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Jamba_FresnoBizJournal 1.6.17
1. PERIODICAL:
TIME
SENSITIVE
PRIORITY
HANDLING
FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017 ISSUE # 325213 | $1.25 PER COPY USPS 145-100
UPDATED DAILY
www.thebusinessjournal.com
JANUARY 6, 2017
THE FOCUS | 8
THE EXECUTIVE
PROFILE | 9
THE LIST | 10
Placement Pros tops the
list of Staffing Services
Agriculture
• An early look at the
water year
Panos Joulios
President
Wowza & Whirld
Concepts, Inc.
This Week Online 6
People on the Move 12
Leads 15-16
Public Notices 17-25
Opinion 26
Around Town | 3
Wal-Mart | 5
Gabriel Dillard – MANAGING EDITOR
ANNIVERSARY
ANNIVERSRSRS
RRRRRARARARARARAA
YYYYYYYYYYYY
thebusinessjournal.com
With the turn of the New
Year comes another milestone
for our company — the 25th
anniversary of The Business
Journal.
It was back in 1992 when
Publisher Gordon M. Webster,
Jr. converted The Fresno
Daily Report — a vehicle
for legal advertising — into
The Business Journal. With
the move came a newsroom
built from the ground up,
and a business-to-business
perspective on news from
Fresno, Kings, Madera and
Tulare counties.
It set a new course for
the business, which was
originally founded by
Webster’s great-grandfather
Morris Shelby Webster in
1888.
We are marking 2017 with
a new logo at the top of our
front page, as well as plans
for a 25th anniversary special
issue at the end of March.
For The Business Journal’s
20th anniversary in 2012, we
published our “Central Valley
Legends” supplement to honor
the top 20 business legends in
the Central Valley.
This year, we want to use
our anniversary to highlight
other longtime businesses in
the region. If you have any
suggestions on how we should
do that, please contact me
at 559-490-3467 or gabriel@
thebusinessjournal.com.
Editor’s Note
On our 25th year of local business news
Bay Area chain KoJa Kitchen
rang in the New Year with a
Grand Opening at its newest
location at 7785 N. Palm in
Fresno’s Park Place at Palm
Bluffs shopping center.
KoJa stands for Korean-
Japanese, and the restaurant
offers a fusion of flavors from
both cultures. Its most popular
dish is a gourmet sandwich,
called KoJa, which is similar to
a burger, but includes a choice
of meat served between fried
garlic rice buns.
The restaurant also serves
rice bowls with various choices
of meat and veggies, as well as
tacos and salads. Side dishes
include Buffalo wings and KoJa
BayAreachainbringsKorean-Japanese
fusion to Fresno
Valerie Shelton – STAFF WRITER
PHOTO BY VALERIE SHELTON | A space at Fresno’s Park Place at Palm Bluffs shopping center has been taken by Bay Area
restaurant chain KoJa kitchen, which features a fusion of Korean and Japanese cuisine.
After battling with determined
opponents for almost a decade,
Wal-Mart and the City of
Porterville have been given the
green light to build a planned
superstore. Earlier this fall the
opponents settled with the
defendants. Sources say the
company will not open the big
store that sells both groceries
Porterville
Super Wal-Mart
to open next year
John Lindt – CONTRIBUTING WRITER History is in the making
with the pending maiden
voyage of the world’s largest
aircraft, and local architect
Teter AE had a hand in the
project.
Aerospace compa ny
Scaled Composites began
work some five years ago
on its Stratolaunch Carrier
plane, nicknamed the Roc,
designed to deliver rockets
Teter AE project touches next
phase of spaceflight
IMAGE VIA WALLACE AND SMITH | The T Hangar, designed by Fresno
architecture firm Teter AE, is 420 feet from wall to wall and 97-foot tall
at the ridge line. In addition, it has approximately 6,100 square feet of
mezzanine storage, a 1,200 square-foot flight simulation room and two
remote restrooms.Teter | 5
Ben Keller – CONTRIBUTING WRITER
2. 2 www.thebusinessjournal.com FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017
www.suncrestbank.com
Fresno Branch
663 W Nees Ave.
(559) 225-1700
Same Friendly Faces
The friendly faces that greet you at the bank won’t
change and neither will their commitment to
providing the highest levels of personal service.
Unique Checking Account
We will be offering Suncrest’s innovative
Kasasa High Interest account. Look out for
the account soon!
Higher Lending Limits
The partnership will allow our new bank to serve a
wider range of local businesses with the ability to
offer loans up to $14 million to qualified borrowers.
Increased Community Re-investment
Both Security First Bank and Suncrest Bank
passionately believe in re-investing profits back
into our local communities.
Locally Managed
The new bank will continue to be led by a local
Market President supported by a local Board,
with decisions made right here in Fresno.
Focused on Agribusiness
Combined with Suncrest’s Agribusiness Division,
the new bank will be one of the strongest ag lenders
in the region, with deep local knowledge and highly
competitive products.
Better together.
Security First Bank and Suncrest Bank are
uniting to better serve the Fresno community.
3. FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 2017 www.thebusinessjournal.com 3
Around Town | 4
Around Town | from 1
Matt and Mike DeFendis
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Kitchen’s famous Kamikaze fries —
crisscut waffle fries, minced Korean
barbecue beef, kimchi, Japanese
mayonnaise, red sauce and green
onions.
KoJa Kitchen began serving its
Korean-Japanese grub from a food
truck in the San Francisco Bay area in
2011. Its popularity made it a feature
on two Food Network shows: Diners,
Drive-ins and Dives and Eat Street.
KoJa Kitchen opened its first brick-
and-mortar restaurant in 2014 and
now boasts five locations in the Bay
Area.
“The original lunch truck grew into
a location in Berkeley and multiple
Bay Area locations came from that,”
Tom Lai, co-owner of the Fresno
franchise, said. “KoJa is a very trendy
food now, and we went this far out
because we think Fresno is ready. It’s
a new market but we expect it to be
successful. All our reviews are 5-star
so far.”
Lai and partners Mike Nguyen
and Van Ngo are not the founders of
KoJa Kitchen, but wanted to open a
franchise because Korean-Japanese
infused cuisine intrigued them.
“KoJa has been popular the last two
years and we were looking for a good
restaurant to open, and I fell in love
with KoJa right away,” Lai said. “It is a
great marriage of the two foods, with
Japanese cuisine being sweeter and
the Korean kimchi adding to that for
a good balance of flavors.”
The Fresno location is the first KoJa
Kitchen outside of the Bay Area, but
there are plans to open locations in
Rocklin and Los Angeles/Irvine this
year.
KoJa Kitchen’s space in the Park
Place shopping center has seen a
lot of turnover the past few years.
Previous tenants include Capo’s
Italian Restaurant, The Venue, and
Twist Restaurant.
Lee Brand took his official oath of
office Tuesday morning in the Fresno
Council Chamber lobby, and used his
brief remarks to highlight his focus on
economic development. Brand said
he plans to continue efforts toward
job creation and economic expansion
with business-friendly policies put in
place by Mayor Ashley Swearengin
and her predecessors.
“The economic expansion plan is
a blueprint for job growth to bring
thousands of jobs to Fresno,” Brand
said. “The recent interest from Ulta
and Amazon to consider e-commerce
here is a direct result of performance
based economic expansion. It’s a very
progressive, smart way to grow jobs
but we need to advertise that so we’re
working on branding and marketing
to get the word out across the country
to the business world that Fresno is
business friendly.
