SCV Business Journal February 2022

SANTA CL A R I TA VA L L E Y

BUSINESS O F F I CI A L P U B L ICAT IO N O F TH E SCV CH AM BER OF C OM M ER CE

J O U R N AL

john shaffery: the pilot of poole shaffery & koegle, llp

Santa Clarita Stock Index Keller Raggio Econowatch and More!

FEBRUARY 2022 VOL 14 • No 2 SIGNALSCV.COM/BUSINESS

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F E B R UA RY 2022

SCV BUSINESS VOICES

Balance Disorders and Your Hearing DR. KEVIN BOLDER

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AuD, Audiology Associates

f you have vertigo, you may feel like the world is spinning, even while you’re standing still. Many people don’t know where to turn when they experience the symptoms of a balance disorder like vertigo. Here’s what you need to know to get treatment and feel steady again. Why You Experience Vertigo It’s normal to feel a spinning sensation after going on a park ride, spinning in circles or even taking a boat ride. But when you have a balance disorder, that sensation is chronic, and it can arise without any external cause. Your sense of balance — known as equilibrium — comes from communication between your inner ear and brain. When you move, fluid

and hairs in your inner ear shift. This sends a signal to the brain to adjust and keep your body balanced. Vertigo occurs when the inner ear cannot function properly, usually because of some type of damage.

symptoms, such as lightheadedness and a floating sensation. If you’re experiencing hearing loss, earaches or tinnitus, let us know. This ensures we address both your balance and hearing.

Possible Causes of Balance Disorders The most common cause of vertigo is when calcium crystals move from their normal location and float throughout the inner ear. Other common causes include viral infections and head injuries. You may also experience a balance disorder if you have hearing loss. Because the inner ear controls our sense of balance, damage to it can impair both our balance and hearing.

Where to Seek Treatment We can perform tests to verify your balance diagnosis and help you determine whether you’ve also experienced hearing loss.

How to Tell if You Have Vertigo Vertigo creates a spinning sensation, while other balance disorders can cause similar

To schedule a hearing evaluation today, please call Audiology Associates at (661) 2841900. Kevin Bolder, Au.D and John Davis, Au.D. are two of the best in Santa Clarita and San Fernando Valley. Visit our website at www. AudiologyAssociates.net or stop by our NEW office located at 25425 Orchard Village Road, Ste 220, Santa Clarita, CA 91355. We are hearing healthcare excellence! 

COMPASSION | EXPERIENCE | RESULTS When you’ve been injured, we’re on your side. We battle the insurance companies so you can focus on getting better. Our promise - there are never any attorney fees unless we win your case. And with a 99% SUCCESS RATE, experience gets results.

Over $10 Billion Recovered on cases filed, settled or tried to jury verdicts

• Auto & Motorcycle Accidents • Truck Accidents • Pedestrian/Bicycle Accidents • Dangerous Products • Dangerous Pharmaceuticals • Mass Torts/Complex Litigation • Slip & Fall • Dog Bites

Fighting for victims of SCV

SINCE 1977

OWEN, PATTERSON & OWEN

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PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERS

888.OPO.WINS | 661.799.3899 | OPOLAW.COM 23822 Valencia Blvd., #303 | Valencia | CA 91355

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C O N T E N T S

F E B R UA RY 2022

NEWS & FEATURES 7

CEO Spotlight: John Shaffery, Poole Shaffery & Koegle, LLP

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Buying a Home is About Trust, Family and a Place to Build a Life

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A Look at New Laws that Took Effect in January

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Rents Up Sharply Over Past Month

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New Employment Laws for 2022

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Santa Clarita Stock Exchange

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Econowatch

LISTS 19

Largest Law Firms in the SCV

Tax Preparation Services in the SCV 22

6 SHIFTING CONTROL TO YOUR MANAGERS

Lawyers — Solo Practitioners

FROM THE EXPERTS 6

Ken Keller: Shifting Control to Your Managers

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Paul Butler: Going the Extra Mile

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Paul Raggio: Master the Fundamentals

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Jeff Prang: Good Time to Revisit Ways to Save on Taxes

SCV BUSINESS VOICES 2

Audiology Associates

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Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital

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SCV Economic Development Corp.

CHAMBER SPOTLIGHTS 12

Business Choice Award Winners

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Chamber PAC Launch

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Upcoming Events

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Business Councils

9 LAW CHANGES THAT TOOK EFFECT IN JANUARY

February 2022 | Vol. 14 | No. 2

PUBLISHER Richard Budman rbudman@signalscv.com (661) 287-5501

PRODUCTION MANAGER Doña Uhrig

A proud publication of

SINCE 1919

SignalSCV. com

17 NEW EMPLOYMENT LAWS

Santa Clarita Valley Business Journal (a Signal publication), © 2022, is published monthly by the Santa Clarita Valley Signal newspaper, Paladin Multi-Media Group, Inc., 25060 Avenue Stanford, Ste 141, Valencia, CA 91355. The SCV Business Journal is intended to provide business executives with a cross-section of industry news and information, trends and statistics that impact our growing community. Information gathered in the pages of the SCV Business Journal has been collected from what are considered reliable sources, and is believed to be accurate, but cannot be guaranteed. Articles may not be reprinted without publisher’s written permission. For reprint requests, please call (661) 259-1234.

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COVID-19 Vaccines and Fertility PATRICK MOODY

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Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital

ou might have heard talk about whether the COVID-19 vaccines can affect fertility. A new study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) may help put those worries to rest. The study followed 2,000 couples who were trying to become pregnant. The researchers compared couples who had not been vaccinated against COVID-19 with couples in which at least one person had received at least one shot. The results were clear. The COVID-19 vaccines did not affect fertility. That was true for men and women. The NIH study looked at other factors, too, including: What type of COVID-19 vaccine was used.

How recently they had been vaccinated. How many doses they received. There were no major differences. None of the COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the U.S. affected fertility. That’s not a surprise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), no vaccines have ever been shown to cause fertility problems. COVID-19 Vaccines and Women COVID-19 vaccines don’t hurt a woman’s chance of becoming pregnant. Many women have become pregnant after getting their COVID-19 vaccines. And vaccines do not raise the risk for miscarriage, according to CDC. COVID-19 vaccines are safe at any stage of pregnancy. But pregnant women are at an increased risk of getting very sick from COVID-19. And COVID-19 is linked to a risk of serious pregnancy problems. COVID-19 vaccines can help pregnant women stay healthy. COVID-19 Vaccines and Men CDC and other experts have found that COVID-19 vaccines do not affect a man’s fertility. Researchers have looked at sperm from before and after men were vaccinated. There were no major changes. That may be because COVID-19 often causes a fever. Fever can reduce a man’s sperm count. It can also affect how sperm moves.

The researchers noted other possible causes too. COVID-19 has been linked with inflammation in the testes and erectile dysfunction. COVID-19 vaccines are safe The COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. They can help you avoid getting very sick from COVID-19. Learn more about COVID-19

SCV BUSINESS VOICES vaccines by clicking on the COVID-19 link at the top of the henrymayo.com homepage. Patrick Moody is the director of marketing and public relations at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital. For more information about local community health programs, visit HenryMayo. com. 

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F E B R UA RY 2022

Shifting Control to Your Managers KEN KELLER

SCVBJ Contributing Writer

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ast month I shared about Stage 3 of the 7 stages of business growth, covering the top of delegation and the CEO letting go. This is a continuation of that theme. Only with more employees, business gets more complicated. When you grow to Stage 4, with 35 to 57 employees, the call to action is to be hiring managers who have “been there and done that.” Don’t consider saving money by hiring inexperienced managers. Also, off the table is training people to move up in your organization. Yes, that can be done, however experience says that it’s generally just an easy way for a CEO to avoid doing the harder work — finding experienced, already trained professionals already hardwired to help grow a business. Successful CEOs surround themselves with knowledgeable, experienced people – they want to be challenged on decisions, knowing that the more diversity of ideas and even attitude they bring, the more depth and breadth they create in their organization. As the CEO, you should be spending at least 70% of your time “managing.” Your focus needs to be on getting the right people on board to take your company through this stage of growth, creating management systems and maintaining your market position. It’s all about an Internal Focus, meaning, Internal Processes. If you need to be convinced, here are your top 5 Challenges as a Stage 4 company: 1. Weak project management 2. Difficulty diagnosing problems 3. Employee turnover 4. Not getting systems in place 5. Your organization is uniformed about company growth Note the challenge of employee turnover. If you haven’t started hiring and putting strong, seasoned managers into

Successful CEOs surround themselves with knowledgeable, experienced people

key roles, your employees will leave. Remember, people stay at a company because they respect their manager. I know from experience that CEOs may know all their employees by name at this stage but never seem to get around the company enough to be able to provide positive feedback and complete evaluations for each employee. And the more employees you add, the worse this disconnect becomes, which will drive turnover. If you begin to provide your employees with managers who know how to manage the work of the company, as well as manage people, your employees will feel less frustrated, work fewer hours, become way more productive and they will receive solid input on their performance on a regular basis. Stage 4 is also about helping each manager feel confident about their team, about their work, about their own team identity. Your job is to help them gain that confidence. Don’t worry about integrating these managers across the company just yet. Help them to find their own way, and work with them to be accountable as their team evolves and

matures. You will avoid a lot of fingerpointing and department disputes if you let each manager build a stronghold and develop their own sense of commitment. As you hired more employees and moved from Stage 3 to Stage 4, you also went through another Flood Zone: an increase in the level of activity. Because you are teetering on shifting major control of your company over to experienced managers, remember to focus on key processes, and key systems that will provide you foundational building blocks to manage that shift. Your company is growing up. The biggest question to ask is if you are too. Ken Keller is an executive coach who works with small and midsize B2B company owners, CEOs and entrepreneurs. He facilitates formal top executive peer groups for business expansion, including revenue growth, improved internal efficiencies and greater profitability. He can be reached at Ken. Keller@strategicadvisoryboards.com. 

