Business Journal November 2022

JOURNAL OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SCV CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Victory Insurance and Assurance

KEN KELLER SCVBJ Contributing Writer

In conversations with my CEO cli ents, I have noticed a common thread by those who want results. One told me “No plan means no victory!”

This is a four-phase program to get focused, aligned and performing.

The Plan

Let me start by sharing my observa tions about business plans. A vacuum is where plans are often created, defined as the CEOs mind and office. The plan, written or verbal, is perceived to be topsecret information, and it should not be.

CEOs too often overestimate what they believe the company can do. Plans do not consider conflicting goals, strategies, outcomes, and resource constraints.

Going further, most plans do not in clude any discussion about getting aligned behind achieving company goals. The top levels may be well aligned be cause those individuals have bonus money riding on a successful outcome.

Beneath that, most employees are not told or taught how what they do every day, and how well or quickly they can do it, is critical to the execution of the plan.

Finally, plans cannot be outside of the capabilities of the employees working to implement it. This is often overlooked by the CEO who has lofty goals and is often frustrated when the team does not per form.

The People

Your people are everything. Last month I introduced The 9 Box, a simple yet effective way to grade every employee based on current performance and fu ture potential.

Using this tool with CEOs, together we successfully placed every key employee into one of the boxes and created action plans to focus and direct these individu als better for stronger contribution.

Yes, it is an “employee’s market” now. You may have to make accommodations, financial and otherwise to get through this period. But the tide is turning as we move into a recession as hiring drops and layoffs rise.

plan,

No Plan Means No Victory!

Employees are often not told, or taught, how much performing their daily jobs is critical to the execution of the business plan, says Keller. Plans can also not be outside of the capabilities of the employees working to implement it.

Productivity

If you have a reasonable plan, and if you have the right people aligned and supported to execute it, the next step is to make sure that people are effectively working to diligently execute the plan daily.

Management is the reason people are not productive. If managers are not given the tools needed to help their direct reports, morale and results suf fer. If managers cannot exit out under or nonperforming employees, this delays the company achieving results. And if the manager is the problem, not holding people accountable, then the CEO has a big issue, and failure to act on one man ager will affect the performance of all managers.

The CEO should be looking at daily

dashboards to make sure that critical tasks are being conducted every day. And should act at once if they are not.

Profitability

I have concluded that no company today should be selling “loss leaders.” Either what you sell makes a profit or it does not. If it does, work to improve margins over time to make even more profit. If something is losing money, either raise prices so it will be profitable, or stop selling it.

Share with employees what your strat egy is on profitability. If they know what you want, they can help deliver it.

As the CEO, if you can focus on these four elements (Plan, People, Productivity and Profitability) you can set the stage for Victory. 

If you have a reasonable

and if you have the right people aligned and supported to execute it, the next step is to make sure that people are effectively working to diligently execute the plan daily.

Six Fun Ways to Keep Fit this Fall

PATRICK MOODY Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital

As the seasons change, it can be easy to fall out of a fitness routine. Autumn can be especially busy, but you don’t have to let the change of seasons get you off your game. Instead, let it fuel you!

From the American Council on Exercise and others, here are six fun ways to get your fitness goals back on track this fall:

TAKE SOME NATURE TIME

We are fortunate here in the Santa Clarita Valley to have an abundance of trails and open spaces. Find a nearby nature trail for a walk or trail run. You can take in the changing colors of the leaves or savor other beauties of the season while you get in your workout.

GO FOR A FAMILY BIKE RIDE

Autumn’s cooler temperatures in the SCV make bike rides that much more pleasant. Explore the area as a family while working up a sweat.

UP THE NOSTALGIA FACTOR

Gather your friends together for a day of outdoor childhood games. Set up a horse shoe station. Play flag football. Or just run around like a kid again!

CHANGE THE SCENERY

Do circuit workouts whenever and wher ever the mood strikes Body-weight exer cises are effective in front of a TV or at the park. Bonus points if you can make your workouts seasonal-themed. Think “rein deer” planks or “skier” squats.

GET YOUR TRAINING GAME GOING

With the holidays approaching, fall is the perfect time to start training for a turkey trot or other holiday fun run.

TACKLE A FALL FIX-UP

Spring isn’t the only time to give your home a good spruce. Put some extra

oomph into yardwork or household chores this fall. They can build strength and stami na—and leave you feeling good about your home as you get ready to spend more time indoors.

It’s a common fitness myth that not all ex ercise counts, but activities like these really

do add up!

Patrick Moody is the director of market ing and public relations at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital. For more information about local community health programs, visit HenryMayo.com. 

Creating a New Community

The influence of the Santa Clarita Valley’s planned growth has ar rived in a big way. In a big, big way.

Located near the I-5 and Highway 126, Williams Ranch — the region’s newest master-planned community — fuels a gnawing need as the Santa Clarita Val ley’s population is expected to continu ing growing at a steady, incremental pace of 3% this year, according to the Califor nia Department of Finance.

Spanning more than 71 miles, Santa Clarita has a population density of 3,380 people per square mile and is the third largest city in Los Angeles County, and the 16th largest in the state of California. It is also considered one of the safest cities (population over 150,000) in the nation based on FBI statistics.

During the past ten years, the Santa Clarita Valley’s steady population in crease can be attributed to the region’s exceptional quality of life, and the careful development of much needed new hous ing construction to parallel the expan sion of new employment opportunities.

A New Community in the Making

Recently opening its 15 model homes, Williams Ranch is a sprawling 430-acre swath of land situated in the Hasley Can yon area of Castaic in Los Angeles Coun ty’s Santa Clarita Valley. The land has gone through an evolution of proposed uses — from a golf course community to a proposed high school site.

The long, and careful planning by local Santa Clarita builder, Williams Homes, has brought something better, something akin to neighborhoods of days gone-by, and clearly an opportunity not currently found anywhere in Southern California.

“We realized that this had to be more than your everyday community,” says Dan Faina, chief marketing officer for Williams Homes. “The size and scope of the property is quite possibly one of the last of its kind in Los Angeles County. Our vision was not to waste a valuable resource of land, but to create a truly great place to live no matter your life’s stage. And that’s what we’ve done here

with Williams Ranch.”

Williams Homes — which is building all 497 single-family residences at masterplanned Williams Ranch — sees vast potential to bring a new sense of com munity living to the Santa Clarita Valley. This planned community is helping to redefine a sense of place. Every home is set on a spacious home site ranging from 7,000 to 23,000 approximate square feet. Fifteen different architectural designs are offered with seven single-story and eight two-story floorplans. A range of garage options are available from RV/toy garages to third- and fourth-car garages. Additional housing units and multi-gen suites are also among the structural fea tures offered.