“Fresno is welcoming businesses
here whether they be a large business
like Amazon or the guy across the
street who wants to open a sandwich
shop. We’re going to try to make
business easy for everyone.”
Brand also spoke about some of the
objectives he hopes to accomplish as
mayor. Out of the gate, Brand said
his administration plans to approach
the council about establishing an
effective rental housing inspection
program. Creating and implementing
a community public safety advisory
board is also at the top of Brand’s list.
PHOTO BY VALERIE SHELTON | Newly minted Fresno Mayor Lee Brand speaks about some of his
plans during a swearing in ceremony Tuesday.
Business on the mind of
Fresno Mayor Lee Brand
Valerie Shelton – STAFF WRITER
Valerie Shelton | Reporter can be reached at:
490-3461 or e-mail valerie@thebusinessjournal.com
4. 4 www.thebusinessjournal.com FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017
Lai said the spot was selected
because it’s in a newer area with
plenty of traffic thanks to anchor
tenant GB3. Lai also said the food
available at KoJa caters to the area’s
demographic.
Lai relocated to Fresno from the Bay
Area to help run the franchise and
said the Central Valley city is a good
place to do business.
“I enjoy the people here, and Fresno
is bigger than I expected,” Lai said. “In
terms of business itself, Fresno has
really good opportunity.”
Raw Earth Juicery offers Fresnans
fast, healthy option
There’s a new option in north
Fresno for those who have made the
popular New Year’s resolution to eat
healthy.
Raw Earth Juicery, located in the
Parkwood Plaza Shopping Center on
the northeast corner of Cedar and
Nees avenues, opened its doors to
instant success last
month.
O w n e r R i c k
Rosales said the
juicery’s fresh cold-
pressed juices,
smoot h ies a nd
organic fruit and
granola bowls have
sold out nearly
every day since the
opening.
“ I t ’ s b e e n
overwhelming,”
Rosales said of the
support. “So many
people are coming
i n , a n d w e ’ r e
meeting all these new people from
the local neighborhoods in Fresno
and Clovis. They’ve been buying
everything up and we’ve been selling
out of our juice. We make fresh juice
every day, and we always sell out of
it sometime between noon and 2 p.m.
“The demand is really strong. More
people are becoming sophisticated
about the choices they make when
it comes to their lifestyle and eating
habits.”
Rosales credits the power of social
mediacoupledwithword-of-mouthfor
the steady stream of new customers
coming in to taste the variety of fruit
juices made each day.
More and more, Rosales said he is
seeing people become increasingly
concerned with their health and
wellness, but for many it’s a constant
struggle to eat healthy when you
have a busy lifestyle that keeps you
on the go. Raw Earth Juicery, he
said, fills a void for those wanting
something quick that is not only a
healthy alternative to fast food, but is
as healthy as you can get.
“What really sets us apart is we are
the first place in town committed to
being 100 percent non-GMO and over
90 percent of our ingredients are 100
percent organic,” Rosales said. “We
also make all of our juice fresh daily
and the smoothies. If you order a
smoothie, the almond milk that goes
in the smoothie is made here from
scratch. We make two or three fresh
batches every day and we just can’t
keep enough on the shelf. The same
with the orange juice and the apple
juice; we press fresh every day.”
While there are other places in town
to get a refreshing smoothie, Rosales
said few people know that ingredients,
like almond milk, used at other
establishments are store-bought and
therefore contain preservatives that
can be concerning for those wanting
to avoid GMOs.
The reason why so few “juice
bars” make everything from scratch
is clear—not only is the shelf life
limited without preservatives but it
takes a long time to make fresh juice
from scratch. Raw Earth Juicery’s
employees take 30 to 45 minutes just to
make 15 bottles of fresh cold-pressed
juice. To Rosales, the time it takes is
well worth it.
“ T h e m a i n
reason I did this
is to help people,”
R o s a l e s s a i d .
“I love to help
people, and my
favorite part about
the experience
so far is making
p e o pl e h a p p y.
Pe ople a re s o
happy that finally
there is a place
to go where they
can get healthy,
fresh, cold-pressed
organic juices and
smoothies. And the
best part is we’re helping people make
healthier choices.”
U-Haul expands in Fresno and
Clovis
Three local shops recently signed
on as U-Haul neighborhood dealers.
Fat Boys Tires at 4595 E. Shields in
Fresno, Parkway Auto Body at 3661
N. Parkway Drive in Fresno, and
Car Team Service at 984 W. Shaw
in Clovis, all began offering U-Haul
trucks, towing equipment and support
rental items at the end of 2016.
U-Haul representative Paige Brown
said the area expansion in do-it-
yourself moving and self-storage will
better meet the demands in Fresno
County.
In addition to better serving its
customers, Brown said U-Haul and
its partners are striving to benefit the
environment through sustainability
initiatives like truck sharing.
“Every U-Haul truck placed in a
community helps keep 19 personally
owned large-capacity vehicles,
pickups, SUVs and vans off the road,”
Brown said. “Fewer vehicles mean less
traffic congestion, less pollution, less
fuel burned and cleaner air.”
Valerie Shelton | Reporter can be reached at:
490-3461 or e-mail valerie@thebusinessjournal.com
Around Town | from 3
54TH ANNUAL
Winter Sale
SALE ENDS JANUARY 15th
780 W Shaw Ave, Fresno, CA 93704
Patrick James at Fig Garden Village
30%-70% OFF
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“What really sets us apart is
we are the first place in town
committed to being 100
percent non-GMO and over
90 percent of our ingredients
are 100 percent organic.”
Rick Rosales,
Owner
Raw Earth Juicery
5. FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 2017 www.thebusinessjournal.com 5
Walmart | from 1
and general merchandise until the 4th
quarter of 2018.
Spencer’s Gifts to open in Visalia
Mall
Spencer’s Gifts will open at the
Visalia Mall this year, adding to stores
in Fresno and Hanford.
Spencer Spirit Holdings, Inc., is a
lifestyle retail company that operates
two unique, national brands, Spencer's
and Spirit Halloween, throughout the
United States, Canada and online.
Spencer's calls itself a mall
destination for entertainment,
excitement and fun. “For over 65
years we have been offering unique
product for the lifestyle of our core
18-24 year old guests, who are high
energy, technologically savvy, edgy,
demanding, independent and always
inspired by humor and irreverence,”
according to the retailer. Spencer's
operates more than 650 stores.
Developer acquires former Visalia
Longs Drugs
Los Angeles developer Dave Paynter
has acquired the former Longs Drugs
building behind the Sequoia Mall off
Caldwell Avenue in Visalia.
“I don’t have an immediate plan for
the property, but it made sense to own
it as part of what I want to do at the
Sequoia Mall.” Paynter owns several
shopping centers in Visalia that are
mostly fully developed, but has yet
to reveal plans to remake the Sequoia
Mall. He bought the 28,320-square-foot
former drug store building from CVS.
Hanford JC Penney will add
Sephora Beauty
The Hanford JC Penney will add a
new Sephora beauty store inside the
department store this year. JC Penney
already has almost 600 Sephora
stores around the country, including
Visalia and Fresno, and now the
well known brand will be opening
in Hanford, said JC Penney General
Manager Tom Lyon. “We expect them
to start construction inside the store
in February and be open by Mothers
Day.”
Lyon said the new addition “ is very
good news for the Hanford store”
since the high-end makeup company
has “such a popular line of beauty
products — items we don’t have now.”
Lyon says the new line “is a way for
us to capture new business including
attracting more millennials here.”
Sephora will add its own employees
to staff the store that will carry the
signature look of the chain. Sephora
inside JC Penney stores feature the
Beauty Studio, Sephora’s exclusive
destination for free one-on-one beauty
sessions with experts.