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F E B R UA RY 2022

CEO Spotlight: John Shaffery POOLE SHAFFERY & KOEGLE, LLP BY JIM WALKER

Business Journal Staff Writer

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ohn Shaffery is the managing partner and one of the founders of Poole Shaffery & Koegle, LLP, “The Law Firm for Your Business.” Shaffery and longtime friend David Poole started the firm in 1998 in downtown Los Angeles “with one other attorney and one secretary,” Shaffery said. Since then, the business has grown significantly. It now has four offices in Southern California, one in Central California and one in Northern California. With the SCV as home since 1993, Shaffery is dedicated to defending SCV businesses. “Businesses don’t necessarily take the time to become compliant with the laws. We assist them, educate them to be aware of the constantly changing laws and become compliant with them. When it comes to civil lawsuits against a business, we have the goal of assessing liability and damages and settling disputes,” he said. “Ninety-six percent of litigation cases settle. But we will go to trial without hesitation. We like to take on the 4% that don’t settle.”

The Journey

Though Shaffery “cut his teeth” on jury trials early on, and his firm arose from that, it is interesting to note that he didn’t start out his career intending to be in law. First, he was a pilot. “I attended Florida Institute of Technology, School of Aeronautics,” he said. “I finished with a Bachelor of Science in Air Commerce and Flight Technology and a commercial pilot’s license with multiple ratings. Starting out as a FAA licensed aircraft dispatcher with People Express airlines in Newark N.J., he then moved onto training to become a Boeing 727 flight engineer. When his small airline expanded rapidly to more cities, he took note of the inhouse counsel who had a huge influence

PHOTOS BY DAN WATSON / THE SIGNAL

on that expansion. “I was very impressed that one person could cause that difference and the significant economic benefit, not only to the airline, but to all the new cities we were able to serve,” Shaffery said. Realizing that being a commercial pilot was not exactly what he expected it to be, and when the airline was purchased and merged into Continental Airlines, he decided to move to sunny California and enroll in law school. While going to school at night, he spent his days working as a law clerk for Pepper Hamilton & Scheetz in downtown L.A. When the firm hired David Poole as a trial lawyer, Poole became Shaffery’s mentor and friend. Here he picked up valuable experience and eventually became a certified law clerk, which allowed him to participate in depositions and argue court motions under the supervision of an attorney while still a law student. “I tried my first case three weeks after passing the bar,” Shaffery said. Later, after four years as a trial lawyer, Shaffery said to himself, “I got this,” and went out on his own. “In 1998, I asked David to join me,” and

their firm was born.

Community

Shaffery raised three sons in the SCV (“Go Hart High,” he added), and he is all about the local community. “I couldn’t think of a better place to raise a family. With the excellent school system, the recreational opportunities created by the city and the community, the availability of so many lighted playing fields and the local youth organizations, such as AYSO and club soccer, this community was truly built as promised,” he said referring to the original sales pitch for the development of the masterplanned community of Valencia, which was, “Come Home to Valencia.” Shaffery and his firm, have always focused on being active in the local business community. “I’m a big microeconomics guy,” he said. “Keep the dollars in the community. It’s all about getting businesses to come here and stay in business here.” “I was on the board of the SCV Chamber of Commerce for a number of years and chairman in 2010 when there were 1,100 members,” he said. See SHAFFERY, page 20

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F E B R UA RY 2022

Buying a Home is About Trust, Family and a Place to Build a Life BY ALICIA DOYLE

Business Journal Staff Writer

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uying a home is the biggest investment most people make in their lifetime, and I take that responsibility seriously,” said Craig Martin of Martin Realty Group, who has more than two decades of experience buying and selling homes. “Martin Reality Group is number one in Santa Clarita for a reason — we care,” emphasized Martin, who was featured on TLC’s Flip That House. “As a homeowner myself, as well as an investor with several rental properties and active in the renovation of homes … I am a firm believer that homeownership is the best way to achieve security for your future.” As an active member of the National Association of Realtors, California Association of Realtors and the Southland Regional Association of Realtors, Martin receives constant updates on the housing market and real estate trends as well as ongoing education. “This enables me to provide you with the most current information available throughout the entire real estate transaction,” he said. In addition to helping you find your dream home, Martin Reality Group will give you $1,500 toward your closing cost, another $1,500 towards your move, and a home warranty. To prepare your home for selling, “we include professional house cleaners, window cleaners, carpet clean-

ers, de-clutter and staging, a gardener for curb appeal,and even a trash haul to get rid of unwanted items,” said Martin, adding that a professional photographer and virtual video tour is also provided. “We’re going to get your home ready for you because we want you to get every dollar out of it,” Martin said. “With some homes we’ll go an extra step to fix things, like painting the cabinets, or replacing shower heads. These little details can determine whether or not someone will pay an extra $10,000 or $20,000.” Once your home is ready, “we market it and push it as a virtual tour and then we have an open house.” A customized multi-step marketing plan is provided that’s guaranteed to generate maximum interest and get your home sold. “All of this to list your home for only 2%,” Martin said. “We take the stress out of everything. I’ve got a whole team that does all the work.” He noted that “we’ve got a solid market” and “historically low” interest rates. This is an important aspect to consider, especially for those who are currently paying monthly rent.

“Rents have gone up so much,” Martin said. If you own a home, “you’re getting the benefits of principal reduction and a tax advantage, and as rents go up, your payments are not going up. In 10 years, your payment will be the same.” Clients who praise Martin Realty Group include Tatiana Nunneri of Canyon Country, who said Craig “considered our preferences and budget and encouraged us to not to settle on a house we did not love … he not only helped us secure our dream home, but he has made sure our transition to being homeowners is smooth.” Martin “also works with an amazing team of professionals — from home and window cleaning to finance and escrow experts to ensure everything goes smoothly,” noted Jeaneen Russell of Stevenson Ranch. “Craig offers an amazing package and tons of extras at no extra costs — including a free move with a top notch moving company.” Andrea Diaz of Stevenson Ranch previously had a different realtor, “but after things did not go well, we found Craig, and our home shopping experience changed

dramatically … he took the time to explain everything to us step by step like a recipe. His negotiation skills are the best … he is truly the best and we will stay in touch with him because he made us feel like family.” Martin noted that he and his staff are all local residents who grew up in the area. “We love Santa Clarita and we love living here,” he said. “It’s a beautiful area with some of the best schools available, and it’s still affordable out here. We’ve got 35 public parks that are connected to 178 miles of bike trails. And in the summertime, we have concerts in the park.” He compared the area to the charming fictitious town of Mayberry, even though it’s so close to Los Angeles. “As big as it is, we still feel connected as a community — we have 300,000 people and we are still connected,” Martin noted. “We’re close to the main hub of one of the biggest cities in the world, but we are tight as a community.” Martin Realty Group is located at 24251 Town Center Dr. #201, Valencia 91355. For more information, visit www. santaclaritahomelistings.com or call (661) 466-4663. 

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F E B R UA RY 2022

A Look at New Laws That Took Effect in January BY SIGNAL STAFF

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ere is a highlight of some of the new laws that took effect in California on Jan. 1 following Gov. Gavin Newsom signing 770 new laws in 2021. Among the hundreds of new laws, some are bizarre, others very important, ranging from new rules for bacon making to mandating mental health instruction

Employer Changes

While already in place in certain cities, California is set to become the first state to require a $15-an-hour minimum wage for businesses with more than 25 employees. Smaller businesses are set to be required to pay employees $14 in the new year and increase to $15 on Jan. 1, 2023. California also became the first state to bar warehouse retailers like Amazon from firing workers for missing quotas that interfere with bathroom and rest breaks, as well as requiring the garment industry to pay workers by the hour.

Ghost Guns

Starting July 1, concerned family members, teachers, coworkers and employers are set to be able to ask a judge to seize ghost guns, which are purchased in parts and assembled at home, from someone they think could be a danger to themselves or others.

Composting Required

Starting in 2022, all California residents and businesses are expected to be required to sort their organic waste from the trash, though fines won’t start being issued until 2024.

Voting by Mail

While in-person voting is still an option, a new law set to take effect in January makes the COVID-19 pandemic executive order that sent every registered voter a mail-in ballot permanent and expands it to include local elections.

Bacon Making

An animal welfare law passed by voters in 2018, set to take effect in 2022, requires that breeding pigs, egg-laying chickens and veal calves have enough room to stand and turn around.

School Changes

Starting in the 2022-23 school year,

middle and high schools are soon set to be required to start class no earlier than 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., respectively. Additionally, public schools in grades six or higher are expected to stock restrooms with free pads or tampons.

Restaurant Changes

Another pandemic rule extension is set to allow the sale of takeout alcoholic drinks through 2026. Restaurants are also set to be prohibited from handing out single-use silverware or condiments without a customer requesting them. A similar order was issued by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors earlier this year in the midst of the pandemic. Restaurants may continue outdoor dining options where alcohol is served for an additional year once the pandemic emergency orders are lifted. Food delivery apps must itemize all fees charged above the restaurant’s menu price and to pay tips given to drivers or the restaurant.

Gender-Neutral Toys

In another state first, California is set to require large department stores with at least 500 employees to display products like toys and toothbrushes in gender-neutral ways, though enforcement isn’t set to start until 2024.

Law Enforcement Changes

In the aftermath of protests in 2020, a new law is set to prohibit police from using rubber bullets or tear gas to disperse crowds at a protest. Another new law bars a type of restraint hold that has led to deaths and specifies when officers have a duty to intervene to prevent or report excessive force. Additionally, a different law expands the list of police misconduct records

that must be made public. California is also set to increase the minimum age to become a police officer from 18 to 21, while also requiring the state attorney general to investigate all fatal police-involved shootings of unarmed civilians. California law enforcement officers can lose their badges for serious misconduct, including excessive force, racial bias and dishonesty Policing techniques that involve a serious risk of “positional asphyxia” which compresses a person’s airwave and threatens adequate breathing are now illegal.

COVID-19

Health Insurance companies must offer free COVID-19 testing to their customers.

Health

Electronic cigarettes will be subject to a new tax as of July 1 to be paid by purchasers equal to 12.5% of the sales price.

Housing

As many as four housing units can be created on a single-family lot in some California communities under a hotly debated new law that limits opposition by local officials.

Environment

Beginning in July, diaper wipes and other disposable wipes must include “do not flush” labeling.

Lifestyle

All staff and regulatory volunteers of youth organizations must undergo background checks and child abuse prevention training. 

