209 Business Journal - March 2020

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BUSINESS JOURNAL

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MARCH 2020

VOLUME 5 ■ ISSUE 3

IN PROFILE

Unleash it Martial Arts finds room for students to excel and grow in new location in Turlock.

PAGE 3

STANISLAUS COUNTY’S TOP 10 CROPS (2018)

NEWS

1. ALMONDS ......$1,107,328,000 2. MILK ..................$636,499,000 3. CHICKENS .......$276,879,000 4. C ATTLE & CALVES ........$236,822,000 5.

NURSERY, FRUIT & NUT TREES & VINES ............$170,164,000

209 residents may need to take their “Pray for Rain” signs out of storage soon, as the U.S. Drought Monitor declared recently that some parts of the state have been pushed back into a drought following a significantly dry winter in California.

PAGE 7

6. SILAGE .............$135,901,000 7. WALNUTS .......$102,661,000 8.

POLLINATION, ALMOND .........$75,847,000 9. TURKEYS .........$64,342,000 10. PEACHES .........$56,601,000

COUNTY PROFILE A look at Stanislaus County Editor’s Note This is the first in a series of stories that will run in 2020 examining the seven counties that make up the 209 region.

BY SABRA STAFFORD

S

209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

tanislaus County has long been an agricultural powerhouse in the state, country and the world, and while the region remains a global food supplier, county leaders are seeking to bolster the area’s economy by bringing in developing industries that offer new opportunities to the residents.

More than 230 different commodities are produced in Stanislaus County, with the top 10 commodities making up 80 percent of the total economic impact of the industry. But when looking at agriculture in Stanislaus County, the scope goes further than just the commodities produced in the region. It also includes all the businesses that service the ag industry, including veterinary services, specialized vehicle sales, and seed production. A 2019 report looking at the economic contributions of

agricultural in Stanislaus County found that the industry was responsible for generating more than $7 billion to Stanislaus County economy, from the commodities to the ripple effect on other businesses. That number grows to $14 billion when it includes products not grown in the county, but still processed here, said Stanislaus County Assistant Chief Executive Officer Keith Boggs.

“Agriculture is our most dominant Industry when it comes to industry specialization, as in how well we do ag compared to other typical counties,” Boggs said. “Ag had significant job growth of 13.4 percent from 2010-2019, far above the national average of 4.1 percent growth. However, between 2020-2025, the job growth is estimated to slow to a small 1.9 percent growth, much less than the national growth rate of 3.2 percent in the same time period. Based on regional specialization, Stanislaus

County has the 17th largest share of all the counties in California. Average earnings in ag are higher in Stanislaus County ($48,831) than any of the other Central Valley counties or the California average.

Also, we have 83.2 percent of the ag supply chain met in-region, much higher than most of the other counties (only Kern and Tulare are higher).”

Coming in at number one on the 2018 Agricultural Report list of top 10 commodities, almonds accounted for 30 percent of the county’s total commodity value at $1,107,328,000 in 2018, with the commodity’s value increasing by $51 million since 2017. This was

largely due to an additional 8,500 harvested acres in 2018.

Milk production accounted for the second largest crop in Stanislaus County in 2018. It accounted for 17 percent of the total commodity value at $636,499,000.

Poultry also remained a strong industry in Stanislaus County, valued at $276,879,000 in 2018 and ranking third on the top commodity list. This was an increase of over $20 million from 2017, resulting from an increase of about two million chicks countywide and price increases for both chicks and chickens.

“Markets have grown and values SEE COUNTY, PAGE 10

209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

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MARCH 2020

ACCOLADES

PROMOTIONS, APPOINTMENTS, HONORS, ETC. San Joaquin Board of Supervisors announces Port of Stockton Commissioner Appointments

The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors has voted to appoint Mr. William R. Trezza to his first four-year term and Dr. Elizabeth Blanchard to an additional twoyear term on the Stockton Port District Commission.

Mr. Trezza is a native of Orange, New Jersey and graduated from Villanova University in 1969 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration William R. Trezza and Accounting.

He worked for the Comptroller of the Currency (a federal bank regulatory agency) from 1969 - 1982. He served as a bank examiner, and held several administrative positions in New York City, Washington D.C., and San Francisco.

He joined BAC Community Bank in 1982 as Chief Financial Officer and became CEO in 1984. He held that position until his retirement on January 1, 2019; he continues to serve as Director of the Bank.

During his tenure at BAC Community Bank Mr. Trezza worked on numerous boards and served as chairman of several, Including Hospice of San Joaquin, Dameron Hospital Foundation and El Concilio.

Bill still serves as chairman of the Dameron Hospital Association and the San Joaquin County Aviation Advisory Committee. He was a founding director of the Mary Graham Childrens’ Foundation and serves on its Endowment Committee. He serves on several other boards in the community such as the Bishop’s Finance Council, St. Mary’s High School Foundation, Job Redi, Ready to Work and the Pacific Italian Alliance.

He has received local awards such as the Dameron Heart of Gold and Goodwill Industries’ Helping Hands. He’s also been elected to St. Mary’s High School Hall of Fame.

Bill resides in Stockton with his partner Debbie Hagen and they have five children aged 14 - 31 and two grandchildren.

Dr. Blanchard, who has been on the commission since 2008, holds a doctorate in psychology from the University of the Pacific, and is professor emeritus of San Joaquin Delta College Psychology Department and the University of the Pacific School of Education. She previously served eight years on the Stockton City Planning Commission and two years on the San Joaquin County Planning Commission. Dr. Blanchard is the Past President of the Association of Pacific Ports.

The Port District Commission consists of seven members – four appointed by the City of Stockton and three by the San Joaquin County Board of Dr. E. Blanchard Supervisors. The Commissioners are R. Jay Allen, Anthony Barkett, Gary Christopherson, Vice Chairman Michael Patrick Duffy and Chairman Stephen Griffen.

The Port of Stockton is an inland facility

situated on a deep-water channel located in the extended San Francisco Bay Area.

Operating since 1933, the Port of Stockton is the 4th largest port in California and handles dry bulk, breakbulk, liquid bulk, warehousing and project cargoes. Services include stevedoring, warehousing, inventory management and transloading.

Merced College’s Ruano chosen as Merced County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce honoree for 2020 Latina Women’s Luncheon

Merced College Area 4 Dean Sylvia Ruano has been chosen as one of several speakers who will be honored for their contributions to the community at the 2020 Latina Women’s. The acknowledgment and event are sponsored by the Merced County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

“When I heard about it, I was really surprised and honored,” Ruano said. “I’m humbled.”

Ruano grew up in the Pomona area and later moved to Redding where she attended Shasta College and earned an associate degree, before receiving a BA from Simpson University and an MS from the University of LaVerne. She was the first person in her family to attend and graduate from college.

“I’m fairly new to this area,” Ruano said.

“But my grandparents were field workers in this area. To be honored in the same place where my grandparents lived and worked, that was humbling. I would have loved for them to see this.”