Lyon says the Hanford JC Penney
“had a vey good Christmas.” Asked
if the Hanford store might be in line
for an upgraded appliance section as
is being done in other locations, Lyon
said, “it’s not for sure yet but there is
a very good chance we will get that
addition as well.”
high into the atmosphere where they
can more easily launch satellites into
orbit.
With construction wrapping up
in the Mojave Air and Space Port in
Southern California, the plane will
boast a 385-foot wingspan, exceeding
the 1947 record set by Howard Hughes’
H-4 Hercules, better known as the
Spruce Goose, by 65 feet.
The venture has already set another
record with the 97,000 square-
foot assembly hangar housing the
structure.
Built by Wallace and Smith of
Bakersfield in 2012, the hangar was
erected with an attached 20,000
square-foot office and was joined
by an adjacent 88,000 square-foot
fabrication facility.
The company tapped Fresno-based
Teter AE to design the buildings, both
of which were completed two months
ahead of schedule.
“We’ve been working with them
for about 15 years,” said Teter senior
partner Clay Davis, who oversaw
design work for the project. “We have
a great relationship with them and
they got us involved in this project.”
The T Hangar is 420 feet from wall
to wall and 97-foot tall at the ridge line.
In addition, it has approximately 6,100
square feet of mezzanine storage, a
1,200 square-foot flight simulation
room and two remote restrooms.
Providing a 420-foot opening for
the aircraft is a mega door made up of
seven individual doors, all controlled
by a touch screen system that has
wireless access.
The fabrication facility used to
make parts for the aircraft includes
14,000 square feet of mezzanine
storage, 8,000 square feet of office
space, a break room, and a 5,000
square-foot temperature and humidity
controlled refrigeration room for “lay-
up” of composite parts.
“It was a little bit of a learning
curve,” Davis said. “We hadn’t done
a hangar before but we’ve done metal
building for clients so it’s just that on
a larger scale.”
The Stratolaunch Carrier will soon
spend much more of its time outside
of the hangar, however.
Stratolaunch Systems, a company
born from Microsoft co-founder
Paul Allen and Scaled Composites
founder Burt Rutan (who was raised
in Dinuba), said it plans to begin flight
testing the craft early this year. The
first operational launch is expected
to commence in 2018 when the plane
will deliver its rocket to 30,000 feet
before sending it into Earth's orbit.
Last October, Stratolaunch
announced a multi-year partnership
with Orbital ATK, with plans to use
the company’s Pegasus XL rockets
to deliver the payload for the plane.
Stratolaunch parted ways with both
SpaceX and its Falcon 9 Air in 2012
over incompatible designs.
Funding for the project is being
provided by Allen’s company
Vulcan Aerospace as part of its
vision to increase the frequency and
affordability of going to space.
As opposed to launching from
the ground, the airlaunch system is
intended to provide orbital access
to space with greater safety, cost
Teter | from 5
effectiveness and flexibility.
Besides the space for Scaled
Composites, Teter also designed a
56,600 square-foot hangar space for
Virgin Galactic, as well as an adjoining
two-story office of 8,400 square feet.
The structure, completed in 2011,
is being used by Virgin to assemble
and upgrade its latest spaceplanes,
including the VSS Unity, which is
currently undergoing flight testing.
“In addition, everybody that is
paying to go up in flight, that’s where
they will go to train before they go into
space flight,” Davis said.
The project also stands out as one
of two LEED (Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design)-certified
aircraft hangars in the country thanks
to various sustainable, eco-friendly
and resource saving strategies.
“It’s all about energy efficiency —
how much recycled content we used
in construction and water reduction
usage,” Davis said. “It’s a pretty energy
efficient building.”
Stratolaunch and Virgin Galactic
are among a new wave of aerospace-
centered companies doing work inside
the Mojave Air and Space Port. In all,
some 60 tenants are located within the
3,300-acre property, including Orbital
ATK, BAE Systems, Interorbital
Systems, The Spaceship Company and
XCOR Aerospace.
“We talked to others about doing
projects but it’s like an anthill. You
don’t know what’s going on behind the
scenes,” Davis said.
“We’re still kind of a fixture out
there,” he added. “Anything new of any
consequence kind of goes to our team
and Wallace and Smith.”
Teter was established in 1979 as
Teter Consultants in Visalia. Local
engineer Glen Teter focused on
structural engineering services to
Valley businesses until the mid-‘90s
when the company launched its
architectural design and consulting
services, coinciding with a move to
Fresno.
The firm also offers electrical and
mechanical engineering, sustainable
design/coordination, commissioning,
building information modeling and
certified access specialist surveys.
IMAGEVIADYNETICS/STRATOLAUNCHSYSTEMS|Anartist’simpressionillustratestheStratolaunchSystemscarrieraircraftthatishousedattheMojave
AirandSpacePortinSouthernCalifornia.
6. 6 www.thebusinessjournal.com FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017
This Year Online
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Fresno Chamber scores local,
state reps
SPORTS
Tulare resident sinks $95K shot
A 30-year-old Tulare resident hit
a big-time shot at Tuesday night’s
Lakers game at the Staples Center,
winning $95,000 in the process.
Jerald Acoba posted video on
his Facebook page of the fateful
half-court shot last night as it
was featured No. 10 on ESPN
SportsCenter’s top 10 plays of the
day. The shot bounced off the
backboard and spun around the
hoop before going in as part of the
Aria Big Shot Jackpot sponsored
by the Aria Resort & Casino in
Las Vegas.
Acoba celebrated on the court
with Lakers players Nick Young,
Julius Randle and D’Angelo Russell
after the shot, according to a report
from the team.
Acoba said he plans to buy
his mother a new car with the
winnings. He said her current
van has gotten old and needs an
upgrade.
“She’s always been there for me
when I need her,” Acoba said. “She’s
always there to help me out. It’s my
turn to repay the favor to her.”
Acoba added that he attended
the game with his wife and nieces,
and was taking pictures with the
Laker Girls when he was asked if
he wanted to take the shot.
NONPROFIT
Reading and Beyond gets $850K
grant
Reading and Beyond, a local
non-profit that provides cradle-
to-career educational programs
for children and parents, has
been awarded a two-year grant of
$850,000 from the James Irvine
Foundation.
The grant will support the
organization’s efforts to expand
its Bridge Academy.
Launched in 2011, the Bridge
Academy combines comprehensive
workforce development with wrap-
around services for all family
members of CalFresh beneficiaries
who wish to transition to self-
reliance. There are currently
nine sites throughout Fresno
County where career and family
navigators serve families in those
communities. To date, 2,400 Fresno
families have been enrolled in the
18-month program.
Reading and Beyond is actively
seeking to help other counties
replicate the Bridge Academy
model. It has provided guidance,
program oversight and technical
assistance to Madera, San Joaquin
and Napa counties. The James
Irvine Foundation grant will enable
Reading and Beyond to continue
providing this support.
“The James Irvine Foundation
has been a great partner,” Pete
Weber, founder of the Bridge
Academy, said in a statement. “They
helped us launch the program. They
recognized us as a 2016 leadership
award winner, and now they are
helping us replicate the model in
other California counties.
REAL ESTATE
Valley home prices perk up in
November
Home prices in the Central Valley
continued to improve in November,
according to new data from real
estate tracking firm CoreLogic.
Home prices in Fresno, including
distressed sales, were up by 5.9
percent in November compared to
last year, and also up 0.5 percent
month-over-month.