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Going the Extra Mile BY PAUL BUTLER

SCVBJ Contributing Writer

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s a Christmas gift, I received a “23 and Me” kit which is a scientific test of your saliva sample to detect your ancestry. A few days ago, I received my results and was quite surprised to learn I’m apparently 76% Irish, 11% English and 11% French and German. Three facts surprised me about these percentages. Firstly, they don’t add up to 100%. My wife sarcastically said: “The other 2% must be Everything Bagel and Toblerone chocolate!” Secondly, I knew I had some Irish in me (“to be sure”) but 76%? Wow! And thirdly, I’m not sure how happy the French would be about being lumped in with the Germans as a collective percentage. Will the results of this DNA test change the way I think about myself? Well, for about half a day, it did get me thinking about how I’ve always liked the band U2 and they’re Irish. I am partial to a pint of Guinness and that’s Irish. Oh, and I do have some dental work that needs doing, and so do many of the Irish people I’ve met. This set me thinking about a word we often hear in the workplace — “culture.” In common vernacular, the word can be defined as “the way we do things around here.” Over the last 16 years serving a diverse range of clients with staff training and leadership development around the world, I’ve noticed how some employees become the culture. It’s almost as if they morph into becoming a walking, talking humanoid version of the brand. The problem is — this can be good and this can be bad. If the culture of a particular organization is fast and furious, some people become the same to get along and get ahead. If the culture of the organization is laid back, some people almost become horizontal in the way they walk and work. The saddest version of this is when we

C U L T U R E

see subordinates become almost “mini me” versions of the boss. What is it about our human condition, which dictates if we don’t know who we are, we become shallow and shadow versions of others? No wonder so many people are unhappy in their work — they’re not really who they are. So although my test says I’m mostly Irish with a sprinkling of French and German, I still see myself as an Englishman, (because that’s where I was born and how I was raised), who really wanted to live in America — specifically California and so chose to move here permanently nearly 16 years ago. The importance of this peace of knowing who you are was emphasized to me just yesterday when I was sharing my DNA findings with one of our friends, Jean. I asked her about her heritage and Jean, who just shines with so much love, said: “I don’t know! I’m just me. I’m Jean from Santa Monica.” I wish more employees in today’s workplace thought like Jean — just be who you are. Let the quality of your work and the manner in which you conduct that work magnify your heritage. Take off the mask of pretending to be someone or something you’re not, just to blend in with the organizational culture.

The other risk of striving to be a walking, talking version of the culture is when that organization is acquired and a new culture comes in — you may be perceived as part of the history and not so much, the future. Likewise, it’s sad when people put decades into their work and when they retire, they don’t know who they really are. They spent years and years playing a role in a theatre called the workplace, which is not really who they are. I know whose I am and who I am. I’m an Englishman who will become an American citizen this year regardless of what my saliva sample says. How about you? I’d encourage you at the start of this New Year to think about the person you want to be in the workplace. What adjectives best describe your character and your competencies at work? Being clear on who you are and who you want to be is much more effective in the long run (and healthier I’d suggest), than toiling and troubling to be someone you’re not. Paul Butler is a Santa Clarita resident and a client partner with Newleaf Training and Development of Valencia. For questions or comments, email Butler at paul.butler@newleaftd.com. 

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SCV BUSINESS VOICES

LA North Studios Continues Rapid Growth at IAC Commerce Center HOLLY SCHROEDER

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President & CEO of SCVEDC

he Santa Clarita Valley continues to grow its footprint of local production facilities, with Newmark Knight Frank (“NKF”) announcing Monday that LA North Studios signed a pre-lease for the final available building at the IAC Commerce Center. Expected to be ready in Q1 of 2022, Building 8 will add an additional 113,400 square feet to LA North’s already substantial amount of production space. Film industry companies have been busier than ever during the spike in production the last few years, giving credit to SCV’s moniker of “Hollywood North”. There is no doubt that SCV is a happening location for filming, and with soundstage space at a premium, our region has added several more over the past years to accommodate the demand. They provide soundstages, studios and other production services to major film studios. Some notable clients include Warner Bros., Amazon Studios, Showtime, Netflix, Disney and Universal. Building 5 at the Center at Needham Ranch is LA North Studios’ third production facility in Santa Clarita. LA North Studios footprint in the Santa Clarita Valley now includes more than 277,000 square feet of production space catering to small and large film, television, and digital productions. Their main campus in Santa Clarita features five sound stages, a fully operational on-site construction mill and production space totaling 143,000 square feet. I am delighted to see the continued growth of our robust Digital Media and Entertainment industry here in the SCV. Film and television production has a storied history in the Santa Clarita Valley and has been popular with those in the industry since there was an industry. Our varied and beautiful terrain, proximity to Los Angeles, location at the edge of the entertainment industry’s advantageous 30 Mile Zone, and our numerous movie ranches and sound stages make it an ideal location for filming. These new soundstages bring the region’s total number closer to 40. According to the Santa Clarita film office, our city remained busy over the 2020 and 2021 fiscal years. 2020 had an overall economic impact of $30 million, while this year we grossed around $37 million. 2021 saw a 62% increase in film permits, a 42.6% increase in film days and a 40.8% increase to the estimated economic impact when compared to

2020. The economic impact derives from film permits and renting space from locations like LA North and Santa Clarita Studios. But just as impactful is the additional commerce it brings from film workers eating at restaurants, staying in hotels, and shopping at various other venues supporting our local businesses. The Santa Clarita Valley Economic

Development Corporation is a unique private / public partnership. The SCVEDC utilizes an integrated approach to attracting, retaining and expanding a diversity of businesses in the Santa Clarita Valley, especially those in key industry clusters, by offering competitive business services and other resources. 

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BUSINESS CHOICE AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED

We are excited to celebrate the success of our business community with you in-person on Friday, March 18 for our 99th Annual Awards and Installation. After being virtual last year, we are looking forward to return our signature business event for Santa Clarita to be in-person again. We are pleased to share with you the honorees for the SCV Business Choice Awards. Nominations were gathered from our business community and a selection committee reviewed the nominations and made the final selections based on criteria for each category. While, unfortunately, we cannot recognize all the nominees, we would like to congratulate the following recipients and we hope you can join us to honor them. Business of the Year Six Flags Magic Mountain Non-Profit of the Year Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Public Service Award Ken Striplin Entrepreneurial Spirit SCV Locations Rising Star CoCo Moms Cheri Fleming Heart of the Community Vanessa Wilk Thanks to our Gold Sponsors: Athens Services, Logix, Scorpion, SchlickArt Photography and Video and Vance Wealth. Silver Sponsors: AT&T, UCLA Health, Newleaf Training and Development, SCV Water, LBW Insurance and Financial Services, California Institute of the Arts and Southern California Edison. J&M Entertainment AV Sponsor If you are interested in sponsoring please contact us at hello@scvchamber.com. Tickets can be purchased at www.SCVChamber.com.

Special thanks to our platinum sponsors this year.

Last years Non-Profit of the Year - Boys and Girls Club of Santa Clarita. Matt Nelson accepting the award.

Last years Entrepreneurial Spirit - SchlickArt Photography and Video. Brian and Lindsay Schlick accepting their award.

F E B R UA RY 2022

S A N TA C L A R I TA VA L L E Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L · 13

SCV CHAMBER LAUNCHES NEW PRO-BUSINESS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE The SCV Chamber PAC will initially focus its efforts on supporting pro-business candidates running for the Santa Clarita City Council and SCV Water Agency Board. The goal of the SCV Chamber PAC is to strengthen and unify the voice and influence of the broad-based business community in the Santa Clarita Valley. The SCV Chamber PAC will be committed to identifying, training, and electing pro-business candidates for local elective offices, within or influencing, the Santa Clarita Valley’s business community who are committed to meaningful change, economic progress, job creation and strong, healthy communities. Specifically, the PAC will initially focus on non-partisan races including the Santa Clarita City Council and the SCV Water Agency board in the 2022 election cycle.

“We believe it is vital to support pro-business candidates running for local office to help preserve and protect our community as one of the most business friendly cities in the nation,” said Chris Raigosa, Chair of the SCV Chamber Board of Directors. “This new PAC isn’t about partisan politics. It’s about supporting candidates who believe the Santa Clarita Valley has a bright and prosperous future through economic growth and development.” While the SCV Chamber PAC will have a separate board of trustees to oversee the PAC’s financial contributions, the SCV Chamber Board of Directors will remain the entity which endorses candidates for office. Anyone can contribute to the SCV Chamber PAC, but Trustees of the PAC must be Chamber members.

“The SCV Chamber PAC looks forward to supporting our local pro-business candidates,” said Ivan Volschenk, Managing Partner with Evolve Business Strategies who runs the SCV Chamber of Commerce and will also manage the SCV Chamber PAC. “We have spoken with businesses in our community who have a vested interest to support pro-business candidates with a strong, positive, forward-thinking vision for our business community and keeping our community safe.” If you are interested in contributing to the PAC or have any questions, please send an email to info@scvchamberpac.org.

ABOUT THE SCV CHAMBER PAC The SCV Chamber PAC is a non-partisan, California Political Action Committee focused directly on local elective offices, within or influencing, the Santa Clarita Valley business community. Initially for the business community in 2022, the Santa Clarita City Council, SCV Water Agency and LA County Board of Supervisors as the key targeted races.

SCV CHAMBER SUCCESSFULLY OPPOSES SINGLE PAYER HEALTH CARE The SCV Chamber of Commerce joined a large and diverse coalition of California-based organizations in opposing two bills that establish and raise taxes to fund a single-payer health care system called “CalCare.” The two CalChamber-identified job killer bills are AB 1400 (Kalra; D-San Jose) and ACA 11 (Kalra; D-San Jose). The bill died in the Assembly on Monday 1/31 after it failed to secure enough votes. Thanks to our own Assemblywomen Suzette Valladares for opposing CalChamber Policy Advocate Preston Young, who is leading the coalition, said that the taxes needed to fund the single-payer health care system as outlined in ACA 11 will have a significant impact on nearly all California employers. According to the Tax Foundation, ACA 11 would increase taxes by $12,250 per household annually. The proposals outlined in AB 1400 and ACA 11 would represent the biggest tax increase in state history, punishing Californians as a whole by increasing personal income taxes, payroll taxes, and gross receipts taxes. This enormous tax increase would come at a time when California is experiencing a $31 billion

surplus, which pales in comparison to the annual expenditures that a government-run health system demands. This type of tax increase would likely lead to significant layoffs or relocations, discouraging companies from growing in or relocating to California.billion surplus, which pales in comparison to the annual expenditures that a government-run health system demands. This type of tax increase would likely lead to significant layoffs or relocations, discouraging companies from growing in or relocating to California. If ACA 11 was enacted, California’s top personal income tax rate for individuals and sole proprietors — already the highest in the country — would have increased by 2.5%. Additionally, ACA 11 would have implemented a payroll tax of 1% of the aggregate amount of wages or other compensation paid by the employer to resident employees in excess of $49,900, and a gross receipts tax of 2.3% on businesses with more than $2 million in gross revenues. Proponents of the measure recently indicated that the tax increases would likely generate $160 billion–$170 billion annually. Prior versions of similar single-payer proposals were estimated to cost more than $400 billion a year, includ-

ing existing state and federal tax contributions. California voters have twice rejected a government-run health care system at the ballot box — in 1994 and 2004. Currently, about 94% of Californians have health care coverage in some fashion. A majority of the uninsured population is comprised of undocumented individuals. Governor Gavin Newsom’s 2022–2023 budget proposal addresses this very issue and would make California the first state to offer health care coverage for all income-eligible residents regardless of immigration status.