“We chose architectural home designs that work together to create unique street scenes set amidst numerous parks of every shape and size, miles of paseos and trails, working vineyards and orchards, and of course an amazing

Master-planned Williams Ranch sets a new standard and new way of Southern California living in the Santa Clarita Valley.

3 MORE Common Questions about Hearing Health, ANSWERED

DR. KEVIN BOLDER AuD, Audiology Associates

When it comes to hearing loss, it’s normal to have a lot of questions. As hearing care professionals, we fre quently have patients come in with questions about their hearing, hearing aids, different types of hearing loss, and how we can help them find a solution.

Q: When do sounds become dangerous?

A: Any sound over 85 dB (decibels) can be dangerous to our hearing when exposed for long periods at a time. It’s important to wear hearing protection whenever you will be around loud noise in order to protect your hear ing and prevent noise-induced hearing loss from occurring.

Q: At what age does hearing loss happen?

A: Hearing loss can happen to anyone of

any age! Many children have hearing loss and noise-induced hearing loss is becoming in creasingly common in teenagers and young adults. It is a common misconception that only “old” people have hearing loss. Your genetics, health, and how well you protect your hearing can all determine your likelihood of developing hearing loss.

Q. How long do rechargeable hearing aids last on a charge?

A. Rechargeable hearing aids are a great option for those who don’t want to change hearing aid batteries anymore. Recharge able hearing aids use a Lithium-Ion battery, which usually takes 3-4 hours to fully charge depending on the device. Once charged, re chargeable hearing aids will provide you with

a full day of hearing.

The best thing you can do to make sure you are maintaining your overall health and wellbeing is receive regular hearing screenings in addition to your other doctor visits. To sched ule a hearing aid consultation today, please call Audiology Associates at 661-284-1900. 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.AudiologyAssoci ates.net or stop by our office located at 25425 Orchard Village Road, Ste 220, Santa Clarita, CA 91355.

We are hearing healthcare excellence! 

Going the Extra Mile: Diversity and Inclusion

BY PAUL BUTLER SCVBJ Contributing Writer

Recently I joined the British-Amer ican Business Council (BABC) and specifically the Orange County chapter. You’d think it was an exclu sive organization (i.e., you’d have to be British or Ameri can to be a member and maybe live in “the OC”) but in fact it’s a rather inclusive organization.

We even had a French person there last night and I live in “the SCV”, (which is rather like “the OC” but with coupons). Although I could see people struggling to understand the Parisian’s accent and I did most certainly tire of explaining exactly where Santa Clarita was, we both feel welcomed.

What is it about human beings that stirs us to gather in groups? We put on the sticky label and tell our stories to each other while looking for commonal ity so we can interrupt each other with, “And Me” type tales. I guess we find com fort and enjoy camaraderie when we look like each other; sound like each other and have the same worldviews as each other.

In the workplace we call these “depart ments” and if not led well, these can turn into “compartments.” Having a financial background, I often saw my cousins as being those in the information technolo gy team — I liked them a lot, but the sales department was like the family member who causes friction.

The folks in sales would break process and override policies that would cause us to have to run calculations and scenarios we hadn’t planned on.

What we often lose sight of, is that organizations are interdependent enti ties where each member of the family (or “department”) is reliant on the fruits of the other.

See, finance counts and reports on what sales sell. Information technol ogy provides the platform to do what we need to do in today’s fast-moving and global economy.

Sales wouldn’t have anything to sell if it wasn’t for the marketing folks getting the word out. And our brethren in operations

make sure that everything is executed according to plan.

My observation has been that great leaders bring the workplace family to gether. Although they themselves may have a proclivity toward one department more than another due to the leaning of the ladder they first climbed, they know their role now is to ensure the whole is greater than the sum of the individual parts.

Thinking back to last night — we had people there from all four corners of the British Isles. There were Americans from many different states. People from the Commonwealth, and as you know even a person from Paris — but the overall pur pose was, to promote British-American business relations. That’s what we were there for, not our own agendas.

We hear a lot in today’s workplace about diversity and inclusion. I’m no English major but I understand enough to know the word “inclusion” essentially means the “non-exclusion of anything or anyone.”

As a new member last night, they awarded me a pin which has the flags of two countries interconnected — the flag

of the United Kingdom and the flag of the United States. The Parisian was also a recently recruited member and so she was offered a pin, which she immediately and proudly positioned on her collar.

See BABC could be perceived as an ex clusive group but all are welcome and are included if they want to participate. Noone is forced to join BABC and you don’t have to wear the pin if you don’t want to.

What deeply concerns me about today’s workplace is that pins are being given out and are expected to be worn even if you don’t want to join the group or don’t like the pin. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that June is PRIDE month. In many of the workplaces of the world that month more than ever, employees are expected to celebrate and applaud a lifestyle and a personal choice they may not personally agree with.

In my book that’s not inclusivity, that’s exclusively a form of indoctrination which no-one likes, not even the French.

Paul Butler is a Santa Clarita resident and a client partner with Newleaf Train ing and Development of Valencia. For questions or comments, email Butler at paul.butler@newleaftd.com.

What we often lose sight of is that organizations are interdependent entities where each member of the family (or “department”) is reliant on the fruits of the other.

2023 L.A. Area Real Estate Prices, Trends

BY MARCO SANTARELLI Special to the Business Journal

Are housing prices going down in los angeles?

The market dynam ics are changing now. After a two-year housing boom spurred in large part by re cord-low borrowing costs, the Los Angeles real estate market is now cooling down.

There has been a decrease in house purchases and an increase in the number of homes for sale. Bidding wars have become less prevalent as a result of fewer buyers and more inventory, so buyers may have an easier time bid ding around the asking price.

The median price in Los Angeles County peaked in September 2021 and has been on an up-and-down roller coaster since. It fell in July 2022, which was disappoint ing because it typically climbs from June to July; it even rose from June to July in 2009, when all hell had broken loose, putting this drop in a unique perspective.

In September 2022, the me dian home price took a small jump of 0.6% from the previ ous year and 4.3% from the previous month.

• Los Angeles County’s median price in Septem ber 2022 was $891,770

• Los Angeles County’s median price in August 2022 was $854,960

• Los Angeles County’s median price in Septem ber 2021 was $886,050

C.A.R.’s resale report for September shows that at the regional level, sales in all the major regions of California dipped by more than 30% from a year ago. Sales volume also collapsed in Los Angeles County by 31.7%. It shows that

things are continuously be coming less hot as compared to the previous year.

The Los Angeles Metro Area posted a decline of -32.4% year-over-year in sales of existing single-family homes. The median home price in the Los Angeles metropolitan region was $750,000, 2.7% higher compared to Sep tember 2021, when it was $730,000. However, it was a decline of 2.0% from August’s price of $765,000.