In the Hanford-Corcoran region,
home prices were up 6.3 percent in
November compared to last year,
and also up 0.5 percent month-over-
month.
In Madera, home prices were up
9.8 percent in November over last
year, but fell 0.1 percent month-
over-month.
In the Visalia-Porterville area,
prices were up 7. 4 percent in
November compared to last year,
and also up 0.3 percent month-
over-month.
Nationally, home prices were up
7.1 percent in November compared
to last year, and up 1.1 percent
month-over month.
T he CoreLogic Home Price
Index Forecast indicates that
home prices will increase by 4.7
percent on a year-over-year basis
from November 2016 to November
2017, and on a month-over-month
basis home prices are expected
to increase by 0.1 percent from
November 2016 to December 2016.
"Last summer's very low mortgage
rates sparked demand, and with
for-sale inventories low, the result
has been a pickup in home-price
growth," said Dr. Frank Nothaft,
chief economist for CoreLogic.
"With mortgage rates higher today
and expected to rise even further in
2017, our national Home Price Index
is expected to slow to 4.7 percent
year over year by November 2017."
RETAIL
Dusty Buns goes BK
Dusty Buns Bistro, the pioneering
Fresno food truck turned brick-and-
mortar restaurant, has closed.
The closure was announced with
a poem posted to the door of the
bistro across the street from Fresno
High School. A second restaurant in
San Francisco has also apparently
been shuttered.
The note — which states that a
grand re-opening will be coming
soon — reads, in part:
Thanks to Crew & Kin/Fresno/
S a n F r a n c i s c o / E v e r y w h e r e
between/An honor it’s been/Soon
we’ll begin again
Ma rried couple Dusti n a nd
Kristen Stewart began the business
in 2009 with a food truck that
became a staple at local farmers
markets and events in Fresno
and eventually San Francisco.
The Stewarts opened the Fresno
restaurant in 2012, and the San
Francisco location in early 2015.
K now n for loca l ly sou rced
ingredients and scratch-made
fare, Dusty Buns quickly made a
name for itself as a haven for local
foodies.
Messages left for the Stewarts
were not returned.
As early as March of this year, the
Stewarts were planning to build a
2,500-square-foot production and
commissary space for the business
in Downtown Fresno’s Warehouse
Row. They also planned to open a
restaurant in the former Charlotte’s
BakerEatery Tower District location
that become vacant in April.
Casa de Tamales eventually
opened a store in that space.
It appears financial problems
played a role in the business closure,
as Dusty Buns also filed a petition
for bankruptcy protection last
week. The Chapter 7 liquidation
filing lists total liabilities for the
business of nearly $900,000.
FILE PHOTO | The Fresno Chamber of Commerce has released its annual report card of local and state elected
officials.
The Fresno Chamber of Commerce has released its annual Legislative
Report Card for elected officials on the local and state level.
The Chamber’s Government Affairs Council scored the officials for
their votes on issues related to business. For the Fresno City Council,
these included nine votes such as Lee Brand’s Economic Expansion Act,
a development impact fee waiver for commercial buildings, a $250,000
deposit to secure rights to purchase land needed for a high-speed rail
heavy maintenance facility and a project labor agreement tied to a $70
million Transformative Climate Communities grant from the state.
Council members Lee Brand, Steve Brandau, Paul Caprioglio, Clint
Olivier and Esmeralda Soria each scored 88 percent in the Fresno
Legislative Report Card, while Oliver Baines and Sal Quintero scored
75 percent.
On the state level, the chamber scored the Sacramento legislature
on 115 issues, only a handful of which made it to a vote. These include
overtime for ag workers, indoor heat regulations, a flex work week and
a state-run retirement savings program.
Senator Andy Vidak and Assemblymember Jim Patterson carried
perfect 100-percent scores from the chamber, while Senator Tom
Berryhill scored 88 percent and Senator Anthony Cannella scored 82
percent.
Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula had a 44 percent score, though
the chamber noted that Arambula was a member for just 16 of the votes.
7. FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017 www.thebusinessjournal.com 7
JOIN THE FRESNO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
FOR AN ADVENTURE TO...
For more information, please
call (559) 495-4800 or email
info@fresnochamber.com.
A P R I L 2 3 - 2 8
The Great Trains and
Grand Canyons
(FEATURING 5 NIGHTS IN SEDONA)
For many, the great American
dream includes opening your
own business or “hanging your
own shingle” as a consultant or
freelancer. If you have an idea for
a company that you believe could
be successful and want to pursue
this dream, it is important to do
your homework.
There are important steps that
every small business owner must
take — they include:
• Identifying an opportunity
in the market
• Researching your
customers and competition
• Preparing a detailed
business plan
• Choosing a company
structure that is right
for you
Being financially
prepared is another
crucial prerequisite
to becoming
a successful
entrepreneur and it
starts with a solid
financial plan.
Create a financial
strategy
If you’re serious
about becoming
a small business
owner, it should
be considered a
financial goal like
any other, such
as retirement. It is
important to develop a strategy
for funding the company over
time. A business that lacks a sound
financial base may have a higher
risk of failing. For greater success,
estimate not only your startup
costs, but the amount of money
you’ll need to fund the company
for the next three to five years.
Depending on your plans, these
costs may be
significant.
When striking
out on their own,
many self-starters
optimistically
believe that the
business will
generate enough
income to meet
their needs and
expectations, and
even help them
expand their
lifestyle one day.
While this is a
worthy goal, be conservative in
your initial projections. It isn’t
unusual for a business to lose
money in the early stages. You
need to have sufficient cash in
place to support your personal
financial needs while you work to
make the company profitable.
Where to find the money
It is important to establish a
dedicated pool of savings to help
finance your new venture. To start,
consider setting money aside from
each paycheck for this purpose.
Determine how much you can
Planning to start a
business? Start saving
afford to save each month and
how long it will take to build cash
to meet your goals. If anything,
err on the high side when
projecting how much money you
need to save before you open
the doors to your business. If it’s
practical, consider establishing
your business on a part-time
basis before you quit your day
job. This lets you test your ideas,
make modifications and build
a base of customers while also
maintaining a stronger financial
position.
As you’re putting money away
for your future business, make
it a priority to continue saving
for retirement as well as into
your emergency fund. If
you do, you will likely
have stronger financial
security in the event that
anything happens to your
new company’s revenue.
If capital is required
to finance your startup,
you may need to borrow
money. Be cautious
as you consider your
borrowing options.
It adds another level
of financial risk to
your plan. You must
be confident that you
can stay current with
your loan repayment
schedule. A good place
to learn more about
borrowing options is the
Small Business Administration
website (www.sba.gov). Also
be careful about using personal
assets (such as your home) as
collateral to fund your business
ambitions. If possible, you
want to keep your personal and
business assets separate.
Remember that if you are
financially prepared to make your
entrepreneurial
dreams come true,
you will be in a
better position
to withstand the
difficult periods
and allow the
business the time
necessary to grow
and prosper. Talk
to your financial
advisor to
determine the best
approach to build
savings dedicated
to your future
business.
Nicolas Allen, CFP® is a
Financial Advisor with Ameriprise
Financial Services, Inc. in
Fresno, CA. He specializes in
fee-based financial planning and
asset management strategies
and has been in practice for 9
years. To contact him, consider
http://www.ameripriseadvisors.
com/nicolas.j.allen, (559) 490-
7030 option 2, or 7433 N. First
Street, Suite 102 Fresno, CA 93720.
GUEST VIEW
Nicolas Allen, CFP®
“If anything, err on the high
side when projecting how
much money you need to save
before you open the doors to
your business.