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14 · S A N TA C L A R I TA VA L L E Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L

UPCOMING EVENTS

F E B R UA RY 2022

Government Affairs Council March 8 | 10:30am Join us virtually at 10:30am on March 8 to hear about what issues our business community are facing. Elected officials and their staff will give updates from federal, state and local offices. This is a great opportunity to hear what advocacy the Chamber is doing for you and also to find out how you can bring the issues you care about for us to assist you with. Our massive grassroots alliance is comprised of organizations locally and throughout the country who help strengthen our advocacy efforts and ensure our advocacy efforst are successful. Email hello@scvchamber.com to find out how to attend or submit an issue you are facing.

Non-Profit Council March 9 | 11:30am Calling all Non-Profit Executive Directors and Board Chairs to join us at this workshop that will be lead by Matt Kamin from Envision Consulting. Lunch sponsored by LBW Insurance and Financial Services. Some of the topics we’ll cover: What’s missing from your NPO’s board roster? Developing a skills and diversity matrix. Getting board members to keep the NPO’s mission top of mind. Ensuring board members understand the importance of fundraising and their role in it. Activating board members to seek and recruit additional board members.

99th Annual Awards and Installation March 18 | 6pm Hyatt Regency Valencia 24500 Town Center Dr Valencia

Small Business Roundtable: Business Support Services March 11 | 8am There are many available resources for business owners. Join us virtually as we discuss some of these that can help your business To find out more information about these events or any other upcoming programming and to register go to:

www.SCVChamber.com/Events

S A N TA C L A R I TA VA L L E Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L · 15

F E B R UA RY 2022

2022 Board of Directors CHAIR OF THE BOARD DR. CHRIS RAIGOSA - Kaiser Permanente

BUSINESS COUNCILS

As the third largest city in Los Angeles County, the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Com-

merce represents over 65,000-member workforce. We realized we can better serve our business community by having six Business Councils, allowing members to work on issues specific to their area. Our Councils provide a channel for our members to be involved in solving problems, discussing issues, and implementing special projects and events for the benefit of the area being served. Participation offers members the opportunity to prioritize and bring a focus to the business needs of the area, and to take community leadership roles in addressing these needs. It can increase members’ business network, and provide stron-

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

ger representation on area issues. Also, since area councils exist as industry-specific, par-

HUNT BRALY - Poole, Shaffery & Koegle, LLP

ticipation provides an opportunity for area-specific networking with others doing business.

ANDREA CARPENTER - Logix MARISOL ESPINOZA - Southern California Gas Company Michael Grisanti - Hedman Partners, LLP

LATINO BUSINESS ALLIANCE Our LBA council works to promote Latinoowned business as well as relevant issues fac-

NEXTSCV NextSCV is our next generation of leaders

BECKI ROBB - Princess Cruises

ing our Latino business community. In addi-

and the group aims to develop the next lead-

SANDY SANCHEZ - FivePoint

tion the LBA helps to educate businesses on

ers of the Santa Clarita Valley through per-

JOHN VANCE - Vance Wealth

how to enhance a company’s business efforts

sonal and professional development, civic

with Latino customers and other Latino-

engagement, and network building oppor-

owned businesses.

tunities that ultimately stimulate local busi-

BOARD OF DIRECTORS KAREN BRYDEN - SCV Locations STEVE COLE - SCV Water Agency JASON CRAWFORD - City of Santa Clarita ANDREA DE LA CERDA - Scorpion MATT DIERCKMAN - Colliers International TROY HOOPER - Kiwi Hospitality Partners PATRICK MOODY - Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital DR. IZU OKPARA- Omni Wound Physicians DAN REVETTO - AT&T

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS The Government Affairs council meets to discuss policy decisions on a local, county, state and federal level. As a member, you are encouraged to attend a meeting and have your voice heard throughout the SCV and take a stance on pertinent issues relative to the business community or your industry in particular.

NON-PROFIT The SCV has a strong philanthropic commu-

HENRY RODRIGUEZ - State Farm Insurance

nity with more than 100 locally-based non-

LINDSAY SCHLICK - SchlickArt Video & Photography

profit organizations that help our community

CHRIS SCHRAGE - LBW Insurance Financial Services

Santa Clarita is a great community and always

thrive. Our non-profits are a key reason why

ROCHELLE SILSBEE - Southern California Edison

looking towards a better future. The coun-

G. JESSE SMITH - California Institute of the Arts

cil provides business resources for our lo-

DR. DIANNE VAN HOOK - College of the Canyons DENNIS VERNER - Burrtec KARINA WINKLER - Holiday Inn Express

cal non-profit leaders to help them connect,

nesses and support the mission of the SCV Chamber.

SMALL BUSINESS Small Businesses are at the core of our Chamber’s membership and are the backbone of our economy. The Chamber offers a variety of educational and networking programming to help your small business thrive. The council focuses on three main objectives: Advises the SCV Chamber on small business related issues, programming and networking opportunities; Supports the Chambe’s “Retail Walks” with elected officials; and helps promote the nationwide “Small Business Saturday” program which highlights small businesses on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. If you are interested in join-

grow and learn about valuable information

ing any of our councils or

so they can successfully meet their organiza-

finding out more please email

tions mission and goals.

us at hello@scvchamber.com

16 · S A N TA C L A R I TA VA L L E Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L

F E B R UA RY 2022

Rents Up Sharply Over the Past Month BY SIGNAL STAFF

S

anta Clarita rents have increased 0.6% over the past month, and are up sharply by 12.7% in comparison to the same time last year. Currently, median rents in Santa Clarita stand at $2,151 for a one-bedroom apartment and $2,689 for a two-bedroom. This is the twelfth straight month that the city has seen rent increases after a decline in January of last year. Santa Clarita’s year-over-year rent growth lags the state average of 16.0%, as well as the national average of 17.8%.

Rents Rising Across Los Angeles Metro

Throughout the past year, rent increases have been oc-

City

1 BR Rent Median

2 BR Rent Median

M/M Rent Growth

Y/Y Rent Growth

Los Angeles

$1,720

$2,260

5.0%

15.4%

Long Beach

$1,570

$2,000

1.8%

17.0%

Anaheim

$1,770

$2,280

-0.3%

16.4%

Santa Ana

$1,780

$2,290

1.0%

22.5%

Irvine

$2,880

$3,560

-1.1%

28.0%

Glendale

$1,550

$2,150

1.0%

16.9%

Huntington Beach

$2,180

$2,440

6.0%

17.6%

Santa Clarita

$2,150

$2,690

0.6%

12.7%

Pomona

$1,610

$2,080

1.0%

24.3%

Torrance

$1,870

$2,410

2.0%

8.5%

DATA COURTESY APARTMENTLIST.COM

curring not just in the city of Santa Clarita, but across the entire metro area. Of the largest 10 cities that we have data

for in the Los Angeles metro, all of them have seen prices rise. Here’s a look at how rents compare across some of the largest cities in the metro. Long Beach has the least expensive rents in the Los Angeles metro, with a twobedroom median of $1,999; additionally, the city has seen rent growth of 1.8% over the past month, the fastest in the metro.

Many Large Cities Nationwide are More Affordable than Santa Clarita

As rents have increased sharply in Santa Clarita, a few large cities nationwide have

seen rents grow more modestly. Compared to most large cities across the country, Santa Clarita is less affordable for renters. Rents increased sharply in other cities across the state, with California as a whole logging rent growth of 16.0% over the past year. For example, rents have grown by 18.7% in San Diego, 15.6% in San Francisco and 11.5% in San Jose. Santa Clarita’s median twobedroom rent of $2,689 is above the national average of $1,285. Nationwide, rents have grown by 17.8% over the past year compared to the 12.7% rise in Santa Clarita. While Santa Clarita’s rents rose sharply over the past year, many cities nationwide also saw increases, including New York City (+33.5%), Phoenix (+27.9%) and Boston (+25.7%). Renters will generally find more expensive prices in Santa Clarita than most large cities. For example, Houston has a median 2BR rent of $1,192, where Santa Clarita is more than twice that price.

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S A N TA C L A R I TA VA L L E Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L · 17

F E B R UA RY 2022

New Employment Laws for 2022 BY JIM WALKER

Signal Staff Writer

A

new year always brings new employment laws to California, and 2022 is no exception. For an expert’s look at some of this year’s changes in employment law, we turn to attorney Brian E. Koegle, a partner in the local law firm of Poole Shaffery & Koegle, LLP. With the firm since 2004, and a partner since 2010, Koegle has been practicing labor and employment law for 18 years and understands how changes in laws will affect employers and employees in the real world. Here are just a few changes for 2022 that Koegle feels employers need to be prepared for. These will affect the most people.

Minimum Wage

As of Jan. 1, 2022, the California state minimum wage is $15 per hour for employers with 26 or more employees and is $14 per hour for employers with 25 or fewer employees. This is the case in the city of Santa Clarita. Some California cities and counties may have higher minimum wage requirements or will have minimum wage requirements that do not distinguish based on employer size. “Each year, employers should audit their own wage practices, including payment of minimum wages and salaries, to make sure they are up to date with the latest regulations and requirements,” Koegle said. The minimum wage will be $15 per hour for all California employers after Jan. 1, 2023.