Generally, a balanced market will lie somewhere between four and six months of sup ply. Inventory is calculated monthly by taking a count of the number of active list ings and pending sales on the last day of the month. If an inventory is rising, there is less pressure for home prices to increase. With 3.2 months of supply left, it is still short of what economists say is needed for a balanced mar ket. Hence, the Los Angeles County housing market will continue to see upward pres sure on home prices.

• Months Supply of Inven tory (SFH) for Los An geles County is now 3.2 months.

• Months Supply of Inven tory (SFH) for the Los Angeles Metro Area is 3.1 months.

Los Angeles Real Estate Market Trends

Los Angeles County home prices are still slightly higher than last year. There are around 218 cities in Los Ange les County where Realtor.com has active listings right now. We have already discussed the supply and demand imbalance in the county and metro area and how the monthly supply of inventory is down to about 13 weeks.

Realtor.com’s September 2022 statistics show that Los Angeles County is a seller’s market, which means that more people are looking to buy than there are homes available.

They take into account two aspects of the housing mar ket. The market demand is measured by unique viewers per property on their website, and the pace of the market is measured by the number of days a listing remains active on their website.

• In September 2022, the median list price

of homes in Los Ange les County was $849K, trending up 6.1% yearover-year.

• The median listing price per square foot was $566.

• The median price of sold homes was $810,000.

• The sale-to-List Price Ratio was 100%, which means that homes in Los Angeles sold for approxi mately the asking price on average.

• A seller would prefer this ratio to be 100% or more.

• On average, homes in Los Angeles sell after 59 days on the market.

If a region’s housing mar ket is balanced it means that there is enough demand from buyers to equal the supply from sellers. Based on the supply-demand dynamics, the real estate appreciation rate in Los Angeles is predicted to remain slightly skewed on the sellers’ side. The moder ate demand but tight inven tory should put upward pres sure on the prices. Hence, the home values in the Los Angeles housing market will continue to appreciate over the next 12 months albeit at a smaller pace as compared to the past two years.

Some economists fore cast that house prices would tumble in 2023, but few, if any, foresee declines comparable to the Great Recession. In large part, this is due to the fact that foreclosures were mostly responsible for the previous significant decreas es. Now, financing criteria are much stricter, and experts say that unless they are forced to, many homeowners prefer not to sell for less than their neighbor did a few months ago.

Year-End Strategies

As we approach the end of another year, many of us are shifting our fo cus to the holidays. However, the final weeks of 2022 offer critical planning opportunities. Consider the below strategies by December 31 to maximize tax-savings and avoid poten tial pitfalls.

Required Minimum Distribu tions (RMDs) IRA owners age 72 or older need to take their RMD to avoid a hefty 50% pen alty on the funds not taken. If this is your first year subject to RMD requirements, the dead line is extended to April 1.

Qualified Charitable Distri butions (QCDs) Not only are QCDs tax-free, but they can satisfy your RMD payment. In dividuals age 70½ or older can transfer up to $100,000 taxfree to charities from their IRA.

Roth Conversions Tax rates

historically increase. Converting your Roth to a traditional retire ment account now may help avoid a larger tax rate down the line.

Leverage Net Unrealized Ap preciation (NUA) The NUA strategy can result in significant tax savings by utilizing longterm capital gains rates, as opposed to ordinary income tax rates on company shares.

For information on how these year-end strategies apply to your situation and can help minimize your taxes, contact us at (661) 297-7566 or visit www. PiersonWealth Management.com.

Securities and advisory ser vices offered through Cetera Advisors LLC (doing insurance business in CA as CFGA Insur ance Agency LLC), member FINRA/SIPC, a broker/dealer and a Registered Investment Adviser. Cetera is under sepa rate ownership from any other named entity. CA Insurance Lic#0C92500. For a compre hensive review of your personal situation, consult with a tax or legal advisor. Neither Cetera Advisors LLC nor any of its rep resentatives may give legal or tax advice. 

Prosperity with Confidence

Ivy Pierson, CEP, MBA

Founder & Investment Advisor Representative

IVY PIERSON

Founder and Investment Advisor Representative Pierson Wealth Management

It’s Your Character, Stupid!

BY PAUL RAGGIO SCVBJ Contributing Writer

James Carville, the ani mated pol, coined the phrase “It’s the economy, stupid” when managing President Clinton’s pres idential campaign against incumbent President George H.W. Bush.

Other pols and news com mentators have repeated the term thousands of times, especially during election seasons.

Carville meant using the pejorative word stupid to his staff to accentuate the impor tance of the economy above all other factors in determin ing the election outcome. Pre dictably, the economy is the forerunner for an incumbent’s successful reelection.

I wrote a column two years ago on how your choices de fine your character. It’s time to revisit character and its as sociation with leadership.

Character is the forerunner for a successful leader. Mim icking Carville’s phrase, “It’s your character, stupid,” that describes your leadership. I define character by the words you speak and the virtuous actions you take over time.

Persons of good character seek and communicate truth and act in the best interest of others. Persons of question able character obscure the truth and act in their best interest. Leaders are people of good character. Pseudoleaders are people of dubious character.

Leaders appeal to the virtu ous. Pseudo-leaders appeal to the aggrieved. Leaders build trust and unite diverse people.

Pseudo-leaders sow distrust and promote tribalism. Lead ers inspire people to achieve righteous results collectively. Pseudo-leaders frighten people and drive survivalist tendencies.

Leaders think in terms of abundance; the glass is half full. Pseudo-leaders think in terms of scarcity; the glass is half empty. Leaders relinquish power when their time is up. Pseudo-leaders retain control at all costs. Leaders endure. Pseudo-leaders desist. We have a lot of pseudo-leaders.

Characterless leadership is a malignancy metastasizing in our society, most observ able in our political leadership from national to local repre sentatives. This malignancy has a prolific impact on our most impressionable.

They choose to mirror how pseudo-leaders behave and normalize the voicing of mis truths, spreading conspiracy theories on the ever-prolific social media platforms.

I don’t mean to imply all leaders are pseudo, but there are enough of them with followers that we should be concerned.

They seek sanctuary in their tribe and have little to no tolerance for diversity of ideas or those who are different in class, race, ethnicity, religion, gender or countless other

attributes that don’t match theirs.

Companies aren’t immune from this disease either. Profits, compensation and retention of power are prime motivators. Power-hungry ex ecutives climb the corporate ladder stepping on the backs of those less fortunate to the detriment of the organiza tion’s culture.

A new cohort of emerg ing leaders desiring success indoctrinate into pseudoleadership roles by mirroring characterless behaviors, and the twisted cycle continues.