8. Agriculture Page 10 Staffing ServicesINSIDE
FOCUS
January 6, 2017
RICH PEDRONCELLI & SCOTT SMITH- AP
THE LIST
California snowpack measures low, but big storms
coming
(AP) — The first manual survey
this year of California’s snowpack
revealed Tuesday that it holds
about half as much water as normal,
casting a shadow on the state that’s
hoping to dodge a sixth straight
year of drought, officials said.
Surveyors, however, took the
reading at 6,000 feet near Lake
Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada as
major cold and windy storms were
expected to dump four to five feet
of snow through Thursday in areas
above 4,500 feet in Northern and
Central California, while mountain
areas below that could get two to
three feet, forecasters said.
The storms should boost the
snowpack that provides roughly a
third of California’s water in normal
years for drinking, farming and
wildlife when it melts in warm, dry
months.
What surveyors find between
now and April 1 will guide state
water officials in managing the
water supply of the nation’s most
populous, agriculture-rich state.
Electronic monitors at elevations
throughout the Sierra in late
December showed the overall
snowpack had a water content of 72
percent.
At Tuesday’s reading at Phillips
Station, the water content measured
at 53 percent of normal, said Frank
Gehrke, chief snow surveyor at
the state Department of Water
Resources.
Gehrke said the level “seems a
little gloomy” as the state tries to
avoid another year of drought. But
he also called it a good start because
higher elevations were showing a
deeper snowpack.
Gehrke also pointed out that the
survey was taken at an elevation
below the snowline for December’s
storms.
A year ago, the snowpack was
slightly above normal levels, but
Gehrke recalled that the rain
and snow essentially stopped in
February and March, leaving the
state at a nearly average year for
precipitation on April 1.
“This year, it looks like (storms
are) lined up off the coast and will
continue to increase the snowpack,”
he said as he stood on about three
feet of snow.
Elsewhere, rain was falling
Tuesday in the San Francisco Bay
Area. Winter storm advisories will
go into effect from 4 a.m. Wednesday
until 4 a.m. Thursday, said Bob
Benjamin, a National Weather
Service forecaster.
Avalanche alerts were issued for
high elevations and flooding was
possible in the foothills.
A second, stronger storm system
was expected to hit the region over
the weekend, bringing the possibility
of as much as five additional feet of
snow in the Sierra Nevada.
“It looks like it’s going to be wet
all week, and possibly into next
week,” Benjamin said.
Southern California, which has
remained relatively dry in recent
months, was expected to see light
showers this week, forecasters said.
At the height of the drought in 2015,
snowpack surveyors stood on a dirt
patch for the April 1 measurement
at Phillips Station, finding the least
snow since records had been taken
in more than 50 years.
Gov. Jerry Brown responded by
ordering residents statewide to use
25 percent less water, letting lawns
turn brown — or tearing them out
— and flushing toilets less often.
The drought eased last year and
so did regulations.
In February, the state water board
will again consider the conditions
and decide whether the state
needs to take a stronger stand on
conservation.
“If the skies dry up, we’ll be looking
at something different,” board chair
Felicia Marcus said. “We’re playing
this one moment to moment.”
This winter started strong. More
rain fell in October than in the same
month over the past three decades,
raising the state’s major reservoirs
in Northern California along with
hopes that the drought would soon
end.
Doug Carlson, a spokesman for
the state’s Department of Water
Resources, said it is too early to
predict if the wet weather will end
the drought.
“It could change immediately and
stop snowing and raining,” he said.
Smith reported from Fresno. Jocelyn
Gecker contributed to this report
from San Francisco.
IMAGES VIA DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES | The year’s first snow survey reveals a snowpack containing about half as much water as normal, but surveyors are hopeful a slew of winter storms will drop more into the Sierra Nevada soon.
9. FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017 www.thebusinessjournal.com 9The Executive Profile
PRESIDENT
WOWZA & WHIRLD CONCEPTS, INC.
What you do: Oversee all operations, marketing, new development and
growth of a Jamba Juice franchise.
Education: Bachelor of Science; international business (San Francisco
State University)
Age: 52
Family: Wife Heidi, son Apollo, & daughter Zoe
Tell us a little about your career to your current position.
Before purchasing our first stores in Fresno and becoming a Jamba Juice franchisee,
I had a very successful career at Jamba Juice as a district manager in Northern
California. One of my career highlights — and one I am very proud of — was being
selected to help create our company’s B.O.O.S.T service standards that are now part
of Jamba’s training culture. (The Fresno teams led the company in service and were
the role-model franchise group that helped to write the standards).
Priortothat,Iworkedforotherhigh-profilehospitalitycompaniesincludingStarbucks,
Johnny Rockets, Chevys, Il Fornaio, and a number of startups. In addition to working
in the restaurant industry, my wife and I started a publishing company and a Hobby
Craft store in Davis, Calif, I guess you could say I’ve always been entrepreneurial.
What drew you to Jamba Juice?
My wife Heidi and I always believed in eating healthy, consuming all natural
ingredients, and leading an active lifestyle ever since our children were young. This
positive way of life turned into an opportunity to work with Jamba corporate, a
company that shares those same values. When Jamba began franchising it was a
natural fit, and also just as important for us to partner with a company that believes
in giving back to the community, as we do. For instance, in our current Fresno and
Clovis Jamba stores, we partner up with local charities to help raise money for
schools and organizations. Our fundraising efforts have raised almost $200,000
give back this year alone.
How has the Fresno area been as far as a Jamba Juice territory?
The Fresno County area has been an incredible place to do business and the local
communities have been extremely welcoming and supportive. I believe the distinct
differenceisthatfamiliesappreciatethefreshandhealthyproductsweprovide,while
using all natural ingredients in our fresh juices, Acai bowls, and Classic smoothies. In
my recent store visits, I have seen first-hand that health is very much top of mind in
Fresno with the influx of new gyms, and people visiting us before and after workouts
for their protein, and whole food smoothies.
What are your expansion plans?
Our plans are to open more stores in the Fresno area, and in particular, would love to
open a Jamba drive–through! If the opportunity presented itself, I would like to be on
the Fresno State campus, and in Madera. Currently, we own eight Jamba Juice stores
in the Fresno and Clovis areas, and employ over 150 employees.
What advice can you offer entrepreneurs interested in purchasing a franchise?
Look at your relationship with your franchisor more like a partnership in achieving
your paralleled goals. This mindset is critical in order to have a healthy relationship
that grows and matures, because at the end of the day, it creates a win-win. The
more stores you are able to open the more success you share.
Choosethefranchiseconceptyouwanttoinvestinwisely.Myphilosophyhasalways
been to believe in what you do and be passionate about the brand you represent. You
have to enjoy what you do every day and have fun. Otherwise, it just becomes work.
What are some important issues facing the franchise industry?
Two of the biggest challenges facing our industry today are the rising costs of labor,
and health care. Minimum wage is a sensitive subject, because you want to provide
great wages to your team members, but it’s a balance with how aggressively it’s
being mandated. To help offset, businesses must look at operating efficiencies,
staffing, reducing cost of goods, and minimal price increases.
Health care costs are also a concern. The more full time employees you employ, or
have working over 30 hours a week, you must provide health care, as mandated by
law. Again, it is a wonderful thing to be able to provide health benefits, so businesses
need to figure out ways to curtail the rise in costs.
What are some causes or issues you support and why?