… AND HOW THEY AFFECT YOUR BUSINESS to settle claims where the plaintiff has weak or frivolous allegations,” he said. “This will result in more litigation, fewer settlements and a backlog of employment-related claims in California.”

AB 331 − Settlement Releases

“AB 331 is probably the biggest change for businesses in California in 2022,” Koegle said, and he offered a little background on that. “One of the major reasons businesses settled employment-related claims in the past was that they were buying peace of mind. A former employee couldn’t go online and say the employer was the ‘worst ever because of ….’” Severance agreements used help avoid the risk of lawsuits, and bad publicity, Koegle said. He further explained that, in 2019, the #MeToo movement resulted in legislation that took away confidentiality and nondisclosure protection for repeat sexual harassment offenders. “Now, in any circumstances of harassment, discrimination or retaliation — whether there was a claim filed or not — employers can no longer ensure they won’t be badmouthed. There is no general release to include confidentiality or non-disparagement as part of a severance or settlement. “What this will do, practically speaking, is it will create a disincentive for employers

AB 1003 − Wage Theft

“AB 1003 makes repeated wage and hour violations subject to criminal penalties, including grand theft — which is a felony, subject to imprisonment up to three years,” Koegle said. “It applies to all directors, officers and ‘managing agents’ of the business. If your business tends to be a repeat violator of California wage and hour laws, your company management, including human resources professionals, can be subjected to imprisonment. “Business owners and anyone responsible for wage and hour compliance should be careful and document all attempts at becoming compliant with California wage laws.”

AB 1033 − CFRA Expansion

“AB 1033 is a further expansion of the California Family Rights Act,” Koegle said, and he explained two important points of the law: First, the law expanded the act to allow an employee to take leave in order to care for an ill or injured parent-in-law. The act previously allowed for leave for an employee to care for a child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, sib-

ling, spouse or domestic partner who has a serious health condition. AB 1033 adds parents-in-law to the definition of “family care and medical leave.” Second, the law creates a mediation pilot program for small employers (5 to 19 employees) in order to resolve employee disputes regarding medical and family leave requirements. “Small business owners should certainly take advantage of the mediation pilot program whenever there is a dispute with an employee over qualified leave,” Koegle added. “This process saves time and expensive attorneys’ fees that usually accompany these claims.”

AB 1561 – Independent Contractor Exemptions “In AB 1561, the legislature has carved out the types of industries that will still be permitted to use the ‘independent contractor’ label,” he said. As of Jan. 1, 2022, these industries include, among others, independent writers and journalists, licensed manicurists, marketing or HR professionals and fine artists. “Business owners who continue to use independent contractor labor are doing so at their own peril,” Koegle said. “Unless specifically carved out by the legislature, nearly all workers are classified as employees.” Poole, Shaffery & Koegle, LLP is located at 25350 Magic Mountain Parkway, Valencia 91355. For more information, call (855) 646-8339 or visit www.pooleshaffery.com. 

18 · S A N TA C L A R I TA VA L L E Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L

F E B R UA RY 2022

Master the Fundamentals BY PAUL RAGGIO

Co-owner, One True North

I

n my youth, I relished watching the titans of football, I mean the coaches, not the players. The recent passing of one of those titans, John Madden, brings me back to the days of Coach Landry and Lombardi. These bigger-than-life characters, all with different demeanors, captured the attention of their players and fans. Each one had their swagger, personality and an unbelievable level of success, coaching the Raiders, Cowboys and Packers to victory after victory. All advocated mastery of the fundamentals: running, blocking, passing, catching and tackling. I can hear Lombardi’s spirit commenting today. The game is won at the line of scrimmage. Whoever dominates that line will win. Fundamentals mean every player masters their position and then performs off the line of scrimmage. That’s what wins games and makes you champions. The same is true in the game of business. Master the fundamentals no matter if you are a sole proprietor or a CEO of a billion-dollar enterprise. It is fundamentals that will drive your company to success, defined by being sustainable, predictable, stable, consistent and emotionally connected with its employees, constituents, stakeholders and community. Of course, organizational

disciplines create this success, strategy, business development, people, execution and mission. Within each of these disciplines are the fundamentals to be mastered.

Strategy

A great business is sustainable when it has a clear strategy. Master the strategy fundamentals, including opportunities, marketability, leverage and scalability, and you’ll have a sustainable business. Opportunities abound even in the harshest environments. Creating a system to find them is the challenge. Getting your offering in front of the right buyer at a specific price and time defines your marketability. How you consistently and constantly get more out of what you already have, defines leverage. And how you exploit your current and future capacity is the key to scalability.

Business Development

A great business is predictable when it invests in business development. Master the fundamentals of business development, including marketing, sales, and customer service, and you’ll have predictable and sustainable cash flow, the lifeblood of the business. A comprehensive marketing plan exploits your brand, generates leads, creates direct responses and finds the product or service price sweet spot that delights the customer. The key to sales is a company mindset that touts professionally helping others buy what you offer in value. Customer service means placing the customer’s needs above your own, all the time.

People

Of course, no business can operate without people, the management team’s most valuable asset and often overlooked. Focus on finding and developing leaders who emotionally connect and inspire others to achieve exceptional results. Demonstrate your commitment to the team by investing in their training. Make your recruiting efforts compelling to prospective job hunters and give them a reason to join your team. Master the fundamentals of people, including leadership, talent development, and recruitment, and you’ll have a stable business responding to the needs of its constituents.

Execution

A great business is consistent with skilled management, mature systems, and financial controls. Managers expertly balance the people and the systems to optimize productivity. Systems are the collective and synchronized processes and procedures of operations and effectively address the hundreds of repetitive daily transactions. Effective systems save you time, energy, and money. Financial controls establish the guardrails the business operates by and inform the management team of over and underperformance challenges. Master the fundamentals of execution, and your business will be consistent.

Mission

A great business has a mission rooted in purpose and values and emotionally connects with its constituents. Not only do the employees and customers know why you do what you do, but so does

the community the company serves. Values are explicit and relatable and are foundational to the organization’s culture. Constituents know not only the what and the how of the company but the reason for its existence and the standards it upholds while conducting business. Master the fundamentals of mission, and your business will emotionally connect to its employees, constituents, stakeholders, and community. Brad Sugars and Monte Wyatt wrote Pulling Profits Out of a Hat, a book that incubates these five disciplines. The book’s subtitle is Adding Zeros to Your Company Isn’t Magic, and it’s not. Adding zeros to your company and all it does is about mastering the fundamentals. As Vince Lombardi would say, mastering the fundamentals is how you dominate the line of scrimmage and win. The same is true with business. Master the fundamentals, and your company will win by being sustainable, predictable, stable, consistent, and emotionally connected with its employees, constituents, stakeholders, and community. This is how you lead, think, plan, and act. Now, let’s get after it! Retired Col. Paul A. Raggio is co-owner, with his sister Lisa, of One True North INC Leadership and Business Coaching Solutions. Paul and Lisa mentor and coach business owners on leadership and management principles in achieving and sustaining their business growth and profitability goals. For more information, visit onetruenorthcoach.com. 

S A N TA C L A R I TA VA L L E Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L · 19

F E B R UA RY 2022

DONAHOE YOUNG & WILLIAMS LLP

D

fense • Employment-based immigration matters. We are the proud winners of the Signal’s “Best Of SCV” award for Best Bankruptcy Attorneys in 2018, 2019 and 2020 – a threepeat! The attorneys in our Valencia Office are:

onahoe Young & Williams LLP was founded in 1999 and opened its Valencia office in 2007. The firm’s areas of practice include: • Business, commercial, real estate and corporate transactions • Litigation in state and federal courts (business and real estate disputes) • Bankruptcy and bankruptcy-related litigation • Estate planning, trusts, wills, and probate matters • Professional and premises liability de-

MARK T. YOUNG (Partner) myoung@ dywlaw.com Law School: U.C. Davis School of Law (King Hall) 1979 Admitted to California Bar: 1979

Also admitted: U.S. District Court (Central, Southern, Northern, and Eastern Districts of California; District of Arizona), Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, U.S. Supreme Court Member: American Bankruptcy Institute; Los Angeles County, San Fernando Valley and Santa Clarita Valley Bar Associations Current Nonprofit Boards: Valley Industry Association (VIA); Bridge to Home SCV; St. Stephen’s Preschool; Eagle Collegiate Academy See DYWLAW, page 24

The List: L argest L aw F irms I n T he SCV company

main practice

# attorneys

year est.

executive

contact information

Poole, Shaffery & Koegle, LLP

Business & Employment Law

20

1998

John Shaffery, Managing Partner

25350 Magic Mountain Parkway, Suite 250 Santa Clarita 91355 • (661) 290-2991 www.pooleshaffery.com

Reape-Rickett Law Firm

Family Law

12

1992

James Reape, Senior Managing Partner

25152 Springfield Ct., Ste 100 Valencia 91355 • (661) 288-1000 www.divorcedigest.com

Crockett & Associates

Business Litigation

7

2015

Bob Crockett, Owner

23929 Valencia Blvd., Suite 303 Valencia 91355 • (323) 487-1101 bobcrockettlaw.com

Donahoe & Young LLP

Bankruptcy, Estate Planning & Business Law

7

1999

Mark T. Young

25152 Springfield Ct., Suite 345 Valencia 91355 • (661) 259-9000 www.donahoeyoung.com

Owen Patterson and Owen

Personal Injury

7

1977

Richard A. Patterson, Esq. /Susan Owen, Esq./ Greg Owen, Esq.

23822 W. Valencia Blvd., Suite 303 Valencia 91355 • (661) 799-3899 www.opolaw.com

Law Offices of Bill J. Thompson

Civil Litigation & Business Law

5

Bill Thompson, Esq.

28212 Kelly Johnson Parkway, Suite 195 Valencia 91355 • (661) 222-7964 www.billthompsonlawoffices.com

The List: T ax P reparation S ervices I n T he SCV company

address

phone number

website

All Valley Tax SCV

26364 N, Sierra highway, Suite A, Santa Clarita 91321

(661) 252-0052

allvalleytax.com

Breslin Tax Prep

25852 McBean Parkway, Santa Clarita 91355

(661) 284-6627

breslintaxprep.com

Brunes Tax Services

21618 Golden Triangle Road #105 Santa Clarita, 91350

(661) 799-8892

brunestaxservice.com

Buck Jones Taxes

18723 Via Princessa #1060, Santa Clarita, 91387

(661) 655-4289

buckjonestaxes.com

Ez Tax & Insurance Services

24881 Railroad Avenue #101 Newhall 91321

(661) 310-2552

extaxexpress.com

Free Financial tax

22924 Lyons Avenue #205 Santa Clarita 91321

(661) 200-5657

free-financial.com

H&R block

19376 Soledad Canyon Roadnyon Country 91351

(661) 252-6323

hrblock.com

Int'l Tax Network Inc.