We triage this malignancy by rebuffing the character less and lauding the virtu ous. Leaders seek truth and diversity of people and ideas and inspire and demonstrate ethical behaviors.

We should elect these people to represent us in our

government and develop and promote them in our compa nies. We trust they will lead us in the right direction, and trust is foundational to an ef fective and productive team, writes Patrick Lencioni in his book, “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.”

Without trust in our society, tribalism flourishes, and com munity fissures grow. Without trust in the company, optimi zation ceases and productivity wanes. Both represent failure.

Leaders have an incredible responsibility to influence the behaviors of others, inspiring them to act purposely, ethical ly, and productively. A leader’s character is enduring when built on virtuous actions.

A pseudo-leader’s character desists when sewn on false hoods and distrust. It’s your character that makes you a great leader with a legacy. As citizens of our great nation, we must perpetuate good character by electing lead ers who speak the truth and inspire our virtuous behavior.

As company leaders and business owners, we must ad vance those who demonstrate good character and laud them as an example to mirror. This is how you lead, think, plan, and act. Now, let’s get after it!

Meal and Rest Period Premiums are Wages and Must Appear on Pay Stubs

BY NADER S. SABAWI, ESQ. Poole & Shaffery

The California Supreme Court made a number of im pactful employ ment law deci sions in 2022, but perhaps the most widely applicable was its decision in Naranjo v. Spectrum Security Services, Inc. The decision in that case made clear the potentially costly consequences of an employee’s missed meal or rest breaks without proper reimbursement, and it af fects virtually all employers in the state.

California’s meal and rest break laws require employers

WILLIAMS

to provide a thirty-minute un interrupted meal break before the fifth hour of work and a ten-minute uninterrupted rest break for every four hours worked or a major frac tion thereof. In the event an employee is unable to take a complete uninterrupted meal break as required by law, that employee must be provided with an additional hour of pay, otherwise referred to as a “meal period premium.” Like wise, if an employee is unable to take a complete uninter rupted rest break as required by law, that employee must be provided with an additional hour of pay, or a “rest period premium.”

In Naranjo, a class action case involving the payment and reporting of missed meal

breaks by security officers, the Court established two significant rules. First, the Court held that meal and rest period premiums are “wages” because they compensate for work the employee per formed during the missed break. Since the premiums constitute wages, they must also be reported on employee pay stubs. Second, all owed premiums must be timely paid in full when an em ployee departs from a job. If not timely paid at the end of an employee’s employment, unpaid premiums can result in up to thirty (30) days of wages owed to the employee, at the employee’s daily rate of pay, otherwise known as “waiting time penalties.”

California employers should

adopt policies and practices to minimize the impact of this ruling. The simplest and most cost-effective approach would be to avoid missed meal and rest breaks altogether. Employers should implement and strictly enforce a compre hensive meal and rest break policy to ensure that employ ees are receiving all breaks to which they are legally en titled. Employee meal breaks should also be documented with meticulous precision. If an employer can avoid missed meal or rest breaks, it elimi nates the need to pay or track meal or rest period premiums.

For more information, con tact the employment lawyers at Poole Shaffery at (661) 2902991. 

clubhouse as the central gathering place.

“The impression so far has been, ‘Wow, we’ve never seen this before in the Santa Clarita Valley’,” Faina says.

“You’re getting homes that are actu ally set on spacious lots and surrounded by parks that are designed to interact with your neighbors. You’re not doing the ‘wave-by’ as you’re going into the garage and closing the door behind you.

Williams Ranch is designed for neighbor hood connectivity, neighborhood walk ability, and neighborhood interaction.”

Bottom line, Faina says. “This is an op portunity for us to create a place and also create a truly great neighborhood –this is not just another sub-division.”

The First Homes

Williams Homes bet that buyers would be more discerning and since the model home grand opening in September this has proven to be true. Attendance across the opening weekend was estimated at

more than 3,000 people. Attendees had the first opportunity to tour the 15 decorated and landscaped model homes that comprise four residential collec tions. The community’s first homeowners moved in this October and chose from a range of home designs for various reasons. While all 15 plans are single-family homes, the square footage ranges from approximately 1,736 to 4,522 of interior living space, with prices ranging from the $800,000s to the high $1 millions.

Homes are set on spacious, poolsized lots with breathtaking views, and many situated behind a gated entry. All homes incorporate the latest, advanced technology for green living with conve niences including Tesla Solar, Ring video doorbell, Honeywell Wi-Fi thermostat, dimmable LED task lighting throughout, tankless water heater, and more.

“Every home comes with standard Tes la solar panels,” adds Faina. “Homebuyers do have the option to go all-electric with our Net Zero Living by Williams Homes™ which is powered by Tesla solar roof tile systems. We demonstrate our Net Zero Living with our Plan 3 and Plan 14 model homes and invite buyers to learn more about the benefits of making the move to all-electric living.”

Three Important Online

HOLLY SCHROEDER President & CEO of SCVEDC

The Santa Clarita Valley Economic Devel opment Corporation is an organization dedicated to attracting, retaining, and growing business opportunities for the Santa Clarita Valley. That mission is more important than ever. While most of our usual face-toface meetings are temporarily on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic, SCVEDC has many online resources to help your company with a variety of issues you may face. Here are just a few free resources to help your business:

BROKER PORTAL

To companies considering moving to the business-friendly Santa Clarita Valley, as well as their brokers and site selectors, the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development strives to be a one-stop shop to help close the deal. Our online Broker Portal offers information about incentives and workforce training, data and demographics, business and industrial parks, as well as maps and case studies. Visit http://www.scvedc.org/brokers to learn more, and visit the Data page for quarterly economic snapshots, quick facts, annual Economic Out look book, and other specific data reports.

LIVEWORKSCV.COM

LiveWorkSCV.com is a comprehensive, highly visible job board that matches SCV career opportunities with SCV residents who want a job closer to home. Employers can post jobs, search for qualified professionals, or become a “featured employer.”

Job seekers can search for jobs, create a profile on LiveWorkSCV.com, and sign up to receive job alerts when employers post a posi tion that matches their qualifications. This is a free resource open to SCV employers and residents. Learn more: www.LiveWorkSCV. com

SUPPLIER MATCHING PROGRAM

In collaboration with our partner, CMTC, the Supplier Scouting and Matching Program is now available to all California manufacturers. CMTC’s supply chain experts have matched companies with capacity to those in need and have solved the most unique problems for manufacturers, such as finding packaging for niche products, tubing for electronics products, PPE equipment for medical organizations, and even special solid state motors for renewable

Resources

Offered by SCVEDC

energy companies. Learn more: www.scvedc. org/supplier-matching-program.