At Merced College, Ruano oversees Area 4 which encompasses Allied Health, Child Development, Public Safety and Kinesiology. Before moving over to Area 4 in 2019, Ruano had been acting dean of student services. Her first position at the College was running the EOPS, CARE and NextUP programs.

Under Ruano’s guidance, Allied Health is expanding their already robust high school Certified Nursing Assistant program into the Los Banos Unified School District and adding more courses for the rapidly expanding prison education program. In Child Development, Ruano and her team are working to make a child development degree available online.

Ruano, in addition to her work with the College, serves on the Executive Board of Directors for the Central Valley Opportunity Center.

“I’m very thankful to [President] Chris [Vitelli] and [Vice President of Student Services] Mike McCandless for hiring me,” Ruano said. “Now I can look at the faculty and the students and myself as a team. It’s a great feeling. Whatever we are doing, we always think, ‘Students first.’”

Oak Valley Community Bank receives ‘Outstanding’ Community Reinvestment Rating

Oak Valley Community Bank announced that it received an “Outstanding” rating, the highest possible, for its community development and lending efforts in their recent Community Reinvestment Act Performance Evaluation from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. The bank earned a “Satisfactory” rating on the evaluation’s Lending test and an “Outstanding” on the Community Development test. The performance demonstrated responsiveness to the community through the bank’s lending, investment, and service efforts.

The achievement makes Oak Valley Community Bank one of only 11 banks,

regulated by the Federal Reserve Bank and headquartered in California, to receive an Overall Rating of Outstanding since 2010.

Performance Highlights: OVCB originated over 60 community development loans totaling $114.2 million to support Community Reinvestment purposes.

OVCB invested $7.8 million in Mortgage-Backed Securities (MBS) that helped low-and moderate-income borrowers obtain mortgage loans.

OVCB remains an active Small Business Administration (SBA) 504 lender in their assessment areas and was recognized in 2019 by their local CDC as their “Most Active SBA 504 Lending Partner.”

The bank contributed over 1,600 community development service hours to qualified non-profits and organizations targeting low-and moderate-income families and children.

OVCB invested $21.3 million inside its assessment areas, representing 20 percent of its Tier 1 Capital.

“Building the strength of the communities we serve is one of our fundamental core values at Oak Valley,” commented Chris Courtney, President and CEO. The bank and our employees are dedicated to supporting the non-profit community within in our service areas. Earning an Outstanding CRA rating in this latest evaluation is an immense credit to our employees’ hard work and commitment to the community,” Courtney concluded.

TSMC C.A.R.E.S. Foundation partners with Camp Taylor

The Save Mart Companies C.A.R.E.S. Foundation announced a $50,000 grant to local Central Valley non-profit Camp Taylor. The donation will go towards bringing back Camp Taylor’s Kitchen Program this new year. The Kitchen Program is designed to help educate children about heart healthy snacks with nutritional value and how to prepare them.

“A healthy lifestyle begins with heart healthy snacks,” expressed Stacia Levenfeld, C.A.R.E.S. Foundation board member. “It is important that children learn that healthy snacks can also be delicious.

We are beyond excited to once again partner with Camp Taylor and help bring back their Kitchen Program!”

Camp Taylor is the first ever medically supervised residential camp facility designed and dedicated for children fighting heart diseases and will rename the program to “Camp Taylor’s Save Mart Kitchen Program”.

Since 2002, Camp Taylor has been dedicated to creating positive, self-affirming experiences that bring joy to children living with heart defects while deepening their understanding of the disease, inspiring and empowering them to lead fulfilling lives.

Camp Taylor expands the resources available to this traditionally underserved community and has become the leading provider of uplifting programs benefiting pediatric cardiac patients and their families.

“We are grateful to the C.A.R.E.S. Foundation for using their power to help create an environment where kids fighting a life-threatening disease are happy,” said Kimberlie Gamino, Camp Taylor’s Founder and Executive Director. “The Camp Taylor’s Save Mart Kitchen Program aims to educate children about heart healthy snacks with nutritional value and will teach the children how to prepare snacks and meals that will help their heart. A fun and hands-on learning approach will

educate the children to develop healthier eating that we hope becomes a habit for them. The world needs more companies like Save Mart because they really CARE about our community and children.”

The Save Mart Companies’ C.A.R.E.S. Foundation donated over $450,000 in 2019 to over five dozen local organizations throughout California and Northern Nevada. C.A.R.E.S. stands for Community, Arts, Recreation, Education and Sports and focuses on improving lives under these categories. For more information, please visit www.SaveMart.com, under the Community tab.

Katie Otto joins California Farmland Trust team

The California Farmland Trust announced Katie Otto as their new Development and Operations Director. She joins the CFT team after 12 years with the California FFA Foundation and brings her deep roots and experience with agriculture, fundraising and finance management to the organization.

A native of Galt, Otto spent her early years growing up on her family’s vineyard and thus began her love of the farming way of life and the values it instilled in her. Her agricultural career started after graduating with an Ag Business Degree from Fresno State University. Otto gained momentum in the ag industry after working with organizations like The Great Valley Center and the California Cattlemen’s Association.

When asked about her career highlight, Otto referenced the success of the Foundation’s Giving Tuesday campaign because of the immediate impact it had on FFA Students.

“The FFA jacket is symbolic for the organization and I wanted each chapter to be represented at our 2017 Gala, our signature event. However, these jackets are a financial burden for many students,” said Otto. “To ensure each student had a jacket, we raised the funds necessary to provide jackets for all students from each chapter at the event.”

This, along with having Mike Rowe of the Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs” serve as the Foundation’s gala keynote speaker made an impressive impact on their Giving Tuesday campaign. Coupling these achievements with developing a relationship with Blue Diamond Growers to expand the campaign in recent years, has aided in ensuring that every FFA member could have a blue corduroy jacket of their own.

“Katie has a passion for agriculture and the meaningful work of non-profits in the industry,” said Charlotte Mitchell, executive director. “She has a keen understanding of the challenges that face agriculture including the protection of farmland. Katie will be an important part of the California Farmland Trust team to continue our mission of protecting these important working landscapes.”

Otto envisions a future for CFT that brings together a wide array of the public, landowners, and partners who make farmland conservation a priority.

“I did not set out to be a fundraiser, but I have realized the general obligation I feel to either give back to or volunteer for the efforts that make this world better and it’s an opportunity I can offer others,” Otto said. This effort is about sharing and storytelling and building relationships – these come easy to me because I am passionate about this work and it’s part of who I am.”

“We are excited and honored to have SEE ACCOLADES, PAGE 5

209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

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IN PROFILE

Martial arts school finds new home

BY ANGELINA MARTIN 209 Business Journal

It was less than five years ago that Unleash It Martial Arts owner Joey Moser realized his lifelong dream of opening his own karate school, and now the business has already moved on to bigger and better things.

Unleash It upgraded to a bigger location on Geer Road in Turlock to start 2020, moving from their smaller, former home on East Canal Drive into a bigger studio that provides 600 more square feet. The school previously shared a hallway with other businesses, like Gymnastics Unlimited, but now shares a spacious parking lot with the likes of Olde Tyme Pastries, Dale’s Guitar and more.