19443 Soledad Canyon Road #109, Santa Clarita, 91351

(661) 251-6700

intltaxnetwork.com

Jackson Hewitt Tax Services

26471 Carl Boyer Drive, Santa Clarita 91350

(209) 408-1135

jacksonhewitt.com

Julie M Sturgeon CPA

28042 Avenue Stanford Unit E, Valencia 91355

(661) 251-6031

santaclaritatax.com

Krycler, Ervin, Taubman & Kaminsky, AAC

"27651 Lincoln Place, Suite 220, Santa Clarita 91387

(818) 995-1040

ketw.com/

LNK Tax Group

25350 Magic Mountian Parkway #300 Santa Clarita CA 91355

(661) 491-7222

lnktax.com

MYBL Accounting Services Inc.

27201 Tourney Road #125, Santa Clarita 91355

(661) 254-2359

myblaccounting.com

Professional Tax and Financial

27451 Tourney Road STE 160, Valencia 91355

(661) 259-1967

protaxservices.com

Quality Tax Services Inc.

24250 Lyons Ave, Newhall 91321

(661) 753-3284

quality-tax-services-inc.business.site

RM Taxes

26775 Bouquet Canyon Road, Santa Clarita 91350

(661) 296-1006

rmtaxes.com

20 · S A N TA C L A R I TA VA L L E Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L

F E B R UA RY 2022

SHAFFERY

Continued from page 7

“I’m a member of the original group that started the SCV Economic Development Corporation. We set it up, funded it, hired staff to run it. It’s a great public/private partnership with the city and county. In fact, it has the largest active community board of any business organization in the Santa Clarita Valley, focused on attracting and retaining businesses here. And each board member contributes $6,250 each year toward that goal. The cooperation of the city and county is excellent. It works very, very well.” Shaffery is an active member of the EDC, and his firm is very active in the Chamber of Commerce, especially partner Hunt Braly.

“We’re also involved with the Santa Clarita Business Incubator,” he said. Under the auspices of the city’s Economic Development Division, the incubator’s mission is “to stimulate economic growth through entrepreneurship and enterprise development.” And more directly related to his firm’s focus, Shaffery noted that partner Brian Koegle conducts seminars for busi-

nesses on how to stay compliant with changing employment laws, multiple times throughout the year. Shaffery’s dedication to local business has developed into a family calling, as well. “My son Niall is in financial planning and works locally at Vance Wealth,” he said. All of this contributes toward the SCV being very business friendly, Shaffery

believes. “Over the years, I’ve seen more and more businesses coming in and staying,” he said. And he plans to continue on this mission in the future. “I challenge the business community to create opportunities for high school students to job shadow and intern with businesses. I’d like to see a business organization take this on in a robust manner,” he added. Poole, Shaffery & Koegle, LLP is a full-service business law firm committed to providing expert legal services to the residents of Santa Clarita and surrounding areas. They are located at 25350 Magic Mountain Parkway, Valencia 91355. For more information, call (855) 646-8339 or visit www. pooleshaffery.com. 

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S A N TA C L A R I TA VA L L E Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L · 21

F E B R UA RY 2022

Injuries That You Cannot See SUSAN OWEN Managing Partner, Owen, Patterson & Owen

O

wen, Patterson & Owen (OPO) is a personal injury firm based in Valencia. We represent clients from all over the world, as well as our neighbors throughout Santa Clarita and Southern California. It is important to remember that these cases involve personal injuries, not just bodily injuries. Three major recent cases highlight that many injuries are to the mind and heart but which cannot be healed by neurologists or cardiologists. The Route 91 Shooting cases were resolved for the total amount of $800 million. Vari-

ous documents were analyzed by the case administrators to determine the amount of individual settlements including medical records and bills, tax records if someone was disabled or deceased and assorted others. An amount was awarded for a finding of PTSD. Those 4 letters were so very important in this case. PTSD can keep its victim from leaving their home, from working, from eating correctly, from having meaningful relationships, from exercising, from having any sort of a “life.” With few exceptions, if PTSD was not in the medical records, a Route 91 shooting victim did not receive compensation for emotional trauma despite the impossibility that such an event could occur without trauma.

The personal injury/class action cases surrounding the sexual abuse cases at USC by the school gynecologist, George Tyndall, were settled for the gross amount of $1 billion. These cases are all about emotional injuries. While some survivors have physical manifestations of emotional injuries, it is still about emotional trauma. They just knew that the gynecologist was “creepy,” or that they felt uncomfortable during their appointments. For all those years, some suffered from anxiety, depression or a host of other symptoms of emotional trauma, yet were unable to link these conditions to anything until they learned that what they experienced during their first gynecologist appointment at USC was any-

thing but normal. And nearly 6 years after the worst methane gas leak in US history, victims of the Aliso Canyon gas leak in Porter Ranch received a $1.8 billion settlement from SoCal Gas and its parent company. OPO represented 3,800 plaintiffs in this historic settlement. In addition to physical ailments, many residents also experienced increased anxiety and neurological issues as a result of this traumatic event.

At OPO, our goal is to get full compensation for our clients’ physical and emotional injuries. If you need us, we are here for you. Contact us at info@opolaw.com or call (661) 799.3899. 

Bankruptcy • Litigation • Business Law Estate Planning • Real Estate • Immigration

18 0 2

20 0 2 21 0 2

Thank you Santa Clarita for voting us Best Bankruptcy Attorney for 2021! Call us to schedule your free consultation.

661-259-9000

25152 Springfield Court, Suite 345, Valencia, CA 91355 •

www.dywlaw.com

22 · S A N TA C L A R I TA VA L L E Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L

F E B R UA RY 2022

The List: L awyers - S olo P ractitioners

*INFO FROM SCVEDC.ORG

NAME

PRIMARY PRACTICE

CONTACT

Bridgeford Law Office

Workers Compensation

25060 Avenue Stanford, Suite 285 Valencia, 91355 (661) 775-9300

Carter Law

Civil Litigation, Civil Rights/Discrimination

27240 Turnberry Ln # 200, Valencia, CA 91355 (323) 825-5529

Cohen Law, PLC

Business & Corporate

28039 Smyth Drive, Suite 200 Valencia, 91355 (661) 418-2793

Daniel Gunning, Esq.

Business & Real Estate

23822 Valencia Blvd. Valencia, CA 91355 (661) 287-4120

Gharibian & Oliver

Family Law

25350 Magic Mountain Parkway, Suite 240 Valencia, 91355 (661) 349-9302

Group One Legal, PC

Landlord/Tenant, Real Estate Law

27720 Dickason Dr., Suite 232 Santa Clarita, 91355 (661) 702-4651

Holmquist Law

Employment Law

25350 Magic Mountain Parkway, Suite 302 Valencia, 91355 (661) 505-8315

J. Umana Law P.C.

Business Law & Intellectual Property

19197 Golden Valley Rd, Suite 124 Santa Clarita, 91387 (661) 755-9861

Judge Mediation

Alternative Dispute Resolution / Mediation

5850 Canoga Avenue, Suite 400 Woodland Hills, 91367 (818) 610-8799

Kanowsky & Associates

Business & Real Estate

26481 Summit Circle Santa Clarita, 91350 (661) 290-2656

Law Office of Barry L. Edzant

Lemon Law & Personal Injury

28470 Avenue Stanford, Suite 360 Valencia, 91355 (661) 222-9929

Law Office of David Hong

Patent Law

P.O. Box 2111 Santa Clarita, 91386 (866) 824-8680

Law Office of Dean Ogrin

Business Law & Personal Injury

26841 Summit Circle Valencia, 91350 (661) 290-2656

Law Office of G. Marshall Hann

Business & Real Estate

25350 Magic Mountain Pkwy., Suite 130 Valencia, 91355 (661) 255-3600

Law Office of Gina G. MacDonald

Estate Planning & Probate

27240 Turnberry Ln #200, Valencia, CA 91355(661) 294-6464

Law Office of James F. Brownlowe

Estate Planning & Personal Injury

27122 Cedar Ridge Pl, Valencia, CA 91381 (661) 388-1592

Law Office of Jeffrey D. Armendariz

Criminal Defense

28470 Avenue Stanford, Suite 360 Valencia, 91355 (661) 288-1959

Law Office of John S. MacIntosh

Home Owners Association, Landlord/Tenant, Estate Planning

25350 Magic Mountain Pkwy., Suite 130 Valencia, 91355 (661) 255-7027

Law Office of Michael Berke

Debt Collection

25001 The Old Road Santa Clarita, 91381 (661) 259-1800

Law Office of Robert M. Mansour

Estate Planning

28212 Kelly Johnson Pkwy., Suite 110 Valencia, 91355 (661) 414-7100

Law Office of William J. Kropach

Workers Compensation

6345 Balboa Blvd., Suite 222 Encino, 91316 (818) 609-7005

Law Offices of C. Ray Carlson

Personal Injury

27951 Smyth Drive #101 Valencia, 91355 (661) 765-8484

Law Offices of Caryn Sanders

Business & Corporate, Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury

27240 Turnberry Lane, Suite 200, Valencia, CA 91355 (66) -362-0788

Law Offices of David A. Huffaker

Estate Planning

28382 Constellation Road Valencia, 91355 (661) 288-1050

Law Offices of David D. Diamond

Criminal Defense

28005 Smyth Drive, Suite 190 Valencia, 91355 (661) 295-4646

Law Offices of Michael D. Finley

Family Law

28212 Kelly Johnson Parkway, Suite 195 Valencia, 91355 (661) 964-0444

Law Offices of Rand E. Pinsky

Family Law

25152 Springfield Ct. Suite 100, Santa Clarita, CA 91355 (661)295-4644

Law Offices of Roger Doumanian

Small Business, Corporations & Trademarks

28494 Westinghouse Pl #115, Santa Clarita, CA 91355 (661) 481-3091

Law Offices of Steven B. Chroman, P.C.