My wife and I strongly believe in children’s education, and supporting local schools
that help make a difference. Our company has initiated several years of backpack
drives,donatedmoneyforgymequipmentthroughDonorsChoose,andhelpedcreate
Garden Grants with Jamba corporate’s partnership. My wife Heidi is an educator,
author, and illustrator and has written children’s books on matters concerning the
environment. She has voluntarily put together an educational assembly and gone
to several schools in the Fresno area speaking to hundreds of kids at one time. Heidi
inspired a movement in our Jamba stores to create awareness about the ocean, and
also partnered up with Aquarius Aquarium (Fresno Aquarium), to raise $10,000.
Making a difference in our community really matters to us.
Tell us about a mentor(s) that had a big impact on your life.
I have had several great role models and mentors in my past careers, but one leader
that stands out the most was meeting Howard Schultz of Starbucks. On a couple
of occasions, I had the privilege to tour with him in the Bay Area, and I will never
forget how passionate he was about the brand. He would ask me questions about
what I thought were things that made a great company, ask me about my views
on the company’s direction, and always asked about my family. My take away from
Howard’s advice inspired me to always strive to be the best at what I do, and to
always continue to stretch myself. At the time, Starbucks was a little known coffee
company of roughly 850 stores.
What was the best advice you ever received?
The best advice I ever received was to always be honest about who I am, and to
continuetobegenuine. Ifyoudon’tgooutonalimb,youwillneverknowtheoutcome
of taking a chance (…and it never hurts to ask). This advice has served me well over
the years and has created opportunities I could never have imagined.
What are your roots in the San Joaquin Valley?
The opportunity to own Jamba Juice stores brought my wife Heidi and I to the Valley.
However, my Jamba family and connections to the community are helping us grow
strong roots! We couldn’t be happier owning stores in both Fresno and Clovis and
really getting the chance to connect with the local communities through a shared
passion.
What was your very first job and what did you learn from it?
MyfirstjobwasworkingasabaristainSanFrancisco’sNorthBeachdistrict.Ithelped
create a solid work ethic for me, taught me a lot about integrity, and taking pride in
my work. I learned how to make great foam on cappuccinos and I now have a lifelong
fascination with cannolis! Honestly, working in that cool café environment helped
me understand that I wanted to be a business owner someday.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I love spending time with my family. I keep active by playing golf and exercising, and
enjoy traveling. Heidi and I often talk about creating a health and wellness cultural
center that focuses on the arts and offers a variety of self-enriching activities…
including great food!
PANOS
JOULIOS
10. 10 www.thebusinessjournal.com FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017
CalChamber | 11
The List
Staffing ServicesIn the Central San Joaquin Valley - ranked by number of persons/temps assigned each week; if tied by number of recruiters.
2017
2016
Name of company
Address
Phone
Fax
#of persons
assigned
each week
Recruiters
Full-time
staff Types of positions Benefits for temps Training
Year
founded
locally
Person in charge/
Top local executive
1
(2)
Placement Pros
7014 N. Cedar, Suite #104
Fresno, 93720
297-0054
297-0331 2,439
35
53
Temp to hire & direct hire for light industrial,
manufacturing, warehouse, clerical and
management positions
8 local offices to assist with
placement, health, dental, vision,
401(k), credit union, life insurance &
more
Computer software
training 1989
Kimberly Smith,
regional VP, Tammy
Wallace
2
(NR)
Spherion Staffing
2006 N. Fine, Suite 101
Fresno, 93727
251-4040
251-7070
450
8
12
Professional & customer service, general office,
light industrial, warehouse
Health care, skill development
Skills training for career
development in variety
of disciplines
1993 Glenna Gates, CEO
3
(NR)
PrideStaff
585 W. Nees
Fresno, 93711
432-2022
432-1327
400
15
15
Accounting, financial, general labor, warehouse,
clerical
Medical, dental, vision, holiday pay,
401(k)
Online tutorials 1978
Sean Akin , strategic
partner
4
(NR)
Maxim Health Services
6051 N. Fresno St. Suite 102
Fresno, 93710
224-0299
WND
230
WND
WND
CNA, LVN, RN, NP, Companion HHA, and Allied
Medical/prescription, dental, vision,
short term disability, life insurance,
401(k), sick time and PTO
WND 2001 Adam Finley, director
5
(3)
United Staffing Associates
1800 S.Central Ave.
Visalia, 93277
334-2872
334-2878
168 20
36
Production, light industrial, administrative,
manufacturing, medical, & construction
ACA Insurance, 401(k), Paid Sick
Leave
Forklift certification,
confined space, heavy
equipment training,
food safety
2004
Juana Serrato, Jorge
Ramos, Beth
Bruegman, Tiffany
Alkire
6
(7)
Hire Up Staffing Services
155 E. Shaw Ave., Ste. 108
Fresno, 93710
579-1331
283-8246 100
8
80
Accounting, administrative, legal, medical,
clinical, clerical, manufacturing, engineering,
executive, management
AFLAAC, 401(k), employee of the
month, contests and other incentives
Skills training on
Microsoft computer
programs
2010
Rebecca Abell,
president
7
(4)
Volt Workforce Solutions
7330 N. Palm Ave., Suite 105
Fresno, 93711
435-1255
435-5987
100
2
4
Full-service: administrative, accounting &
finance, light industrial, warehouse & more
Health, dental, vision insurance, paid
holidays, referral bonus, credit union
& more
Online tutorials 1985 Michelle Vigil, manager
8
(6)
Elitecare Medical Staffing Inc.
761 E. Locust Ave., Ste. 103
Fresno, 93720
438-7700
446-2170 93
2
4 Nursing, allied, imaging, pharmacy, corrections
Medical, vision, dental, referral
bonus, PTO, IRA & more
On-line education,
facility orientation &
training
2002
Steve Poggi, pres/CEO,
Stacy Green, dir. of
operations
9
(8)
Denham Resources
567 W. Shaw Ave., Ste. C1
Fresno, 93704
222-5284
222-1321 85
8
15
Accounting, administration, ex. mgmt, HR,
engineering, tech., medical.
Health, retirement plan, holiday pay,
scholarships, bonuses & more
Free tutorials, lending
library, career search
advice.
1970
Dave Denham, Kathy
Bray, Joe Denham
10
(10)
Insurance Relief
7535 N. Palm Ave., Ste. 101
Fresno, 93711
431-6428
888-292-4448
58 4
5
Insurance industry Medical, dental, vision, holiday pay,
401(k)
Online tutorials 2002 Kade Houston,
manager
Key: WND-Would Not Disclose. NR-Not Ranked.All data has been provided by representatives of the staffing services listed and Business Journal research. Not all sources
surveyed responded to inquiries.
Research: Chris Rose
Original Publication Date: January 6, 2017
E-mail: chris@thebusinessjournal.com
CalChamber’s guide to new business laws in 2017
The California Chamber of
Commerce has released the list of
new employment laws taking effect
now that will have an impact on
businesses in California.
Employers need to be aware of
significant changes in key areas, such
as the state minimum wage. Other
new laws make small changes to
different parts of existing list or may
relate only to specific industries.
Unless specified, all new legislation
went into effect on Jan. 1. This year,
many bills feature delayed or phased-
in implementation.
Several new California laws will
affect employers’ wage-and-hour
obligations in 2017.
Minimum wage
SB 3 will increase the minimum wage
over the next several years to $15
an hour. For Jan. 1, businesses with
26 or more employees must pay a
minimum wage of $10.50 per hour.
The minimum wage increase will
require all employers to post a new
Minimum Wage Order (MW-2017).
The upcoming minimum wage
increase also will have an effect
on other pay practices, such as the
overtime rate.