To learn more about the many free services offered by the Santa Clarita Valley Economic De velopment Corporation please visit our website www.scvedc.org, send us an email at scvedc@ scvedc.org, or give us a call at (661) 288-4400.

Our experienced team is here to assist you!

The Santa Clarita Valley Economic

Development Corporation (SCVEDC) is a unique private / public partnership represent ing 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 busi ness services and other resources. 

2022 Legislative Wrap Up

On Friday, September 30, Governor Gavin Newsom completed action on bills sent to him by the Legislature, including prior ity bills sent by your Chamber and our partner organizations throughout the state.

At the start of the year, 19 Job Killer bills were identified. Only two made it to the Governor’s desk.

Your SCV Chamber, along with our allies at the California Chamber of Commerce, worked on behalf of the business com munity to successfully defeat 15 Job Killer bills. The Governor also vetoed many SCV Chamber-opposed bills. In addition, many SCV Chamber-supported bills were signed into law.

Bills signed by the Governor will become law on January 1, 2023. Urgency, tax and budget-related measures go into effect immediately upon being signed.

Below is a snapshot of a few of the bills we took action on and the end result:

SB 113: California Employer Economic Relief - Support and Signed

Restores Net Operating Loss deduction and lifts cap placed on business incentive tax credits that were suspended in 2020’s state budget.

SB 1338: CARE ACT - Support and Signed

Changes the state’s process for caring for those facing extreme mental illness or drug addiction. Creates a system with advo cates for those who need care, but also provides wraparound services to ensure those most in need get the treatment that’s needed.

SB 1162: Publication of Pay Data - Oppose but Signed

Encourages litigation against employers based on the publica tion of broad, unreliable data collected by the state. Undermines employers’ ability to hire, imposes burdensome administrative and record keeping requirements, and subjects employers to a private right of action. Job killer tag removed due to August 15, 2022 amendments removing requirement to publish individual pay data reports online.

AB 1951: Manufacturing Tax Credit Expansion - Support but Vetoed

Expands investment and production in California by expanding the sales and use tax exemption for the purchase of manufactur ing and research and development (R&D) equipment.

Celebrating a Pro-Jobs Win!

Aggressive federal antitrust legislation we’ve been working for months to halt has been shelved for the year. Senator Amy Klobuchar’s S.2992 will not move forward in the U.S. Senate –for now.

The federal bill dubbed the “American Innovation and Choice Online Act” doesn’t bolster choice or innovation. It actually threatens to undermine American innovation and cede our na tion’s technological edge to foreign adversaries – all while hurt ing consumers, competition, and security. California, home to more tech jobs than any other state, stands to lose the most. S.2992’s failure to advance in the Senate is welcome news for the diverse business community!

Our Election Watch 2022 page can be found by visiting, www. scvchamber.com, under the Advocacy tab.

All information related to the General Election, including en dorsements, voter registration and mail-in ballot information, can be found on our website. We encourage all who are eligible to vote and make sure your voice is heard this November.

All registered California voters should have received their vote-by-mail ballot with a prepaid, first class postage return en velope for the November 8, 2022 General Election.

You have multiple safe, secure, and reliable options for re turning your ballot

• Mail – No stamp is required to return your ballot through the US Postal Service. Make sure your ballot is postmarked by November 8, 2022.

• Drop box – Many counties will offer secure drop boxes to return your ballot. Make sure your ballot is deposited by 8:00 p.m. on November 8, 2022

• In-person – You can return your ballot to a polling place, vote center, or your county elections office by 8:00 p.m. on No vember 8, 2022. Many counties will have early voting locations available before Election Day. Voting locations will offer voter registration, replacement ballots, accessible voting machines, and language assistance.

We successfully work on behalf of our members to maintain a healthy and vibrant business climate in what has been ranked one of the most business friendly cities in California. We take an active role in shaping legislative policies in support of business.

We represent our members before local, regional, state, and federal governmental entities and provides a forum for our members to develop policy positions that directly impact the Santa Clarita Valley business community.

Our Government Affairs Council meets every second Wednes day of the month, from 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM and is open to all SCV Chamber members. The Council is dark for the remain der of the year, but our first 2023 meeting will take place on Wednesday, January 11, 2023.

Our advocacy work has never been more important and it is driven by our members. When we all speak with one voice and take action, we amplify The Voice of Business!

2022 Board of Directors

CHAIR OF THE BOARD

DR. CHRIS RAIGOSA - Kaiser Permanente

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

HUNT BRALY - Poole Shaffery

ANDREA CARPENTER - Logix

MARISOL ESPINOZA - Southern California Gas Company

Michael Grisanti - Hedman Partners, LLP

BECKI ROBB - Princess Cruises

SANDY SANCHEZ - FivePoint

JOHN VANCE - Vance Wealth

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

KAREN BRYDEN - SCV Locations

STEVE COLE - SCV Water Agency

Tom COLE - City of Santa Clarita

Allie Dierckman - Scorpion

MATT DIERCKMAN - Colliers International

TROY HOOPER - Kiwi Hospitality Partners

PATRICK MOODY - Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital

DR. IZU OKPARA - Omni Wound Physicians

Patrice Quishenberry - Williams Homes

DAN REVETTO - AT&T

HENRY RODRIGUEZ - State Farm Insurance

LINDSAY SCHLICK - SchlickArt Video & Photography

CHRIS SCHRAGE - LBW Insurance Financial Services

ROCHELLE SILSBEE - Southern California Edison

G. JESSE SMITH - California Institute of the Arts

DI THOMPSON - THOMPSON REALTY ADVISORS

DR. DIANNE VAN HOOK - College of the Canyons

DENNIS VERNER - Burrtec

KARINA WINKLER - Holiday Inn Express

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 ger representation on area issues. Also, since area councils exist as industry-specific, par ticipation provides an opportunity for area-specific networking with others doing business.

LATINO BUSINESS ALLIANCE

Our LBA council works to promote Latinoowned business as well as relevant issues fac ing our Latino business community. In addi tion the LBA helps to educate businesses on how to enhance a company’s business efforts with Latino customers and other Latinoowned businesses.

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 busi ness community or your industry in particular.

SMALL BUSINESS

Small Businesses are at the core of our Chamber’s membership and are the back bone of our economy. The Chamber offers a variety of educational and networking pro gramming 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 pro mote the nationwide “Small Business Satur day” program which highlights small busi nesses on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

BLACK BUSINESS COUNCIL

Our Black Business Council works to in spire, empower, and promote the economic growth and sustainability of black businesses, entrepreneurs, and professionals within the Santa Clarita Valley. In addition it serves as a catalyst for engagement, awareness building and consultation; eliminate barriers to op portunities and addresses issues unique to black owned businesses, professionals, and their families.