“It’s a bigger spot. It’s been awesome,” Moser said. “We’re less distracted. There’s not as many people walking in and out from gymnastics, so now we’re in our own world which is nice.”

Self-defense, physical health and a strong body and mind are key components to Moser’s practices at his nontraditional karate school, where he offers group classes and private lesson programs for men, women and children with instructors that offer cutting edge classes to improve overall health.

Moser prides himself on teaching a little differently and including aspects that he feels improves the atmosphere compared to traditional karate schools. Classes at Unleash It include endurance type exercises that involve cardio, but still allow the kids to learn self-defense and empower themselves by getting a stronger body and mind that translates to martial arts.

“We stick to the big three: energy, mobility

Unleash It Martial Arts Location: 2247 Geer Rd., Turlock

Hours: 3:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Monday through Thursday, 5:15 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday Contact information: 209-277-8542 Specialty: Self-defense and fitness

and strength. Some people do it for health and attitude, other kids do it for flexibility and fitness, and other kids do it to be strong,” Moser said.

While self-defense is one of the core concepts at Unleash It, Moser’s classes also help students — no matter what their age is — learn to understand the consequences of movement.

“I think some parents think it makes their kids meaner, but it’s the opposite. It makes them nicer and it creates empathy,” Moser said. “It gives them respect for movement and helps them learn that things hurt. It does that to them naturally.”

For those that are curious about martial arts but may have their doubts, Moser insists that seeing is believing.

“Don’t call, come check it out for yourself,” he said. “Don’t listen to what people tell you — believe what you see.”

ANGELINA MARTIN/209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

Joey Moser teaches a class at the new studio for his karate academy, Unleash It Martial Arts.

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209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

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MARCH 2020

IN PROFILE

Serve it up: Sinodinos build Backwoods Burgers

BY TERESA HAMMOND 209 Business Journal

A little sweat equity, a lifetime of experience and a supportive family are the key ingredients to the opening of Nikki and Athen Sinodinos’ newest restaurant endeavor: Backwoods Burgers in Oakdale.

Sinodinos siblings Nikki, Athen and Jack might say the business is in their blood, as the children of parents who have made their livelihood running successful Bay Area eateries. Owners of the already popular Cahoots Corner Café, brothers Jack and Athen have been equal parts in transforming the new space.

Located on the west end of town, Nikki anticipates opening of the business to be late February to early March. It’s been an eyeopening, yet rewarding experience for the 22-yearold thus far. Noting an interest in the business since a young age, Nikki completed her Bachelor of Science Degree from Stanislaus State last spring.

“It’s been in my family so long, that it’s kind of like it’s in my blood at this point,” she said of the food service business. “It’s different when you grow up in it. It’s like you have that restaurant mentality in everything you do.”

Recognizing that becoming a business owner happened a bit earlier than she might have expected, postgraduation, Nikki shared while it’s been a big learning experience thanks to the partnership with her brother Athen and support from her dad and brother Jack she is anything but nervous.

“Every day I feel like I’m learning something new as far as all the little things,” she said. “Things that you never think of that go into not only running a business, but running a restaurant.”

It’s a learning process which she shared has added a new dynamic to her relationship with her brothers and father.

Backwoods Burgers will be a counter service restaurant, with customers ordering their choice of appetizer, burger, chicken sandwich or salad. Soft drinks, beer and wine will also be on the menu. Large screen televisions playing sports programming will lend itself to a family environment. Hours of operation are currently planned for 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily but are subject to change.

As a current employee of Cahoots, Nikki admits the 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. hours will take some getting used to, yet she’s excited to bring a different dinner option to the Oakdale community.

“Since we have TV’s going and we have beer on tap, I think it’s going to be a really cool hang out spot for Oakdale at night,” she said, noting the difference of its business model makes hard to anticipate who the customer will be, but expects it being a family hot spot.

For a family that works so closely together, creating a family friendly environment is important to the Sinodinos. Brother Jack has been largely in charge of interior design, brother Athen felt inspired by the Justin Moore song Backwoods (hence the name) and both brothers person-

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Siblings Nikki and Athen Sinodino’s newest restaurant endeavor, Backwoods Burgers, is set to open soon in Oakdale.

ally helped lay the floors as well as panel the walls and do other interior work.

“It was always the deal that after I graduated from college we would open something else,” Nikki said of pre-plans to open another business. She added

that while it may have been the “plan,” the quickness has still taken some getting used to. “I’m very grateful for this opportunity.”

As the days turn into weeks and opening day is fast approaching, the sister of the three part sib-

lings shared both she and brother Athen are excited by the opportunity as well as the continued learning through their father’s expertise.

As for brother Jack, he graciously opted out of the west end business, con-

tent with the hours and the work load of Cahoots in the center of town.

“He enjoys working at the café and having family time later in the day,” Nikki said of her older brother.

“He’s excited to be a customer.”

209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

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IN PROFILE

Madee’s is more than just dog treats

BY TAMARA FOREMAN 209 Business Journal

A dog bakery started by Tracy teen Abbi Hickman brings more than just happiness to the area’s canine residents, it also offers hope to Abbi’s sister and others who suffer from similar nervous system disorders.

Madee’s dog bakery was founded in 2017 by Abbi Hickman with only $200 and big plans — to help her family pay for the mounting medical bills for her sister Madee. When Madee was 10 she became very ill. In the beginning doctors were unable to find what was causing her symptoms and Madee said she was often told that she was “faking it” because they could not find anything wrong with her. She looked like a normal healthy child on the

outside but on the inside her body was in torment.

Madee was eventually flown to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. She and her family stayed at the Ronald McDonald House in Rochester while she was being treated. While at Mayo Clinic, Madee was given her first diagnosis of POTS — Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome — along with Dysautonomia, Ehlers-Danlos and Mast Cell Activation Disorder.

These nervous system, immune and connective tissue disorders often cause Madee to suffer from migraines, brain fog, joint pain, fatigue and more.

Madee now travels to Colorado Children’s Hospital in Aurora once a month for continued care.

Abbi, who is the founder and CEO of Abbi’s Pins for Pets through her local ani-

ACCOLADES

FROM PAGE 2

Katie onboard to direct our fund development efforts and assist in guiding the organization,” said Mitchell.

Ceres Save Mart Store Manager named company’s 2019 Store Manager of the Year

Save Mart Store Manager Donna Lambert was honored with the 2019 Nicholas J. Tocco Outstanding Store Manager of the Year Award last weekend at The Save Mart Companies’ Annual Management Appreciation Gala. Lambert manages the Ceres Save Mart store located on Whitmore Ave. The Outstanding Manager of the Year award was created in honor of the late Nicholas J. Tocco, co-founder of The Save Mart Companies and celebrates customer service, community involvement and store performance.