Agricultural overtime
AB 1066 will phase in increased
overtime requirements for
agricultural employees over the
course of four years beginning
Jan. 1, 2019. Currently, agricultural
employees are exempt from certain
wage requirements.
Itemized wage statements
AB 2535 amends Labor Code Section
226 and clarifies that employees who
are exempt from the payment of
minimum wage and overtime are not
required to have their hours tracked
and logged on an itemized wage
statement, commonly referred to as a
pay stub.
Payroll
AB 1847 requires employers who
must notify employees of their
eligibility for the federal Earned
Income Tax Credit to also notify
these employees that they may be
eligible for the California Earned
Income Tax Credit. The bill updates
the required notice that must be
given to employees.
Challenges to minimum wage
violations
Under AB 2899, employers who
contest a Labor Commissioner ruling
that they failed to pay the minimum
wage must post a bond equal to the
unpaid wages, excluding penalties.
Local wage enforcement
SB 1342 grants local officials or
department heads the power to
issue subpoenas and to report
noncompliance with employment-
related ordinances, such as local
minimum wage ordinances, to
superior court judges. The legislative
intent of this new law further
encourages cities and counties to
enact measures to combat wage theft.
Janitorial workers
AB 1978 enacts new recordkeeping,
registration and training
requirements for the janitorial
industry.
Licensure requirements for hair/
nail salons
AB 2437 requires any establishment
that is licensed by the Board of
Barbering and Cosmetology (BBC)
(e.g., hair salons, nail salons,
estheticians, etc.) to post a notice
regarding workplace rights and wage-
and-hour laws by July 1, 2017. The
Labor Commissioner must create
the model notice. Failure to post the
notice will result in a fine.
Temporary services; wages
Under the Labor Code, employees of
a temporary service employer must
be paid weekly, regardless of when
the assignment ends. AB 1311 applies
the weekly pay requirement to
security guards employed by private
patrol operators who are temporary
services employers. This urgency
legislation took effect on July 25, 2016.
Discrimination and Retaliation
Protections
Several new laws expand employee
protections for 2017.
Fair pay
Last year, significant amendments
were made to California’s equal
pay laws to address gender wage
inequality. This year, two new bills
expand California’s Fair Pay Act.
SB 1063 prohibits an employer from
paying any of its employees wage
rates that are less than the rates
paid to employees of another race
or ethnicity for substantially similar
work. AB 1676 specifies that, under
the Fair Pay Act, prior salary cannot,
by itself, justify any disparity in
compensation.
Harassment prevention training
AB 1661 requires local agency
officials, including local elected
officials, to receive sexual harassment
prevention training and education
whenever those officials receive
any type of compensation, salary or
stipend.
All-gender restrooms
AB 1732 sets a new requirement
that, beginning March 1, all single-
user toilet facilities in any business
establishment, place of public
accommodation or government
agency must be identified as “all-
gender” toilet facilities.
Immigration-Related Protections
11. FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017 www.thebusinessjournal.com 11
PEOPLEONTHEMOVE
Sandoval Norman
Pountney Soberal
Colgate Steele
Barberich Daggett
Hopkins Weitzel
Gruszczynski Clarke
Cooper
Abajian Stewart
Employers are required by federal
law to verify an employee’s eligibility
to work using the Form I-9 process.
Under federal law, it is unlawful
for employers to ask for more or
different documentation than is
required by the Form I-9, refuse
to accept documents that appear
genuine on their face or engage in
other types of document abuse. SB
1001 makes this type of conduct
unlawful under state law as well.
Definition of employee
AB 488 revises the definition of
employee under California’s Fair
Employment and Housing Act
(FEHA) to authorize an individual
employed under a special license in
a nonprofit sheltered workshop, day
program or rehabilitation facility to
bring an action under the FEHA for
any form of prohibited harassment or
discrimination.
Human Trafficking
AB 1684 authorizes the DFEH to
receive, investigate and prosecute
complaints from victims of human
trafficking. The DFEH can bring civil
actions on behalf of these victims.
State contracts and anti-
discrimination certification
AB 2844 requires those who bid,
propose or renew a contract of
$100,000 or more with a state agency
to certify their compliance with the
Unruh Civil Rights Act and FEHA.
Discrimination regulations and
enforcement
SB 1442 consolidates various anti-
discrimination regulations and
enforcement and investigatory
powers under the jurisdiction
of the DFEH. It removes other
state agencies’ authority to
issue regulations prohibiting
discrimination.
Several new laws relate to
employee benefits and leaves of
absences.
Paid family leave benefits
Effective Jan. 1, 2018, AB 908
increases the amount of paid family
leave (PFL) benefits an employee can
receive from 55 percent of earnings
to either 60 percent or 70 percent
of earnings, depending on the
employee’s income.
Domestic violence, sexual assault
and stalking protections
AB 2337 requires employers with
25 or more employees to provide
employees with written notice about
the rights of victims of domestic
violence, sexual assault and stalking
to take protected time off for medical
treatment or legal proceedings.
A required form must be given to all
new employees when hired and to
current employees upon request. The
Labor Commissioner is required to
develop the form on or before July 1,
2017.
Employers are not required to
comply with this notice requirement
until the Labor Commissioner posts
the new form on its website.
Private retirement savings plans
SB 1234 approves the California
Secure Choice Retirement Savings
Program (SCRSP), which is a state-
run retirement plan for private-
sector workers. Specific prerequisites
must be met before the SCRSP can
be implemented, and it may be some
time before we actually see this
program up and running.
Paid sick leave
SB 3 extends California’s paid
sick leave law to cover in-home
supportive services workers
beginning July 1, 2018. AB 2393
provides specific rules relating to the
interaction of sick leave and parental
leave for school district employees
working in positions requiring
certification qualifications.
Disability benefits
AB 2886 extends the appeal time for
disability benefits from 20 to 30 days,
effective March 1, 2018.
Two new laws affect how
background checks are
conducted.
Juvenile criminal history
information
AB 1843 prohibits employers from
inquiring into an applicant’s juvenile
convictions or using such convictions
as a factor in determining any
condition of employment.
Criminal background check —
ride-sharing services
AB 1289 requires a “transportation
network company” (think Uber and
Lyft) to conduct local and national
criminal background checks for each
participating driver and prohibits the
use of drivers with certain types of
convictions.
Workplace Safety
Several new laws affect workplace
safety, including a package of bills
that took effect June 9, 2016.
Indoor heat illness
SB 1167 requires Cal/OSHA to
propose a heat-illness and injury
prevention standard for indoor
workers by Jan. 1, 2019.
Driving
AB 1785 reaffirms the general ban
on using wireless electronic devices
while driving, but amends existing
law to authorize drivers to use their
hand to activate or deactivate a
feature or function of the device with
a single swipe or tap, as long as the
device is mounted so as not to hinder
the driver’s view of the road.
Smoking
A package of bills was signed earlier
in 2016 that extend the ban on
workplace smoking. These rules took
effect June 9, 2016.
A number of new laws relate
to public works and prevailing
wages.
Employers who provide services
or construction work on public
works projects for the government
or public-sector entities must
pay the prevailing wage, which is
usually significantly higher than the
minimum wage.
The bills include:
AB 326 — requires the release of
funds held pending a prevailing wage
determination;
AB 1926 — relates to the payment
of apprentices for pre-employment
activities, such as testing or training;
and
SB 954 — limits the ability for a
nonunion contractor to receive a
credit for certain payments made
against the prevailing wage.