NON-PROFIT COUNCIL

The SCV has a strong philanthropic commu nity with more than 100 locally-based nonprofit organizations that help our community thrive. Our non-profits are a key reason why Santa Clarita is a great community and always looking towards a better future. The coun cil provides business resources for our lo cal non-profit leaders to help them connect, grow and learn about valuable information so they can successfully meet their organiza tions mission and goals.

NEXTSCV

NextSCV is our next generation of leaders and the group aims to develop the next lead ers of the Santa Clarita Valley through per sonal and professional development, civic engagement, and network building oppor tunities that ultimately stimulate local busi nesses and support the mission of the SCV Chamber.

UPCOMING EVENTS

12th Annual Salute to Patriots

November 9 | 4:00 pm

We invite you to join us as we salute and honor this years hon orees (listed alphabetically) :

• Fred Gesin

• Ray Mitchell

• Charles Rasmussen

• Alex Siggins

• Dennis Sugasawara

• Constance Werthe

Congratulations and thank you for your service to the country and your impact in the Santa Clarita Valley business community!

Business After Hours Mixer at Eternal Valley

November 16 | 5:30 pm

Last Call! Our final Business After Hours Mixer of the year will be at Eternal Valley Memorial Park and Mortuary. Before year end, take advantage of the opportunity to join professionals from across the Santa Clarita Valley for networking, food and drinks!

It’s the final event of the year, and your last chance to meet new faces from the business community before the holiday season kicks in.

To find out more information about these events or any other upcoming programming and to register go to: www.SCVChamber.com/Events

Celebrating SCV Businesses

From celebrating new businesses opening or marking special occasions and achievements, we continue to be honored being part of your celebrations.

We encourage everyone to come and support our new busi nesses. All our grand opening/ribbon cuttings are free and open to everyone to attend.

Congratulations to J Sabry Fine Art on your grand opening and celebration in September! Thank you to all that come to support them! www. jsabryfineart.com

Give them a visit at Westfield Valencia Town Center #3324

Photo credit: Joie de Vivre Photographie

Do you have a grand opening or anniversary coming up?

Email us at hello@scvchamber.com for details about hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony.

We celebrated the grand opening of The Stand in October.

Congratulations and welcome to the

ness community. www.thestand.com

Give them a visit at Westfield Valencia Town Center #3260

Photo

Oak Tree Golf Classic

Thank you to Chiquita Canyon for being our Title Sponsor at our annual Oak Tree Golf Classic. A great day was had by all!

Santa Clarita Valley busi

credit: Joie de Vivre Photographie

RANCH

Residents at Williams Ranch will enjoy a relaxed lifestyle oriented around an exceptional recreation center that will feature a clubhouse, swimming pool, and outdoor kitchen. Surrounded by abundant open space and linked by an intricate trail system, numerous parks of every size and shape, entertainment am phitheater, large citrus orchards, work ing vineyards and a wine pavilion, there is nothing quite like Williams Ranch now selling in the region.

“We pulled what we felt were the best elements of modern-ranch living and brought together what we thought would be those components to make Williams Ranch a special place to live,” Faina adds. “For example, the barnlike clubhouse with a distinctive water tower design element and double-wide roll-up doors that open to the great lawn and amphi theater for gatherings on one side and a wine pavilion on the other with the com munity pool and fire pit beyond. Several

signature parks, one County park, pedes trian pathways, trails, and streets all in terconnect this community which is part of our master design for a better way of living here in the Santa Clarita Valley.”

Fuel for New Residents

According to the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation, the Santa Clarita Valley continues to be a re gion with growing opportunities for em ployment which bodes well for Williams Ranch residents seeking to work locally. A number of industrial and commercial developments have brought significant growth across a range of industries in cluding aerospace and defense, medical devices, digital media and entertainment, information technology, advanced manu facturing, and corporate and professional services. Directly across from Williams Ranch is the Valencia Commerce Cen ter spanning 1,200 acres housing office, industrial and retail businesses including major tenants AMS Fulfillment, ITT Aero space Controls, and Pharmavite.

For commuters, Wiliams Ranch is in close proximity to most Southern California

business centers. The Santa Clarita Metro link train station is a mere seven miles from Williams Ranch and offers service be tween the Los Angeles Union Station and the Antelope Valley’s Lancaster Station.

Williams Ranch is located at 28801 Has ley Canyon Road, Santa Clarita Valley, CA. For information, phone 661-344-9200 or email williamsranch@williamshomes.com, or visit the Williams Ranch website at www.williamsranch.com or www.williams homes.com.

Williams Homes is a residential home builder headquartered in Los Angeles, Cal ifornia that specializes in building highquality new homes for families. Founded in 1996, the privately-owned company has built thousands of homes during the last two decades in the Western United States, including communities in California, Montana, Idaho, and Texas. Committed to insightful design and superior craftsman ship, Williams Homes continues to set a new standard in homebuilding and ulti mately, the customer experience. For more information, visit www.williamshomes. com.

A Veterans’ Tax-Savings Benefit

BY JEFF PRANG Los Angeles County Assessor

As we prepare to give thanks this No vember on Thanksgiv ing Day, it’s also important to remember those that have served our great nation in the military and honor their courage and valor this Veterans Day.

Veterans Day is a feder al holiday and is celebrated this Nov. 11. Veterans Day, as most of you know, is a trib ute to military veterans who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. It’s not to be confused with Memorial Day, which honors those who died while in service. Veterans Day hon ors all military veterans, in cluding those still with us.

As a quick reminder, Vet erans Day evolved from Ar mistice Day, which was pro claimed in 1919 by President Woodrow Wilson, celebrat ing the signing of the Armi stice that ended World War I. That occurred on Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. and formally recognized the “11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month” in 1918 that ended the war.

In 1954, the holiday was changed to Veterans Day to honor all veterans in all wars. We still celebrate this day, recognizing the tie with WWI, meaning we celebrate Veter ans Day the same day every year — Nov. 11 — regardless of the day of the week it falls. If Veterans Day falls on the weekend, it can be celebrat ed on the Saturday or Sunday and on the following Monday.

Since it’s a federal holiday, a bank holiday and a state holi day, federal and state employ ees get the day off from work.

Not only am I visiting with you about Veterans Day but to remind you that we have tax savings’ programs avail able for veterans.

Here’s how it works: If you are a single veteran with as sets of less than $5,000, a married veteran with assets of less than $10,000, or an un married surviving spouse of an eligible veteran, you may apply for the Veterans’ Ex emption of $4,000, which is applied to the assessed value of your property. Although it is unnecessary for the veteran to reside on that property in order to qualify, this exemp tion claim must be filed every year.