Family Law

28494 Westinghouse Place, Suite 206 Valencia, 91355 (661) 255-1800

Martinelli Law Group

Family Law

28422 Constellation Road, Suite 208 Valencia, 91355 (888) 809-4713

McNamara Law Firm, PC

Elder Law

28212 Kelly Johnson Pkwy., Suite 110 Valencia, 91355 (661) 287-3260

NP Law Firm, APC

Civil Litigation & Personal Injury

28494 Westinghouse Place, Suite 311 Valencia, 91355 (855) 675-2901

Probate California

Probate

Stevenson Ranch, 91381 (661) 244-1222

The F.M. Zavala Law Firm, Inc.

Family Law

28494 Westinghouse Place, Suite 206 Valencia, 91355 (661) 753-3534

The Law Offices of Mark Dickerson

Criminal Defense

22031 Sunrise View Pl, Santa Clarita, CA 91390 (661 755-7160

The Mason Law Firm

Personal Injury

28494 Westinghouse Place, Suite 202 Valencia, 91355 (661) 260-5677

The Werner Law Firm

Estate Planning & Probate

27433 Tourney Rd., Suite 200 Valencia, 91355 (661) 252-9022

Timothy A. Lambirth, APC

Business Law

25350 Magic Mountain Pkwy 3rd Floor, Valencia, CA 91355 (661) 481-2225

Wax & Wax

Workers Compensation

27201 Tourney Road #200B Valencia, 91355 (818) 946-0608

Yeager Law APC

Estate Planning

23300 Cinema Drive, Suite 2907 Santa Clarita, 91355 (661) 471-2177

S A N TA C L A R I TA VA L L E Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L · 23

F E B R UA RY 2022

VIA has been supporting business in the Santa Clarita Valley for more than 40 years, and I’m so excited to take on this new role as Chairman. We have big goals for the organization this year and we are excited to share them with you. We continue to forge partnerships with leading area business organizations and are proudly invested in the Santa Clarita Valley and its business community. Join us every month during our luncheons to learn all about what is to come for VIA this year! David Cantrell, Chairman of the Board, Valley Industry Association

2022 VIA COM MITT EES: EDUCATION The Business and Community Education committees serve to develop and manage VIA’s educational programs. VIA provides a mix of programs and events targeted both towards the development of our business members, as well as our future workforce here in the Santa Clarita Valley. Sue Tweddell, Primerica Melissa Curtis, Logix Federal Credit Union LEADERSHIP This committee plans and produces the annual VIA Leadership Program. The program creates a continuing pathway to successor development for the Valley Industry Association and the business community as a whole by offering learning opportunities for participants to become the next level of leaders within VIA and the community by sharing information, developing skills, and forming relationships. Nola Aronson, Advanced Audiology Paul Raggio, One True North MARKETING VIA’s Marketing Committee works to develop a strategy in alignment with VIA’s initiatives, provide compelling content that resonates with the business community, and communicate the value of VIA to members and businesses at large. This committee handles the VIA brand and all communications including social media, SCV Business Journal page, press releases, etc. Jill Mellady, Mellady Direct Marketing

Dr. Dianne G. Van Hook

MEMBERSHIP Member outreach! The VIA Membership Committee works to build and retain a strong membership, assisting all members to be a part of a successful VIA team. We always need new members to join us in this exciting committee. This is the best place to meet new members and get involved quickly! Justin Veyna, Barkley Risk Management & Insurance PROGRAMS The Programs committee plans and manages VIA outstanding member-oriented events: B2B Show Industry Show, Monthly Luncheons, CEO Forum, VIA Rocks! This is the Operational arm of VIA. Come join us and be a part of this exciting group! Tim Burkhart, Six Flags ADVOCACY The VIA Advocacy Committee explores top issues affecting businesses and residents of Santa Clarita and works toward solutions. J.C. Burnett, Courier-Messenger, Inc. Beau Goodrick, Owen, Patterson, & Owen BASH The VIA BASH Committee plans and produces VIA’s annual black-tie fundraiser. This annual event supports the VIA Connecting to Success Program and the VIA Education Foundation with a strong commitment to equipping the emerging workforce with appropriate workforce readiness skills. Hillary Broadwater, QM Design Group

Join Us!

COC’s Commitment: Training the Next Generation of Employees via Responsive Work Solutions Wednesday, February 16 at 11:30 a.m. Virtual/Zoom | R.S.V.P. at VIA.org Members: $20 | Nonmembers: $25

Captain Justin Diez

SCV Safety: Trends, Issues and Solutions Tuesday, March 15 at 11:45 a.m. Hyatt Regency Valencia | 24500 Town Center Drive Members: $55 | Nonmembers: $65

VIA SPONSORS

VA L L E Y I N D U S T R Y A S S O C I AT I O N | 2 8 3 6 8 C O N S T E L L AT I O N R O A D | S U I T E 3 6 0 | VA L E N C I A , C A 9 1 3 5 5 | 6 6 1 - 2 9 4 - 8 0 8 8 | V I A . O R G

24 · S A N TA C L A R I TA VA L L E Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L

F E B R UA RY 2022

Are You Personally Liable For Your Business Debts? BY RAY J. BULAON, ATTORNEY

I

f you’re a business owner who is struggling in this pandemic, perhaps you’re asking yourself if business creditors can come after you personally if your business defaults on its debt obligations. Perhaps you have not been making enough money to even pay yourself, and your business is still on life support fighting for survival. Your customers may not be paying you on time if at all since they may also be struggling just like you. Capital may be limited to keep up with the growing business expenses. Serious cash flow problems can quick-

ly lead to business insolvency. Depending on the type of business structure you have (sole proprietorship, LLC, partnership or corporation), you may be held personally liable for your company’s financial obligations if they are not paid. If you’re a sole proprietor, you are directly liable to creditors because you ARE the business. If you are an LLC or corporation, legally, you should not be because of the way you have structured your business — UNLESS you have personally guaranteed the debts of the business. Unfortunately, this is unavoidable for small business owners because it is common for landlords, vendors,

DYWLAW Continued from page 19

Practice emphasis: Business and real estate transactions; business-related civil litigation; bankruptcy and related litigation Other: Mark was named Santa Clarita Valley Bar Association “Lawyer of the Year” for 2019. TAYLOR F. WILLIAMS-MONIZ (Partner) twilliams@dywlaw.com Law School: Pepperdine University School of Law 2011 Admitted to California Bar: 2011 Also admitted: U.S. District Court (Central and Eastern Districts of California), Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, U.S. Supreme Court Member: San Fernando Valley and Santa Clarita Valley Bar Associations Current Nonprofit Boards: Santa Clarita Valley Bar Association (president); San Fernando Valley Bar Association (SCV Bar Liaison) Practice emphasis: Trust and estate litigation; estate planning; business transactions; real estate and landlord/tenant matters Other: Taylor co-hosts a radio show -“Real Estate: It’s That Simple!” – Fridays at 10 am on KHTS (AM 1220 and FM 98.1).

suppliers or other company creditors to ask for a personal guarantee before doing business with you. If you are in a partnership, your liability depends on whether you are a limited or general partner. General partners are liable for partnership debts while limited partners are not. As an attorney, I find that a lot of business owners don’t even remember if they signed a personal guarantee or not when they borrowed the money. So, it is important to review all signed contracts and agreements including liens that may have been filed by the lender. For example, if you were

LUCAS E. ROWE (Associate) lrowe@ dywlaw.com Law School: University of Toledo College of Law 2008 Admitted to California Bar: 2011 (Ohio Bar 2008) Also admitted: U.S. District Court (Central, Southern and Eastern Districts of California), Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Member: Los Angeles County and Santa Clarita Valley Bar Associations Current Nonprofit Boards: Santa Clarita Valley Bar Association (treasurer) Practice emphasis: Civil litigation; business transactions; real estate and landlord/tenant matters Other: Valley Industry Association (VIA) Advocacy Committee Co-Chair. CRAIG R. AIRD (Associate) caird@ dywlaw.com Law School: Seattle University School of Law 1995; LL.M. (Taxation) University of Washington School of Law 1997 Admitted to California Bar: 2018 (Washington Bar 1995) Also admitted: U.S. Tax Court; U.S. District Court (Central District of California; Western District of Washington) Member: Santa Clarita Valley Bar Association Current Nonprofit Boards: German Amer-

forced to close your business and had to break your office lease as a result, the landlord may still be able to sue your personally based on the personal guarantee you signed. If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of having to shut down your business, you may need to have a contingency plan on how you can best protect yourself and your personal assets. Ray J. Bulaon is a debt relief attorney in Valencia who has successfully helped more than 6,000 clients in getting out of debt. For a free consultation, call (866) 477-7772 or (661) 7754880. 

ican Business Association Practice emphasis: Estate planning and administration; business law; immigration. NATHANIEL P. MARK (Associate) nmark@dywlaw.com Law School: University of Detroit Mercy Law School 2018 Admitted to California Bar: 2019 Also admitted: U.S. District Court (Central District of California) Member: Santa Clarita Valley Bar Association Practice emphasis: Litigation; bankruptcy; estate planning

Staff (Non-Attorneys)

SHERRY YOUNG (Office Manager; Notary Public) syoung@dywlaw.com MARIAN KRABACH, MBA (Financial Specialist) mkrabach@dywlaw.com KRISTY BALLEW (Legal Assistant) kballew@dywlaw.com MECHELLE PARKS (Legal Assistant; Notary Public) mparks@dywlaw.com YVONNE SANCHEZ (Legal Assistant; Se Habla Español) ysanchez@dywlaw.com DANIELLE JENKINS (Legal Assistant) djenkins@dywlaw.com REBECCA WILLIAMS (Legal Assistant; Se Habla Español) rwilliams@dywlaw. com 

S A N TA C L A R I TA VA L L E Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L · 25

F E B R UA RY 2022

Santa Clarita Stock Average Below you will find a list of local Santa Clarita-based or prominent Santa Clarita companies used for our averages. Each month we will take the average of all these stocks and show that number. Tracking that number from month to month will give you a window of how our local company’s stocks are performing. Last month the index was 6,948.19 and the average price per share was $231.61. This month the index is 6,442.17 down 336.29 or 4.96% with the average share price being $214.74.