“I am beyond thrilled and honored to be chosen as the 2019 Outstanding Store Manager of the Year,” said Lambert. “A store manager is only as strong as their employees. I owe this award to my amazing team members, who I also consider to be my family.”

Lambert started her career with the com-

pany in 1980 as a part-time courtesy clerk at Lucky while attending college in the Bay Area. In the following 40 years, Lambert climbed the ranks within the company.

Lambert takes pride in her store team and how they are able to work together in a professional, yet caring way to accomplish their goals. Lambert is always ready with a smile and kind words, celebrating the best in people and takes great pride in making

mal shelter, decided to take her love of helping animals and her desire to help her sister in a new direction by starting Madee’s Dog Bakery (You Lick it You Buy it).

Abbi and Madee starting selling the dog treats at local farmers markets.

“At one of their events, a gentleman approached them and told them they should make beer grain dog treats with spent grain, so along came Tipsy Pooch dog treats,” said Sunee Hickman, the girls’ mother.

While in Colorado they found a small familyowned brewery to help with the washed grain. The Hickman family takes the grain from the brewery and delivers it themselves to manufacturer.

The Hickman girls have come along way and have many products that are sold at locations across the

her store a great place to work.

In addition to leading the store team, Lambert is deeply involved with the Ceres community. Lambert has served on the Board of Directors for the Ceres Chamber of Commerce where she has helped coordinate the Installation/Awards Dinner, participated in the Ceres Street Faire, assisted in organizing the annual Agribusiness Luncheon and Wine Stroll, and has helped clean up the on/off ramps in Ceres along Hwy 99.

“I enjoy the hard work but most of all the people I have met. It is very rewarding knowing that I am helping Ceres build a thriving community,” stated Lambert.

Stephen Woods from the Bakersfield Save Mart store and Tony Angoletta from the Oakdale Save Mart store were named first and second runners-up respectively.

Community Hospice Appoints New Chief Financial Officer

Community Hospice, the oldest and largest nonprofit hospice agency serving the Central Valley, announced the appointment of Lenny R. Verser, Jr., J.D, CPA, as the organization’s new Chief Financial Officer. Verser joined Community Hospice on February 10 in his new role.

Verser joins Community Hospice with more than 20 years’ professional experience in Finance and Accounting. Verser brings a wealth of specialist knowledge in corporate and nonprofit to the CFO role.

He most recently served as the Chief Financial Officer for Therapeutic Solutions, in Chico. He has also held other senior positions in the past and has been instrumental in enhancing productivity levels, reducing costs, introducing process i m p r o v e m e n t s, technology solutions and performance manageLenny R. Verser, Jr. ment.

“We are pleased that Verser has chosen to join our Community Hospice family,” said C. DeSha McLeod, President/CEO of Community Hospice. “We are confident that he will lead and execute strategies

West, including the beer grain dog treats, organic dog soap, paw wax and bake-your-own peanut butter doggy cookies. This year they plan to introduce banana dog treats.

Proceeds from the sales of Madee’s dog

treats help with medical bills, go towards POTS research and support the Ronald McDonald House of Rochester.

For more information about the dog bakery and Madee’s story go to www.

YouLickitYouBuyit.com.

that continue to improve our financial performance, maintain our mission and help position Community Hospice for a bright future. We are proud to welcome him into this position and feel he is the right choice for our organization.”

Verser stated, “I look forward to joining the Community Hospice Leadership team and leading their financial operations to contribute to the success of the organization and the fulfillment of their mission.”

Verser attended Oklahoma State University where he received his Bachelors of Science in Business Administration with an Accounting emphasis. He received his Juris Doctorate from Lincoln Law School of Sacramento. He is licensed a Certified Public Accountant and Member of the California State Bar.

Health Plan of San Joaquin appoints new Chief People Officer

Health Plan of San Joaquin has announced that Evert Hendrix has joined the organization as chief people officer.

CPO Hendrix has extensive senior human resources experience, as well as expertise in cross-functional process improvement.

He deploys this expertise to integrate organizational change with business strategies, together with improvements and supports for employees.

HPSJ CEO Amy Shin said: “HPSJ has invested in our employee growth, to provide great local job opportunities, and being an employer of choice. Evert Hendrix has built a successful human resources career by understanding that the hiring of an employee is only the beginning. With leadership experiences focused in California health care organizations, he has deep, practical experience in melding professionals from across the spectrum of health and business-related fields into strong teams that, working together, achieve measurable results for our community’s well-being. I am very confident that Evert will further HPSJ’s mission-driven culture of serving our community’s healthcare needs.”

Several of Hendrix’s earliest senior HR positions were in major corporations. At United Parcel Service he was regional human resources manager, providing support to a multi-state service area and han-

dling all staffing aspects for six business units. At Home Depot he was regional human resource director, supporting district stores in three western states with 4,500 employee associates in 42 stores with annual sales of $1.3 billion.

However, it was when he joined Rural Metro Corporation, with a healthcare workforce of emergency medical technicians, paramedics, fire fighters, nurses, and medical billing professionals, that he found the sector where he identified his personal, professional passion. Since 2006, he has devoted himself to the healthcare sector and likewise dedicated employees, first at Sutter Health/North Bay, as Executive Director of Human Resources; as Human Resources Leader, then Regional HR Director for Kaiser Permanente; and then as HR Vice President for California Dental Association. Prior to joining Health Plan of San Joaquin, he served as Chief Human Resource Officer and Vice President at Stanford Healthcare ValleyCare.

Hendrix holds a B.A. in business administration from Kaplan University, now part of the Purdue University System, and an M.B.A. from Evangel University (Springfield, Missouri). He and his wife, a local pediatric rheumatologist, live in Elk Grove with their three young children.

Modesto Chamber honors businesses, community leaders The Modesto Chamber of Commerce held their 106th annual gala membership awards in February with honors bestowed on local businesses and community leaders.

The Vera Girolami Ambassador of the Year award was given to Madhu Singh and the Ted Shileds Welcome Team Member Winner was Ramon Mendez.

The Chamber named VIPS of Modesto as the Non-Profit of the Year and Intrinsic Elements as the Small Business of the Year.

Tony Jordan was named the Leadership Modesto Graduate oh the Year and Debra Hendricks was named the Excellence in Education.

The Distinguished Service Award Winner was Cecil Russell and the Chamber Member of the Year was Modesto on Ice. Citizen of the Year was named Chief Galen Carroll.

209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

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MARCH 2020

NEWS

BUSY TIME FOR BEES Golden State’s $5.6 billion almond crop requires world’s largest bee mobilization

BY DENNIS WYATT

there are some 10.4 billion bees busy at work in the orchards around Manteca, Ripon, Escalon, Tracy, and Lathrop. Statewide there are almost 1.4 million acres of almonds that constitute California third largest farm product behind milk at $6.4 billion and grapes at $6.2 million. California — by far the nation’s largest farm state producing crops valued at $49.8 billion or as much as the next two states combined (Iowa $27.4 billion and Texas $21.9 billion).