If you are a disabled veteran the exemption is even great er. If a veteran is blind in both eyes, has lost the use of two or more limbs, or is totally disabled as a result of injury or disease incurred in mili tary service, you may be eli gible for a Disabled Veterans’ Property Tax Exemption. You may be eligible for an exemp tion of up to $150,000 of the

assessed value of your home. The Veterans Administration must certify the veteran’s dis ability. Unmarried surviving spouses of certain deceased veterans may also qualify.

We owe a tremendous debt to our veterans and I say thank you for all that you’ve done, all that you do and all that you will do. Our Democ racy is built on your service.

My office offers other sev eral tax-savings programs as well and the Veterans Exemp tions are just two examples. For additional property tax relief programs, visit assessor.

lacounty.gov/exclusions-taxrelief or call (213) 974-3211.

Los Angeles

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 more than 1,300 employees and provides the foundation for a property tax system that generates nearly $19 billion annually. 

County Assessor

LDI Acquires The Groundskeeper Inc.

Valencia-based Landscape Devel opment Inc. announced that its maintenance division, Enhanced Landscape Management LLC, has com pleted the asset purchase of Venturabased The Groundskeeper Inc.

TGI was founded by Harry Avedissian in 1985 and has developed a strong, local repu tation in the Ventura area for exceptional quality and commitment to customer ser vice, LDI said in a prepared statement.

“After deciding to sell my company, it was important for me to know that my longtenured and valued employees and clients would be well cared for with a seamless transition. After learning more about LDI/ ELM’s culture and progressive business practices, I felt this would be a great oppor tunity for all involved,” Avedissian said in the statement.

ELM Division President Ron Reitz de scribed how this acquisition brings new talent and operational capacity to En hanced Landscape Management: “With this acquisition, we gain additional great talent and further cement our position in Ventura County as the leading landscape maintenance service provider. The Ground skeeper’s values and commitment to qual ity and high service performance made this acquisition extremely attractive to us.  As a beneficial consequence, this also brings new growth opportunities to the long-serving staff of TGI.”

LDI President and CEO Gary Horton said this most recent acquisition is yet another demonstration of the company’s commit ment to grow its maintenance segment.  “This is an excellent addition to our main tenance business,” Horton said in the state

ment. “We further expand our reach in the Santa Clarita Valley/Ventura region as the market leader as we continue to expand and deliver our full suite of services to our everexpanding client base. Enhanced Landscape Management continues to pursue acquisi tion opportunities through California and the western states as we execute our main tenance segment growth strategy.”

Horton added, “I wish to thank all our leadership and entire staff who, working collaboratively, have made our rapid growth both possible and profitable.”

Horton founded LDI in 1983. The company currently operates from 13 regional offices throughout California and Southern Nevada, employing 1,200-plus industry professionals, and is one of the top 20 largest landscape companies in the U.S. (News Release)

Spectrum Commercial Real Estate, Inc. 28392 Constellation Road Valencia 91355 (661) 306-9600 spectrumcre.com

Stratton International 28005 Smyth Dr Valencia 91355 (661) 702-9700 strattoninternational.com

The Franco Realty Group 23890 Copper Hill Drive #376 Valencia 91354 (310) 993-6920 gofrancorealty.com

Valleywide Leasing, Inc. 25152 Springfield Court Suite 120 Valencia 91355 (818) 471-4272 valleywideleasing.com

Economic DEvElopmEnt corporation

26455 Rockwell Canyon Road | UCEN 263 | Santa Clarita, CA 91355 | (661) 288-4400 | www.scvedc.org

SCV’s Economic Update & Forecast for 2022 and Beyond

BY HOLLY SCHROEDER

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

Designed to provide attendees with an economic analysis and out look for the coming year, the 2022 Economic Outlook Conference included global, national, and state perspec tives, while focusing primarily on the trends and issues associated with the Santa Clarita Valley and the surround ing business community. Alongside the conference the SCVEDC also releases its Outlook Book, containing more in-depth data and economic forecast information.

Summary Overview:

• Our population continues to grow steadily, and we built almost 2000 new homes in the last 3 years alone. It’s ex pected to average 0.8% per year through 2027, increasing by approximately 12,000 residents.

• Meanwhile, our jobs base has also grown as we’ve built millions of square feet of new industrial, commercial, and retail space.

• We have nearly recovered all the jobs lost during the pandemic and our job creation rate is still up, having added approximately 5,200 jobs in 2022 alone. Many of these jobs were in the hardest hit industries in the Santa Clarita Valley by the Coronavirus Recession.

• The rate of job growth exceeded the rate of population growth.

• Industrial vacancy is at zero, but com mercial office space is expected to steadily

Econo Watch

recover. There are millions of square feet of mixed-use space under current con struction, already approved, or awaiting approval.

• Inflation has likely peaked and should normalize by the end of 2023. While over all growth predicted for this year has been downgraded, and stagflation is a contin ued concern, a bona fide recession is not likely according to Schniepp.

Last year our economist Dr. Mark Schniepp predicted that, absent some calamity, economic growth and the pace of recovery would remain sustainable, and labor markets would gradually return mostly to their pre-pandemic form. Wage inflation has risen substantially alongside the inflation of many key products and services, both for people switching jobs and those staying in their positions. Ac cording to Schniepp, the economy is not really in as bad of shape as things might appear, despite general inflation not being transitory and the introduction of multiple virus variants.

Dr. Schniepp stated how the labor mar ket in 2022 is strong, but there is rising uncertainty that employment will be im pacted by a potential recession that could arrive before the year’s end. Santa Clarita Valley residents, however, have returned to the workforce in 2022 and new labor force entrants in 2023 will create more opportunities for companies to fill job po sitions faster. In fact, we’ve had complete recovery of jobs in those local industries that were hit the hardest by the pandemic, such as hospitality, leisure, entertainment,

travel, and more. Rising job counts almost always imply that (1) the demand for pro duction is increasing and firms, therefore, need more capital, labor, or both to meet that demand, or (2) the region is attracting more businesses who employ local work ers or a new in-migrating population of workers.

Dr. Schniepp predicts inflation in the US hit its peak in Q2 of 2022 and will con tinue to decrease to pre-pandemic levels towards the end of 2023. The SCV Labor force is now fully utilized, with job open ings exceeding the unemployed. Alongside increased housing production, population growth, and job creation, overall median home selling prices will also increase in the SCV, and office space will gradually fill over the next 2-3 years. Despite industrial availability sitting at zero, there are 10.8 million square feet of commercial/indus tries space awaiting approval. Projects like Honor Ranch and mixed-use develop ments in FivePoint’s Valencia will create new opportunities.