Company

industry

ticker

JAN. 3

FEB. 7

Amazon

Retail

NASDAQ: AMZN

3408.18

3186.00

Bank of Southern California

Banking

OTC: BCAL

14.98

15.45

Bioventus

Biomedical

Nasdaq: BVS

14.68

12.35

Boston Scientific

Biomedical

NYSE: BSX

42.96

42.98

California Resources Corp.

Energy

NYSE: CRC

43.54

43.46

Carnival Corp.

Entertainment/leisure

NYSE: CCL

21.40

21.15

CBRE

Commercial real estate

NYSE: CBRE

108.32

101.67

Costco

Retail

NASDAQ: COST

567.20

515.09

Disney

Entertainment media

NYSE: DIS

156.69

141.90

Five Point Holdings

Home developer

NYSE: FPH

6.65

5.74

IQVIA holdings

Laboratory services

NYSE: IQV

273.65

246.06

ITT inc.

Aerospace/manufacturing

NYSE: ITT

102.10

91.83

KB Homes

Home developer

NYSE: KBH

43.03

39.32

Otsuka Pharmaceutical

Pharmaceutical

OTCMKTS: OTSKY

18.19

17.75

Quest Diagnostics

Laboratory services

NYSE: DGX

163.60

131.72

Six Flags

Entertainment/leisure

NYSE: SIX

43.79

41.26

Sodexo

Home/food services

OTCMKTS: SDXAY

17.50

18.57

Sonova Holdings

Biomedical equipment

OTCMKTS: SONVY

78.26

70.02

Tri Pointe Homes

Home developer

NYSE: TPH

26.94

22.65

Walmart

Retail

NYSE: WMT

144.58

138.22

Woodward

Aerospace/Manufacturing

NASDAQ: WWD

110.21

111.99

Auto Nation

Auto Dealers

AN

113.45

103.00

Boeing

Aerospace

BA

208.65

211.19

Comcast

Communications

CMCSA

50.75

49.09

Home Depot

Retail

HD

408.22

357.00

Kohl's

Retail

KSS

49.85

60.00

Lennar

Home Builder

LEN

110.40

91.93

Lowes

Retail

LOW

255.79

226.92

McDonalds

Restaurants

MCD

268.04

260.44

Textron

Industrial

TXT

76.39

67.42

26 · S A N TA C L A R I TA VA L L E Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L

F E B R UA RY 2022

Economic Development Corporation Take a Virtual Tour of Business in the Santa Clarita Valley 26455 Rockwell Canyon Road | UCEN 263 | Santa Clarita, CA 91355 | (661) 288-4400 | www.scvedc.org

BY HOLLY SCHROEDER

President and CEO of the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corp.

T

he Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation (SCVEDC) is excited to announce the launch of our new interactive, multimedia online tool that provides themed virtual tours of all the amazing features our community has to offer. This free user-friendly data tool will help further the efforts of the SCVEDC and attract new investment and talent, support local businesses, create jobs and stimulate the local economy. In combination with our other resources and information, these planned tours will include materials on economic development, tourism, community and workforce information, festival and event lineups, and more! Engage with different media, maps and data, and really get to know the various aspects of the Santa Clarita Valley that make it such a great place to live, work, and play! The SCV boasts a supportive local government and a long list of money-saving business incentives, a robust educational system, a fast-growing economy, and a

prime location. Surrounded by acres of protected open space, the SCV is consistently ranked as one of the healthiest cities in the US. Miles of hiking and biking trails makes outdoor activities a breeze. Safe neighborhoods and great schools make the Santa Clarita Valley a great place for growing families. From millennials ready to purchase their first home to executives seeking exclusive neighborhoods, our region has something for everyone. Companies and their teams love it here! As part of our efforts to highlight our valley’s greatest features, the first tour details information about the various business parks and commercial/industrial developments in SCV. Unlike much of the neighboring metropolitan areas of greater Los Angeles, the Santa Clarita Valley still has plenty of room to grow. We’ve been expanding, building, and growing in population, housing, real estate, and more for years. Across the SCV there are approximately 7.1 million square feet of space in projects that are actively under construction. There are also 3.9 million square feet of space in projects that have been approved but have not broken ground. There’s even 8.1 million square

feet of space in projects that are awaiting approval alone. Not to mention we boast an extremely diverse list of industry clusters. Many attracted by our unique availability of industrial, residential, and commercial real estate. These reasons and so much more, are why Santa Clarita continues to be one of the most business friendly and ambitious cities in the country. We are constantly growing and won’t be slowing down anytime soon. Grow your career, invest in your family, heighten your lifestyle, all right here in the Santa Clarita Valley. We’ll be adding new customized tours periodically, so keep an eye on our social media, website, and newsletters for updates. The Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation (SCVEDC) is a unique private / public partnership representing the united effort of regional industry and government leaders. The SCVEDC utilizes an integrated approach to attracting, retaining and expanding a diversity of businesses in the Santa Clarita Valley, especially those in key industry clusters, by offering competitive business services and other resources. 

Econo Watch Santa Clarita Valley Q4 2021 Q3 2021 Commercial Vacancy Rates Office Space 22.10% 18.12% Industrial Space 1.80% 2.30% Total Marked Sq. Ft. Vacancy Percentage: Office Space - as a % of Vacancy Industrial Space - as a % of Vacancy

9.99% 90.01%

Building Permits

New Commercial/Industrial Building Permits Commercial Tenent Improvements/Alterations

Local Company Stock Prices California Resources Corp (CRC) Carnival Corp. (CCL) FivePoint (FPH) Mission Valley Bank (MVLY) Six Flags * (SIX)

Dec ’21 342.71 20.1 6.54 14.3 42.58

Q4 2021 Sq Ft 2,799,950 25,234,826 28,034,776

9.97% 90.03%

Dec ’21 2 24

Nov ’21 39.07 17.62 5.39 14.4 36.57

N/A N/A

Nov ’21 Dec ’20 14 61

% Change 9.32% 14.07% 21.34% -0.69% 16.43%

25 7

Woodward (WWD)

109.46

105.8

3.46%

Unemployment Rates Santa Clarita Palmdale Lancaster Glendale Los Angeles County State

Dec ’21 5.9% 10.5% 10.9% 7.0% 7.1% 6.5%

Nov ’21 % Change 5.9% 10.5% 10.9% 7.0% 7.1% 6.9%

0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% -5.80%

Housing Stats SCV Average Home Price SCV Average Condo Price SCV Home Sales SCV Condo Sales SCV Avg. # of Days on Market (SF) SCV Single Family Home Inventory

Dec ’21 885

Nov ’21 839

Nov ’20 743,400

512 2,961 1,125 27 123

514 2,732 1,041 29 183

478,100 310 120 32 140

S A N TA C L A R I TA VA L L E Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L · 27

F E B R UA RY 2022

2022 is Good Time to Revisit Ways to Save Money on Property Taxes PTION BY JEFF PRANG

Los Angeles County Assessor

W

e are off and running in 2022 and I, for one, welcome it with open arms. The last couple of years has been most challenging, to say the least, and I look forward with a newfound promise in this new year. There is good news afoot. Despite the surge in COVID19 cases due to the Omicron variant, vaccinations and booster shots are working. And if we keep to wearing our masks and practice social distancing, let’s hope we get through this surge relatively unscathed. If you haven’t been vaccinated, I encourage you to do so. I also did want to take a moment to remind your readers of all the various programs my office has available that can help save money and I wanted this opportunity to run them down for you. Last year, my office provided taxpayers with about $650 million dollars in savings through various exemptions and exclusions. The Homeowners’ Exemption is probably the most accessible program and it is available to anyone who owns their home and who occupies it as their principle residence as of Jan. 1. It reduces your assessed value by $7,000, which will save you about $70 of your property tax bill every year. I will be addressing this program more thoroughly next month. The Disable Veterans’ Prop-

erty Tax Exemption is for disable veterans blind in both eyes; with the loss of the use of two or more limbs; or when totally disabled as a result of injury or disease incurred while in active military service. Unmarried surviving spouses of certain deceased veterans may also qualify. The Low-Income Disabled Veterans’ Exemption provides additional savings if a disabled veteran (meeting above requirements) also meets lowincome requirements. There’s disaster relief available through filing the Misfortune or Calamity application. Property that is damaged by a disaster, such as fire, flood or earthquake, or other calamity, which may include civil unrest, may qualify for a temporary reduction in taxable value. Physical damage to the property must be valued at least $10,000. A Decline-in-Value (also known as DIV or Prop 8) allows for a temporary reduction in a property’s assessed value. This occurs when the current market value of a property is less than the assessed base-year value as of January 1. A DIV review may be requested through the Assessor’s Office and can be made online. The Disabled Resident Exclusion may allow a severely and permanently disabled homeowner to qualify to transfer the taxable value of an existing residence to a replacement residence in a participating county. The Disabled Resident Exclusion also allows accommodations to be made to an existing residence without a partial reassessment for new construction.

ERS’ EXEM

DECLIN E IN VALUE

N HOMEOW

TAX SAVINGS VETS The Senior Replacement Home Exclusion allows homeowners who are over 55, severely disabled or the victim of a natural disasters to transfer their property tax base with them when they sell their home and buy a new one. This also allows qualified homeowners to buy a home anywhere in the state, it allows the transfer of the property tax base up to three times, and it allows you to transfer the tax base to a home of any value. There’s also ways to save when protecting the environment. The initial purchaser of a building with an active solar energy system may qualify for an exclusion from assessment on that portion of the value attributable to the system. When adding a solar energy system to your current home, the new system is automatically excluded from assessment. In June 2018, Proposition 72 was approved by California voters to exclude rainwater capture systems from

assessments. Thanks to this measure, the initial purchaser of a property with a rainwater capture system may be eligible for an exclusion of the rainwater capture system assessment. When adding a rainwater capture system to your current home, the new system will be automatically excluded from your property’s assessment. For more information about these programs and the actual dollar savings available for each one, please go to our new, improved website at assessor. lacounty.gov. Los Angeles County Assessor Jeff Prang has been in office since 2014. Upon taking office, Prang implemented sweeping reforms to ensure that the strictest ethical guidelines rooted in fairness, accuracy and integrity would be adhered to in his office, which is the largest office of its kind in the nation with 1,300 employees and provides the foundation for a property tax system that generates $17 billion annually. 