To give you an idea of what 1.4 million acres of almonds would look like, if all of the California orchards were in one place they’d cover all of San Joaquin County and four-fifths of Sacramento County.

As for the 87,300 acres in San Joaquin County they’d come up 2,700 acres short of blanketing the City of San Francisco three times over. San Joaquin County’s almond meat production was valued at $536.3 million in 2018 with hulls and shells accounting for another $20 million in production.

209 Business Journal

Charleen Carroll and daughter Paula Juarez broker some of the sweetest deals in California.

They are among a handful of bee brokers that oversee a massive migration of bees to the Golden State each year from dozens of other states to help pollinate almost 1.4 million acres of almonds.

The mother-daughter Manteca-based business dubbed Pollination Contracting Inc. matches beekeepers with almond growers each year as far south of Fresno. Once the bees are placed within their clients’ orchards, they make the circuit checking hives to make sure there are adequate bees, that they are healthy, and doing what they are supposed to be doing — pollinating California’s almond crop that last year topped $5.6 billion.

The almond pollination effort — the largest in the world in terms of mobilizing bee hives — not only starts the nation’s crop pollination season but it also requires half of the commercial beehives in the United States to make it happen.

While hives have been in place for weeks in some locations, this week is likely to be the busiest as the mercury is expected to reach the high 70s without a drop of rain. That’s perfect weather for the bees to do their thing and for delicate almond blossoms to stay intact.

And there are a lot of bees doing their thing.

Carroll and Juarez place two hives per acre. A typical commercial hive has 60,000 bees. Given there are 87,300 acres of almonds in San Joaquin County

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Recently, the motherdaughter team was in an orchard north of Manteca and south of Delicato Vineyards off Frontage Road with beekeeper Max Rogers who trucked his bees into California from Arkansas.

The trio donned the prerequisite white beekeeper suits, careful to make sure they leave nothing exposed.

“They can still sting you throw the suits and your pants,” Carroll noted.

Bee stings are a part of doing business.

“It’s as common as drinking coffee,” Rogers said with a slight laugh.

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T h e color white is used for beekeeping suits for a reason. Darker color, especially black, agitates the bees. White tends to be a more soothing color.

The trio approaches a series of five pallets, each sporting eight hives apiece.

The hives are typically placed on the southern side of orchards that are being pollinated.

Rogers carries a bee smoker with him.

He goes to a pallet with four double-box bee hives and takes out a pry tool to get off the lid. You can try all you want to remove the lid by hand but the bees have secured it with beeswax to protect the hive.

Once the lid is off you can see why he wants to calm the bees down. There are some 80,000 bees per hive.

Puffs of smoke are used to calm the bees down rolls across the frames already partially covered with honey combs, countless bees and eggs.

Rogers pulls out one of the eight frames for inspection. The honey combs are far from being ready to harvest the honey that he sells wholesale. Almond pollination is feeding time for the bees.

He gently turns the frame over and spots what he is looking for — the queen.

While the worker bees that nature has selected to serve as foragers are busy buzzing around the orchards gathering nectar while other bees are doing specific tasks in the hive such as caring for the brood, the queen produces

well over 2,000 eggs a day to make sure there is adequate bees to tackle the greatest mobilized pollination effort in the world that takes place every February and March in California’s almond orchards.

Rogers makes a couple more spot checks of other frames, pleased at what he sees.

The hive is healthy and active. That’s good news.

The more the bees cross pollinate the white and pink blooms the better the odds are for bigger yields.

After they finish in the Manteca orchard, the mother daughter team along with “chauffeur” — Mike Carroll who is Charleen’s husband as well as Paula’s father and a retired correctional officer — are heading down Highway 99 to Chowchilla to make spot inspections on hives another keeper they have brokered with to make sure they are producing. If they aren’t it will cost the growers significantly when harvest rolls around.

There are perhaps three weeks left in the almonds for Rogers’ bees before he relocates them to other orchards. He’s heading cross country to New York to help pollinate apple orchards. Others are sticking nearby to pollinate cherry orchards 12 miles northwest of Manteca in the Linden area.

For Carroll and Juarez, their season ends next

18

$

per year

month as they have stuck to working with almond growers.

When Rogers pulls his hives out of the orchards he’ll do it at night. The need isn’t for darkness but cooler temperatures. The cooler night time temperatures — 55 degrees or below — assures that when he moves the hives virtually all of the bees will have returned.

Carroll and her friend Linda Hicken started brokering bees 42 years ago while their church still owned the meeting house on Pine Street. The Church Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had assessed families a set amount of money to help build new church facility.

Given both families were watching every nickel at the time, the two decided they had to get jobs.

A beekeeper from Washington who had placed his hives in Manteca orchards showed up for a Sunday service. He happened to chat with the two and was telling them how expensive it was for him to scout out his own growers as he wasn’t pleased with brokers that were available to them.

At one point he suggested it was something they could do.

Both immediately jumped at the idea. A day later, they were pulling out of Manteca at 5 a.m. in an old bee truck and driving

to Washington where they spent a week learning all about beekeeping.

They then returned home and tried to secure a loan from a bank.

The first bank turned them down. But then they stopped at Delta Bank.

Delta loaned them $500 for the necessary start-up expenses.

After the first season they had enough to pay the $2,000 commitment to the building funds, cover all of their expenses, set aside money for the next season and repay the loan in full.

Both were hooked not just with the sights and smells that went along with the job but the people they got to work with.

A few years back, Hicken retired and Juarez quit her job as a fulltime substitute teacher for Manteca Unified to join her mom in the business.

Actually, she isn’t a stranger to the bee broker gig. Growing up she accompanied her mom on spot inspections of various orchards where she brokered bee keepers to place hives.

“Growers and beekeepers are great people,” Carroll said as to why she is still brokering bees after 42 years. “Plus, it’s beautiful in the orchards.”

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7

NEWS

Dry conditions push state into drought

BY ANGELINA MARTIN 209 Business Journal

209 residents may need to take their “Pray for Rain” signs out of storage soon, as the U.S. Drought Monitor declared this week that some parts of the state have been pushed back into a drought following a significantly dry winter in California.

According to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor map of California provided by the National Weather Service, 46.15 percent of the state is in a drought or considered “abnormally dry” due to the lack of recent rainfall — conditions which are expected to continue on for at least the next couple of weeks.

The eastern area of Stanislaus County is considered to be abnormally dry according to the map, while parts of Tuolumne, Mariposa, Madera, Merced, Fresno, Tulare, Kings and Kern counties are currently in a moderate drought. California had been droughtfree since early December.

According to Turlock Irrigation District Utility Analyst Olivia Cramer, the current water year is the fourth driest in the water agency’s history. As of Feb. 9, the Tuolumne River Water-

shed had received just .03 inches of precipitation this month, compared to the February average of 6.52.

Since the 2019-2020 water year began in September, the watershed has received just 11.66 inches — 55.3 percent of the normal for the date.

“Looking at precipitation in February, we’ve had pretty dry conditions,” Cramer said.

