most recently, he was highly involved in building out the agency’s pipeline of major development projects, which includes the oversight of $350 million in past projects utilizing private and public funding to include tax credits, HUD, USDA, State and local sources. Over the course of his tenure with the organization, his leadership of acquisitions, rehabilitations, as well as the new construction of multi-family housing, has played a pivotal role in the growth and success of VHB, guiding it into a premier, nonprofit housing developer. Currently, with $175 million dollars of projects in progress, Llata will be responsible for overseeing the financial structure and development of multi-family housing. “We are both pleased and excited to promote Justin to this new role and add the responsibilities of Chief Real Estate Development and Financial Officer to his position,” states Carol Ornelas, CEO of Visionary Home Builders of California, Inc. “His proven track record of overseeing the success of our many projects throughout the Central Valley speaks for itself.” Llata is a graduate of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, where he studied Computer Science. Having been raised in a family first
setting, where education and foundation started at the breakfast table, Llata understands the importance of healthy housing and aims to better the world by improving the lives of many via clean, safe, affordable housing. He enjoys spending his free time outdoors with his wife, daughter, and two dogs.
Hospice of San Joaquin introduces new medical director
Hospice of San Joaquin is pleased to announce our new Medical Director, Kurpa S. Sharma MD HMDC. Dr. Sharma brings several years of experience in the health care industry, with Board Certification in Hospice, Palliative Medicine in 2010, as well as Internal Medicine in 2006 and 2016 through the American Board of Internal Kurpa S. Sharma Medicine. She is currently the Associate Medical Director for Optimal Hospice and Medical Director of the Stanislaus County Chapter of the Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment Coalition. Dr. Sharma completed her internship and residency at Maricopa Medical SEE ACCOLADES, PAGE 12
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California Table Grape Commission hires Marketing Director of Category Management
David Dudley is the new marketing director of category management for the California Table Grape Commission. Dudley’s responsibilities include expanding the retail demand for California table grapes in the U.S. and Canada through enhanced category management. “We are very excited to welcome David to the team,” said Kathleen Nave, president of the commission. “David’s nearly 10 years of
Community Hospice, the oldest and largest nonprofit hospice p rov i d e r serving the Central Valley since 1979, is pleased to announce a new b o a r d member. Joining the ComMichael L. Gianelli munity Hospice Board of Directors is Mr. Michael L. Gianelli. “I am pleased to welcome Michael to our Community Hospice Board and family,” said C. DeSha McLeod, Community Hospice President/CEO. “Michael brings to Community Hospice a wealth of experience in law practice and a vast understanding of our community. We look forward to working together to provide compassionate and quality care, education and support to our community friends and families.” Gianelli has more than forty years of law practice and is senior counsel at Gianelli Nielsen whose practice areas include estate planning, trusts, complex litigation, litigation and appeals, business and commercial law and mediation. Michael is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law with the California Board of Legal Specialization and has workshop training in mediation. The Community Hospice Board of Directors is comprised of community volunteers who provide strategic oversight and governance to the organization’s mission to provide compassionate care, education and support to terminally ill patients and their families, regardless of ability to pay.
Sat., Oct. 19 - Google Developer Group DevFest Learn about new technologies at DevFest, a community-led developer event hosted by Google Developer Groups 9am to 5pm ($15) at Nine3One: 931 10th St., Modesto For Tickets: https://bit.ly/2mnsYyY
Tues., Oct. 22 - Super Smash Bros Tournament Join other local techies for a great time and a chance to win 5pm to 9pm ($10) at The Gaming Hub: 142 N 9th Street, Ste 1, Modesto To Register, Call: (209) 596-4940
Thurs., Oct. 24 - Stockton Women Techmakers Come support the growth of women in tech and female entrepreneurs in the Central Valley 6pm to 8pm (Free) at The Huddle: 110 N San Joaquin St., Stockton RSVP at www.meetup.com/Valley-Software-Developers-Stockton
Sat., Oct. 26 - Valley Hackathon’s Software Showdown Bring your new or existing software project to compete for the $500 first prize and many other prizes 3pm to 8pm (Free) at ValleyWorx: 4701 Stoddard Rd., Modesto To Compete: www.valleyhackathon.com/events
Come support Stockton & Modesto’s fast-growing tech community!