There are still many unknowns that will factor into how well our economy will progress: How will the Fed handle interest rates and inflation? Are we in a recession, or is one imminent? But while the overall growth predicted for this year has been downgraded, and stagflation is a contin ued concern, a bona fide recession is not likely according to Schniepp. Other than that, he sees no other indications of weak ness at the local level in SCV. 

Santa Clarita Valley Q3 2022 Q2 2022 Q3 2022 Sq Ft

Commercial Vacancy Rates

Office Space 20.37% 18.95% 2,882,170

Industrial Space 1.30% 1.40% 25,327,073

Total Marked Sq. Ft. Vacancy Percentage: 28,209,243

Office Space - as a % of Vacancy 10.22% 9.97% N/A

Industrial Space - as a % of Vacancy 89.78% 90.03% N/A

Building Permits

Sep ’22 Aug ‘22 Sep ’21

New Commercial/Industrial Building Permits 1 6 8

Commercial Tenent Improvements/Alterations 26 26 25

Unemployment Rates Sep ’22 Aug ‘22 % Change

Santa Clarita

Palmdale

Lancaster

Glendale

3.9% 4.3% -9.30%

6.5% 6.9% -5.8%

6.7% 7.0% -4.29%

4.3% 4.7% -8.51%

Los Angeles County 4.5% 4.9% -8.16%

State 3.9% 4.1% -4.88%

Housing Stats

Aug ’22 Jul ‘22 Aug ’21

SCV Average Home Price 998,800 886,300 843,000

SCV Average Condo Price 889,000 562,500 837,000

SCV Home Sales 1,628 1,477 2,273

SCV Condo Sales 649 597 506.7

SCV Avg. # of Days on Market (SF) 29 55 22

SCV Single Family Home Inventory 343 384 242

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 2,726.23 and the average price per share was $90.85. This month the index is 2983.92 up 257.69 or 9.4% for an average share price of $99.46.

Company industry ticker SEPTEMBER 27 october 28

Amazon Retail

Bank of Southern California Banking

Bioventus Biomedical

NASDAQ: AMZN 113.78 103.41

OTC: BCAL 15.69 16.15

Nasdaq: BVS 6.98 7.90

Boston Scientific Biomedical NYSE: BSX 38.90 43.16

California Resources Corp. Energy

NYSE: CRC 37.62 43.63

Carnival Corp. Entertainment/leisure NYSE: CCL 8.95 8.94

CBRE Commercial real estate NYSE: CBRE 70.66 70.75

Costco Retail NASDAQ: COST 466.40 510.87

Disney Entertainment media NYSE: DIS 99.50 105.95

Five Point Holdings Home developer NYSE: FPH 2.79 2.35

IQVIA holdings Laboratory services NYSE: IQV 189.43 208.16

ITT inc. Aerospace/manufacturing NYSE: ITT 66.90 76.97

KB Homes Home developer NYSE: KBH 27.26 29.41

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Pharmaceutical OTCMKTS: OTSKY 15.34 15.99

Quest Diagnostics Laboratory services NYSE: DGX 122.35 144.59

Six Flags Entertainment/leisure NYSE: SIX 18.53 22.16

Sodexo

Home/food services

OTCMKTS: SDXAY 14.93 18.40

Sonova Holdings Biomedical equipment OTCMKTS: SONVY 43.65 67.85

Tri Pointe Homes Home developer NYSE: TPH 15.64 17.15

Walmart Retail NYSE: WMT 130.06 142.51

Woodward Aerospace/Manufacturing

Auto Nation Auto Dealers

NASDAQ: WWD 82.90 92.80

NY: AN 106.96 106.10

Boeing Aerospace NY: BA 131.25 143.84

Comcast Communications NY: CMCSA 31.84 31.95

Home Depot Retail NY: HD 270.94 298.65

Kohl's Retail NY: KSS 26.30 30.49

Lennar Home Builder NY: LEN 77.07 82.04

Lowes Retail NY: LOW 188.13 198.73

McDonalds Restaurants

NY: MCD 245.95 274.52

Textron Industrial NY: TXT 59.53 68.50

prepare

VIA CEO Forum Returns December 2nd

for

future

the

Connecting to Success Program. VIA Connecting to Success is a workforce readiness program for high school students in the Santa Clarita Valley. Now in its 20th year, the program includes sections in interpersonal skills, resume building and interview skills, financial literacy, basic banking and credit, ethics in the workplace and much more. This program, delivered by local business leaders, makes a major impact on students, and builds a better workforce for the employers of the SCV. Event dates are February 24, 2023, March 3, 2023, and March 24, 2023. Become a Facilitator and make a difference! Contact Kathy Norris in the VIA Office today: (661) 294-8088 or kathy@via.org

For many years, VIA has enjoyed the support of the valley’s top executives through our CEO Forums, a collaboration of decision makers created to identify common business and community issues, while developing solutions. Our CEO Forums have consistently resulted in highly desirable programs, special events, partnerships, and better success for business.

Who should attend? CEOs, Presidents, Business Owners, Management Personnel, Consultants, Community Leaders, Educators and decision makers from SCV based businesses and adjacent areas. Tickets and sponsorships available at www.via.org/ceoforum

Remarkable programs have been developed through VIA’s CEO Forums. VIA sponsored their first CEO Forum in 1995 to discuss the business community’s training needs and workforce plans. At that event, CEOs emphasized the need to re-engineer and re-tool the local workforce if they were to be successful in diversifying and in expanding to new markets. As a result, the Valley Industry Association and the College of the Canyons Employee Training Institute began working together to fund a “retraining” initiative in the SCV. An Employment Training Panel project was developed and through that program, millions of dollars in training funds to support skill upgrade training have been provided to thousands of employees in the SCV.

Later, the CEO Forum identified an overwhelming need for entry level employees to have basic professional skills. Students entering the workforce needed to be better equipped with fundamental skills and work ethics. Through this event, VIA built a program based on specific work skill needs and the “Connecting to Success” program was born. Launched in 2003, the program continues today, celebrating its 20th anniversary of building a better workforce for

SCV employers. The program has trained more than 35,000 students from the Santa Clarita Valley.

Since 2009, the VIA CEO Forum has become annual event discussing and tackling tough issues and building solutions through the collective efforts of the VIA membership and local business leaders. Topics have included workforce housing, transportation, high speed internet, continuing education for the existing and emerging workforce, advocacy, infrastructure and the quest to find a qualified workforce.

Based on ideas, suggestions and support from local business leaders, we anticipate remarkable results in the future as well.

Sponsorships are available from $250 - $1000.

Individual Tickets $$0 - $50 Visit www.via.org/ceo-forum for additional information.