The Central Sierra Snowpack is currently at 58 percent of normal for the date, Cramer added, which is slightly above the most recent drought years’ snowpack during the 2014-2015 water year.

The dry weather in February came following a significantly dry January, which saw just 1.69 inches of precipitation compared to the historical average of 6.52 inches for the month.

While December pulled in 7.74 inches of rainfall, exceeding the month’s historical average, lessthan-average numbers in September, October and November have taken a toll on the area.

According to TID Water Distribution Department Manager Mike Kavarian, local growers are already calling the water agency

wondering when irrigation will begin.

“The water year is not looking as good as we thought it was going to look like,” Kavarian said.

There are two options for the irrigation season when it comes to a dry year, Kavarian said, in order to keep the season capped at 210 to 215 days: skip March applications for irrigation water, thus starting the season later and ending the last week of October, or

start the irrigation season in March and end it during the first week of October.

Before and after the irrigation season, growers can utilize their private pumps, he added. The precautions ensure that water levels will remain satisfactory should another dry year occur in 2020-2021.

“The pattern is that we see multiple years of wet weather, then multiple years of below normal, then three or four years

‘The Great Wolf effect’

Market value on parcel soars 32 percent

BY DENNIS WYATT 209 Business Journal

The hottest property sale in Manteca so far in 2020 is 2.54 acres on the northwest corner of Airport Way and Daniels Street.

The land was purchased in 2009 by the now-defunct Manteca Redevelopment Agency for $534,743. It was offered for sale on an online auction site last year after the state directed all former RDA property that did not have a project attached to them at the time agencies were dissolved had to be auctioned and the proceeds split between local taxing agencies.

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The winning bid for the parcel was $2,905,885 or just over $26 per square foot. That is 32 percent above the pre-auction appraisal value.

“I call it ‘The Great Wolf Effect”,” noted Manteca Economic Development Specialist Don Smail.

That is in reference to the $180 million, 500-room hotel, indoor water park, family fun center, and 12,000 square foot conference center tentatively scheduled to open Aug. 1 along the Daniels Street extension to McKinley Avenue just to the west.

Smail noted the parcel is

Just $

“the gateway property” to Great Wolf as well as Big League Dreams and the envisioned 100-acre family entertainment zone that the two recreational juggernauts will bookend.

Smail indicated the property buyer is working on a project that will involve several commercial structures. They are already in talks with an adjoining property owner to the north for reciprocal access so customers can drive and/or walk from one project to another.

The adjoining six-acre site is envisioned to have a three story 90-room ho-

18

per year

tel, a 4,000 square foot quick service restaurant with drive-through lane, a 6,000-square-foot restaurant and 11,640 square feet of retail space.

Across the street and to the north of the Mister Car Wash on property on the southeast corner of Wawona and Airport Way a Rotten Robbie’s gas and convenience store is planned.

The station is proposed for 2.02 acres. It will include 16 pumps including 4 diesel vehicle pumps, a 6,240-square-foot passenger vehicle canopy, and a 4,800-square-foot convenience store. The Robinson

above 100 percent,” Kavarian said. “We have to anticipate that this potentially is the first year of a drought.”

Though growers are growing concerned due to dry weather, the lack of water means the irrigation season will likely start in April, he said. If it were to start in March and end at the end of October, the irrigation season would last 240 days — well above the 210 to 215-day threshold.

“With the way the water

year looks right now, it’s really difficult for someone like me who’s been doing this a number of years to suggest that or to recommend that to the board…

We’re doing this because we want to be prudent operators,” Kavarian said. “(Growers) understand… they don’t like it like none of us do, but they do realize they have pumps and can run pumps like they have in the past.”

Oil Corporation plans to operate the Manteca location 24/7.

Rotten Robbie’s locations are primarily in the Bay Area with Lakeport the farthest north location. The closest Bay Area station to Manteca is in Livermore.

And to the east of the parcel that sold for 32 percent above the appraised price is where Staybridge Suites plans to build a 101room hotel. The four-story, 75,196-square-foot building with an outdoor swimming pool is proposed for 2.2 acres on the southeast corner of Daniels Street and Fishback Road. It would be in front of the Sizzler restaurant and west of the Arco AM/PM has station-convenience store and car wash located on the northeast corner of the Airport Way and 120 Bypass interchange.

The fact Great Wolf when it opens projects 500,000 guests a year while BLD draws 400,000 plus people annually is a big selling factor for commercial development in the area.

Equally impressive are the demographics. The average household income within a mile of Airport Way and Daniels Street is $99,571 and $85,786 within five miles. The household density within a mile —on a square mile basis — is 857 residents and 832 residents within three miles. There are 1,274 households with children within a mile and 15,291 within three miles.

There are currently 15,000 average daily trips on Airport Way and 10,000 on Daniels Street east of Airport Way. The stretch of Daniels currently deadends by Costco.

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209 209BUSINESS BUSINESS JOURNAL JOURNAL

8

MARCH 2020

OPINION

Vol. 5 No. 3 ■ March 2020

If your ship doesn’t come in, swim out to meet it!”

PUBLISHER Hank Vander Veen

GENERAL MANAGER Drew Savage

MANAGING EDITOR Sabra Stafford

NEWSROOM Dennis D. Cruz Kristina Hacker Teresa Hammond Angelina Martin Candy Padilla Virginia Still Dennis Wyatt

­—Jonathan Winters

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Harold L. George

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Sharon Hoffman

SALES & MARKETING Chris Castro Lorraine Bernaldes Beth Flanagan Dawn Hamilton Corey Rogers Melody Wann Charles Webber Jennifer Webber

The case of the doormat partner

DIGITAL Frankie Tovar Rich Matheson

To advertise in 209 Business Journal, call Manteca • 209.249.3500 Oakdale • 209.847.3021 Turlock • 209.634.9141 209 Business Journal is published monthly 122 S. Third Ave • Oakdale, CA 95361 Information: dsavage@209businessjournal.com 209businessjournal.com The Oakdale Leader USPS No 178-680 Is published weekly by Morris Newspaper Corporation, 122 S. Third Ave. Oakdale, Ca 95361 ©Copyright 2020. 209 Business Journal All rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or in part of any text, photograph or illustration without written permission from the publisher of 209 Business Journal is strictly prohibited. The opinions expressed in 209 Business Journal are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of 209 Business Journal management or owner.

209 Business Journal assumes no responsibility and makes no recommendation for claims made by advertisers and shall not be liable for any damages incurred.

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209MAG A Z I N E.CO M

Most of the emails I get for this column are pretty straightforward. Some, though, come straight out of the daytime soap operas, positively oozing with bile and vitriol. Here’s a good one: “I am the co-founder/CEO of a seminar production company. I started a Limited Liability Company with my partner two years ago. Unfortunately, the partnership is no longer working out. During the last year, we have had some challenges in regards to ‘control’ and the image of the business we want to acquire. The problem, I believe, stems from the fact that I was too generous and agreed to a 50/50 partnership from the beginning.

My partner has taken advantage of that and has forgotten that it was me who invited her as a partner. I am always struggling with her in regards to decision making and the order of business.