Dev Week is also a great opportunity for your business to connect with local tech talent and clients
Sponsorship Levels Banner Displayed at Software Showdown Opportunity to Sponsor Drawing at Software Showdown 10 Minute Company Presentation at Software Showdown Opportunity to Leave Company Swag Logo on Event Tshirts 2-Minute Intro at Software Showdown & Women Techmakers 2-Minute Intro at Women Techmakers Table at Software Showdown Opportunity to Sponsor Meal at Software Showdown Opportunity to Sponsor Meal at Women Techmakers Opportunity to Sponsor Snacks at Smash Bros Tournament 12 Tickets to GDG DevFest 6 Tickets to GDG DevFest Logo on Digital Display at 4 Events Logo on Digital Display at 2 Events Company Name in Press Release Logo on Social Media Post Company Name in Social Media Post Logo on Website
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Community Hospice announces new Board Member
Four exciting tech events in one week!
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Center in Phoenix, Arizona, and began her early career as a hospitalist at Kaiser in Hayward, California. Shortly after, Dr. Sharma found her calling working in the impatient palliative care program at Kaiser in Modesto, where she fostered patients’ improvement of life by aligning their goals with quality care. Soon after her eldest daughter was born, Dr. Sharma joined Sutter Gould and started working in the Advanced Illness Management program. She worked as the Associate Medical Director for Community Hospice Inc., where she honed in her experience before assuming role as Associate Medical Director at Optimal Hospice. “Medical advances over the last several decades have made the chapter of dying and death a sterile, cold, lonely one that at times is punctuated by suffering. I am honored and humbled to be part of a great organization that is working to change that into a chapter full of love, life and comfort for the person and their families.” says Dr. Sharma. Dr. Sharma has a passion for teaching and she enjoys speaking to various audiences about Palliative Care and Advanced Care Planning. In her spare time, she enjoys baking, reading, browsing Pinterest, and spending time with her husband and three beautiful children. Family Resource & Referral Center Chosen as a 2019 Nonprofit of the Year Family Resource & Referral Center was chosen as a 2019 California Nonprofit of the Year by Assembly Member Susan Eggman. Kay Ruhstaller, Executive Director from Family Resource and Referral Center traveled to the State Capitol this summer to join with one hundred other nonprofit leaders and was honored by their state senators and assembly members during a celebration luncheon as part of California Nonprofits Day on June 5th. With close to 4,000 nonprofit organizations and institutions in operation in San Joaquin County, this is quite an honor for the agency and its 150 employees. “Staff and volunteers at Family Resource and Referral Center transform the lives of children and families every day, and we are deeply humbled to be recognized by Assembly Member Eggman as a Nonprofit of the Year,” said Gillian Murphy, president of the FRRC Board of Directors.
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experience in produce management and his experience in the retail sector will be key to the development David Dudley of future retail programs.” Dudley joins the commission after more than five years at Save Mart, most recently as a senior produce category manager. Dudley also worked for Markon Cooperative as a product manager. According to Nave, Dudley will primarily focus on developing a strategic marketing plan to drive California table grape sales. Dudley will be part of a four-member retail team and will manage numerous retail accounts. Dudley is a California native, born and raised in the San Joaquin Valley. He is a graduate of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, with a bachelor of science degree in agribusiness with a concentration in marketing.
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Dev Week highlights local software talent through 4 exciting tech events in Stockton and Modesto • Connect with the Central Valley’s fast-growing tech community • Promote your company and your job openings • Develop relationships with potential clients and business partners • Demonstrate your commitment to local tech training
More info at www.meetup.com/ValleyWorx-Software-Developers To sponsor Dev Week, contact Rachel@BayValleyTech.com