“She has manipulated situations in which she gained access of the business in her possession. For example, the business was registered at her home address, the bank book ended up in her possession because she located a bank near her home, the telephone is in her home, and the post office that we have a box registered is near her home. In other words, she has taken over all aspects of the company. My partner has been very petty and whines a lot about being the first to speak at an event. She is always looking to impress others, wanting to be seen in public, and letting people know she is President of a company. How-

CLIFF ENNICO CREATORS SYNDICATE

ever, she has not been effective as a President of the company. Her letter writing skills have demonstrated only High School level. Her communications with our clients have led to confusion and ruined business relationships.

“I have decided that I want to dissolve the company. Is there any way that I can dissolve the company and keep the name? I feel that this idea has been mine and I do not want my dreams dying because of my partner’s lack of performance and inabilities.”

Boy, the bloom has really gone off the rose in this relationship, hasn’t it? Playing devil’s advocate, though, I have some tough questions for you: — How well did you know this person before you made her your 50 percent partner?

— Who made her president of your company?

— Who allowed her to put the business address, bankbooks, etc., in her name?

— When her poor communication skills cost the LLC business and customers, what did you say to her?

— Who allows her to speak first in every public appearance?

Since there are only two of you, the answer should be obvious.

Now, I’m not saying you’re at fault here — your partner

sounds like one egotistical bird — but when partnerships go bad, it’s usually because of a failure to communicate, and it takes two to create a communication problem. I sense that you haven’t been nearly as assertive as a 50% partner has every right to be. In the interest of being professional, or just nice, you have allowed this person to walk all over you. With only a 50% interest in the LLC, she cannot do anything — I mean anything — without your approval, and you have to let her know in no uncertain terms that she is to do nothing with this business unless the two of you do it together.

If that doesn’t work, you will have to consider dissolving the LLC and going your separate ways. Most states have a procedure where if an LLC is deadlocked (the partners can’t agree on anything, so nothing is getting done), you can petition a state court to dissolve the LLC, and the court will determine who gets what LLC assets (such as the name). You should talk to an attorney and find out how much time and money that will take; court proceedings are never quick, easy or inexpensive, even if one party is clearly in the right. And there’s no assurance you will win the suit.

In a dissolution proceeding, the court may go out of its way to ensure that the LLC assets are split equally, and you may not come away with the assets you really need to stay in business.

Short of dissolving the LLC, you can always make an offer to buy your partner’s inter-

est in the LLC. If she agrees, you get to keep the name, although she will probably want the right to compete with you, and there isn’t much you can do about that at this point. Or, if the name really isn’t all that important, you can offer to sell your interest in the LLC to her for a small sum, say $1, strike out in business on your own and leave her to “twist slowly, slowly in the wind” as her poor management skills become obvious to the LLC customers.

The key question is: Who do your customers think is better positioned to continue providing services to them? If they agree you are the one who makes this business happen, and your customers look to you as their primary contact within the LLC, then you shouldn’t worry that your partner will steal business from you after you have parted company.

If, however, the customers view your partner as the driving force behind this business and perceive you as being merely in her shadow, then breaking up would actually be to your disadvantage. This business may have been your idea in the beginning, but she has taken your idea and made it successful, and the customers will follow her, not you, once you part company.

If this is the case, maybe the best thing is to swallow your pride and let her be the star of the show, knowing that you’re getting 50 percent of the profits from her successful efforts in producing and marketing these seminars.

209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

9

BUILDING YOUR BUSINESS AT WORK

How do business loans work?

CONTRIBUTED BY SCORE

At some point in their career, many entrepreneurs are faced with the question of how to access capital for their business. In other words, how do business loans work?

Ken Alozie thinks about the answer to that question every day. Alozie is a mentor with SCORE, a network of volunteer business experts that provide free small-business mentoring sessions, workshops and educational services to clients across the nation, and is also principal at Greenwood Capital Advisors in Washington, D.C., which provides funding for small- and medium-size businesses.

Alozie believes that all entrepreneurs should have a plan for funding—be it a loan or a line of credit— whether they need it at the moment or not. That way, if

they face a financial crunch, they know the steps to take.

“Read everything you can and educate yourself on how banking works, how loans work, the types of loans that are out there, just so you’re coming in the door a little bit more educated,” he says.

To help business owners understand how business loans work, Alozie shared insights on some of the common loans available for small and mid-size businesses.

What are the types of business loans?

A business loan is a loan given for a business purpose. Alozie explains that there are many types of business loans that answer a variety of demands. “It can include needing funds to buy equipment, so if you’re a bakery, that can be an oven.

It could be to hire employees. It could be to take care

of startup costs, marketing, business formation. It could also be to buy a business,” he says. The answer to how do business loans work could be as diverse as the expenses of the business owner.

Term Business Loan A term business loan has a set time for repayment (five years, for example), and a payment schedule. “Term loans tend to be appropriate for companies that are going to use those funds now,” says Alozie. Say, for example, a farmer is purchasing heavy machinery and needs to pay for the items right away. A term business loan, which requires some collateral, might be the best fit for him or her, says Alozie. “Because the collateral is there, typically the interest rate is going to be lower than, say, a line of credit.” Because of that, for businesses that will use the funds right away, a term loan may make the

most sense.

Even if you don’t really need it, [a line of credit is] a great way to build business credit and build a relationship with a financial institution so that when you need more capital down the line, now you’ve got this history.

How to repay your term business loan: A lender will typically set a monthly payment schedule so that that loan is paid off, with interest, within an established amount of time, known as the “term.”

Short-Term Business Loan As its name states, the time granted for repaying a shortterm business loan is brief, often 30 or 90 days. Because these loans tend to be more costly than traditional financing, Alozie says that this kind of loan is best for businesses that are in a financial crunch—maybe they’ve exhausted other lines of credit

or are unable to access other capital sources. He shares the example of a jeweler who uses a short-term loan to purchase a large order and then turns around and sells that order within the time period of the loan. “It can make sense if the return you expect to make from the loan exceeds the cost of capital,” he says.

How to repay your shortterm business loan: Shortterm business loans are paid back more quickly than other types of loans, usually within 18 months. Depending on the lender and the time granted for repayment, this type of loan could be paid back on a monthly schedule with fees attached; or it could be paid back with interest.

Equipment Financing Again, this loan is exactly what it sounds like: funding used to pay for the purchase of any type of equipment.

That could equipment that is already built—like tractors and buses—or it could be

equipment that will be used in the production to create something else, as in manufacturing equipment.

How to repay your equipment financing: The borrower will make set monthly payments that include interest for a fixed term. The equipment itself serves as collateral.

Invoice Financing When a business has already completed a project but hasn’t received payment, they can use their invoice for the project as collateral to borrow money, says Alozie. “It’s good for companies that need cash now. They don’t want to wait to be paid on that invoice because they have cash needs before that payment date,” he explains. He says that this kind of business financing is frequently used by contractors, including government contractors, so that they can cover their expenses quickly, rather than waiting for revenue to come in.

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209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

10

POPULATION

MARCH 2020

JOBS

MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME

558,972 (AS OF 2019)

210,362 (AS OF 2018)

(AS OF 2017)

The population grew by 28,000 over the last five years and is expected to grow by 20,665 over the next five years.

The number of jobs grew by 21,629 over the last five years and is expected to grow by 12,589 over the next five years.

$54,300

COUNTY

FROM PAGE 1

have increased over time,” Boggs said. “As our report showed, we continue to be a diverse agricultural county and more resilient than a county that depends on one crop e.g. Napa wine.”

Agriculture is certainly a dominant industry in Stanislaus County, but there are ongoing efforts to diversify so that the region isn’t too reliant on just one industry.

“In the last few years, Stanislaus County has continued to diversify our economy in a healthy and sustainable way,” Boggs said. “Stanislaus currently ranks 805 out of 3,142 large counties nationwide with a 74.4 percent Industry Diversity rate, which is much higher than the national rate. This is an amazing testament to the fact that we are finding ways to draw new and emerging businesses and industries and to make Stanislaus a location of choice for business attraction.

“The benefit of diversifying our industries in a healthy and sustainable way is not just valuable, but also, very important,” Boggs continued. “Having a diverse

economy allows a region to withstand unexpected downfalls such as recessions in a much more manageable way. It’s the ‘don’t put all your eggs in one basket’ theory. When an economy is reliant on just one or a couple industries specifically, if something negative happens that impacts that/those industries (like a drought for agriculture or increase in tariffs for manufacturing), the economy is not able to recover as quickly. When multiple industries are responsible for the economic vibrancy of a region, there are more options to keep that region sustainable if/when something does happen.”

Some of the emerging industries taking root in Stanislaus County are warehouse and distribution companies like Amazon, W.W. Grainger, Restoration Hardware, and CVS. The software development and computer technologies industries are creating a base in the area with the addition of Novo Technologies, Data Path, Varsity, Stickman Ventures, Bay Valley Tech, and other similar businesses. The PreFabricated Manufactured Homes industry is starting to develop locally as well.

POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS EDUCATION

Stanislaus County has 117,013 millennials (20-34).

Stanislaus County has 132,218 people 55 or older.

11% of Stanislaus County residents have a bachelor’s degree.

7.4% of Stanislaus County residents have an associate’s degree.

Employers with Most Job Ads

5% of Stanislaus County residents have a master’s degree or higher.

• Tenet Healthcare Corporation - 231

27.8% of Stanislaus County residents have only a high school diploma.

• Yosemite Community College District - 135 • Emanuel Medical Center - 89

The government sector, which includes the county, cities and school districts continues to be a major driver of employment in Stanislaus County. Stanislaus County alone has 4,480 employees, while the three largest school districts (Modesto, Turlock, and Ceres) employ more than 7,000 people.

When it comes to drawing in new industries, Stanislaus County’s location plays a pivotal role.

“First and foremost, we are in close proximity (within two hours by truck or train) to one of the largest and most important markets in the world, the San Francisco Bay-Silicon Valley market,” Boggs said. “Via the SF Bay area, we have shipping access to the entire Pacific Rim. We are also within seven

hours of the Los Angeles market. We have two major rail lines through our county (Union Pacific and BNSF), two major freeways (I-5 and 99) and are in close proximity (within two hours) to four major international airports (San Francisco International, Oakland International, San Jose International and Sacramento International).

We also are within 30 minutes of Stockton Metropolitan Airport. We are within two hours of two major ports – the Port of Stockton and the Port of Oakland.”

There are other attributes that make Stanislaus County a viable draw for industries, Boggs explained.

“Stanislaus County has a growing, skilled workforce,” Boggs said. “Through intensive training programs, we are upgrading our

• Sutter Health - 87 • Ceres Unified School District - 83 • Memorial Medical Center, Modesto - 76 • Kaiser Permanente - 75 • California State University System - 67 • E. & J. Gallo Winery - 67 • Save Mart Supermarkets - 56

Towns with Most Job Ads (2020) Newman Waterford

42 45

Salida

82

Oakdale

94

Riverbank

157

Patterson

174

Ceres

223

Turlock

774

Empire

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Modesto

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209 BUSINESS JOURNAL workforce. Our total county workforce is comprised of the county’s population continues to grow with the average age being below the national average.

The current workforce of 245,500 people has grown by 3.8 percent in the last 10 years. Our median age is 34.5 compared to the national median age of 38.2 “The cost of doing business is as much as 20-30 percent lower than the SF Bay Area. We have less expensive and more reliable electric utilities, adequate water sources, lower labor costs, and lower real estate/ construction costs.

“We offer an exceptional supply chain for manufacturers and logistics companies. Our supply chain can provide more than 90 percent of inputs from local sources for many industries.

“We have a record and history of being able to facilitate the project entitlement and permitting process in reasonable time periods. We can fast track projects that will benefit the local economy. We had a dedicated, cohesive economic development team that works together well to facilitate expansion projects.”

That isn’t to say that there’s no room for improvement in the county’s goal of attracting new industries. Boggs identified the top five challenges the region needs to tackle to remain competitive: “We need to continue to educate and train our workforce to even higher standards.

“We need to continue to build out the infrastructure so as to offer the best roads,

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TOP 5 ZIP CODES FOR WHERE PEOPLE WORK IN STANISLAUS COUNTY

Occupations with Most Job Ads • Registered Nurses - 281

(AS OF 2018)

• Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers - 224

95350 ............................. MODESTO ............................ 27,159

• Retail Salespersons - 195

95356 ............................. MODESTO ............................ 24,081

• First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers - 180 • Customer Service Representatives - 114

95380 ..............................TURLOCK ............................. 22,947

• Maintenance and Repair Workers, General - 109

95354 ............................. MODESTO ...............................8,629

• First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers - 90

95351 ............................. MODESTO ............................ 17,417

• Stock Clerks, Sales Floor - 82 • Security Guards - 74

TOP 5 ZIP CODES WHERE PEOPLE RESIDE IN STANISLAUS COUNTY (AS OF 2018) 95355 ............................. MODESTO ............................ 23,671 95350 ............................. MODESTO ............................ 21,657 95380 ..............................TURLOCK ............................. 18,478 95307 ................................. CERES ................................ 17,512 95382 ..............................TURLOCK ............................. 17,396

• Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers, Including Fast Food - 65

rail, air and port options to serve industry needs.

“Each city in the county needs to look to the future and ensure that we have the sites needed to support industrial and commercial growth.

“We need to continue to improve our quality of life so that companies can attract

the best talent and promote regional tourism and marketing messaging.

“We need to take a hard look at how efficiently our cities can serve the needs of business in terms of handling permits and other requests.”

With You From Square One. We strive to do our best work with clients from the ground floor. Whether it’s construction or restoration, we push ourselves to remain industry leaders who provide exactly what our clients need every step of the way.

We help build your story.

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209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

MARCH 2020