CalChamber | from 10
LEGAL
Dritsas Groom McCormick, LLP would like
to announce the advancement of Adam
Gruszczynski and Leslie Pountney, CPAs, as
partners in the firm. Gruszczynski joined the
firm in 2009 and provides tax services as well as
business planning services to both businesses
and individuals. He is the financial chair of the
Adaptive Sports Program at Children’s Hospital,
president of the local chapter of Business Network
International, and a member of the American
Institute of Certified Public Accountants as
well as the California Society of Certified Public
Accountants. Pountney joined the firm in 2000
and has been providing auditing, accounting
and tax services for more than 20 years. She is
a member of the American Institute of Certified
Public Accountants, California Society of CPA’s, as
well as serving as a committee chair in the local
chapter of the California Society of Certified Public
Accountants.
SERVICE CLUBS
Fresno Rotary is pleased to welcome four new
members. Ann K. Abajian is the director of Learn4
Life Program and oversees corporate public
relations at Crescent View West Public Charter
School. Alice L. Barberich is the principal at
Crescent View West Public Charter School. David
Clarke is a senior account manager at Nettra
Marketing, Inc. Jake Soberal is the co-founder
and CEO of Bitwise Industries.
REAL ESTATE
Pearson Realty has announced its Top Producers
POM | 12
12. 12 www.thebusinessjournal.com FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017
SOLAR NEGOTIATORS IS NOT A CONTRACTOR AND DOESN’T PERFORM INSTALLATIONS.
Our team assists with project management, administrative, customer service, and client support.
for 2016: Salesperson of the Year was Robb
Stewart, senior vice president, Visalia office;
followed by Jon Daggett, senior vice president,
Fresno office; and Bill Hopkins, senior vice
president, Fresno office, all specializing in the sale
of agricultural properties.
GOVERNMENT
Fresno Mayor Lee Brand announced that Jaime
Sandoval has joined his staff as the new
communications coordinator. Sandoval, who
most recently served as Fresno County public
information officer, was an Emmy Award-winning
photojournalist at Univision KFTV-TV in Fresno
where he worked for over 12 years. He earned
a B.A. in mass communication from California
State University, Fresno and is a member of
the California Association of Public Information
Officers (CAPIO.) As communications coordinator,
Sandoval will work directly with the city’s director
of communications to develop and disseminate
all internal and external communications, as well
as oversee content management of the City of
Fresno’s new website, social media platforms, and
FresGO mobile app.
INSURANCE
Fresno-based United Valley Insurance Services,
a membership network of more than 70
independent insurance agencies, announced the
addition of five new member agencies in California
for 2016. These include Cooper Insurance Agency,
Inc. in Easton, where Principal Gary Cooper
writes both personal and commercial insurance.
Other new agencies include CMR Risk & Insurance
Services, Inc. in San Diego; Warren G. Bender Co.
in Roseville; Steven H. Spiegler Insurance Services,
Inc. in La Jolla and Michael Kennedy Insurance
Agency, Inc. in El Cajon.
SMALL BUSINESS
The Oakhurst Area Chamber of Commerce
announced that Ron Colgate is the recipient of
the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award. A 40-year
mountain-area resident, Colgate is a community
volunteer and was formerly employed by Sierra
Telephone. The Man of the year winner is Victor
Weitzel of Idea Print Work, Inc., the Woman of the
year is Laura Norman of Sierra Tel, the Business
of the Year is Oakhurst Grocery Outlet owners
Brandon and Jessica Steele, and Executive
Director’s Award goes to Carrier Proctor of
Oakhurst Healthcare & Wellness Centre. They will
be honored Jan. 20 at Tenaya Lodge in Yosemite.
“New Beginnings” is the theme for the 2016
Chowchilla District Chamber of Commerce
Community Awards dinner slated for Jan. 21. The
annual event will recognize community members
who have given above and beyond of their time,
energy and resources to the community. This
year’s winners include Business Person of the
Year – Ray Barragan; Choose Chowchilla Award
– Phil and Elizabeth Cheatham, Deli Delicious;
Chowchilla Progress Award – Tara Davis, State
Farm Insurance; Chowchilla Heritage Award –
Land Company and Real Estate; Educator of the
Year – Muriel Fore; Excellence in Agriculture –
Doug Thiel, Thiel Air Care; Heart of Chowchilla
– In Memory of Pete Cornaggia; Historical
Award – Reddy Redskin; Honoring Community
Contributions – Chowchilla Lions Club;
Outstanding Citizen of the Year – Kim Hickman,
Paw Spa; Unique Citizens – H.O.W. – Brenda
Farmer, Kelle Ray, Tracey Moore; and Vision
Award –Mario Davila, Mario’s Traditional Mexican
Restaurant.
POM | from 11
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Leads | 16
THE CONTENTS
Leads
Real Estate 15
Bankruptcy 15
Federal Liens 15
State Liens 15
New Businesses 16
The Leads information found
in this issue of The Business
Journal is a sampling from
the Business Leads Download
Center. The Business Leads
Download Center is available
free with your paid subscription
to The Business Journal. For
questions about the content listed
in this section or how to obtain
a subscription to The Business
Journal, contact Ashley Webster
at 559.490.3481 or e-mail ashley@
thebusinessjournal.com.
HOW IT WORKS: The Business
Journal’s Leads listings are
designed to help you find
the latest legal transactions
to grow your business. Find
out who’s new in town, who’s
going out of business and what
neighborhoods are becoming a
hotspot for new business. We’ve
pulled information from the
county clerks’ and recorders
offices in Fresno, Kings, Madera
and Tulare counties to bring
you the latest in business
news. No matter what business
you are in, you can gain a
competitive advantage from
these Leads each week.
andPeterOrlandoofRetailCalifornia
weretheagents.
Saleof35,000squarefootparcelofland
atthesouthwestcornerofCalifornia
Ave.andWalnutSt.inFresnotoFD
Partners,LLCfromEdisonPlazaPartners,
LP.JohnLeeandLewisSmithofRetail
Californiaweretheagents.
STUMPFANDCOMPANYisreporting
thefollowingrealestatetransactions:
Saleof1,809squarefootbuildingat707
E.ShieldsAve.inFresnofromScottE.
BrinkertoPietroDeSantis. RonStumpf
wasthebroker.
2,000squarefeetat1330Hulbert
Ave.,Ste.102,FresnoleasedfromRon
Stumpf toMichaelDunbarandMisty
Dunbar.RonStumpfwasthebroker.
1,400squarefeetat1345N.WillowAve.,
Ste.110,ClovisleasedfromBurgess,
Smith&WathenVII,aCaliforniaGeneral
PartnershiptoGajjanSinghandManjit
Kaur.RonStumpfwasthebrokerin
cooperationwithAlexandraStumpf,
broker.
BANKRUPTCY
ProtégéRoofing&Painting
CaseNo:16-14576-7
3717CandlewoodDr
BakersfieldCA93306
Assets:$207,775,Liability:$229,435,
Exemptions:$104,800
FamilyAAutoSales
CaseNo:16-14602-7
12034MaywoodDr
MaderaCA93636
Assets:$0,Liability:$0,Exemptions:$0
ColorworksPrinting
CaseNo:16-14609-7
450O’FarrellSt
VisaliaCA93291
Assets:$5,777,Liability:$1,374,974,
Exemptions:$5,777
GotWeedsWeedControl
CaseNo:16-14630-7
25101BearValleyRdPMB#43
TehachapiCA93561
Assets:$151,141,Liability:$185,686,
Exemptions:$17,806
JarAssociates/John’sPizza
CaseNo:16-14638-7
1415Sims
RidgecrestCA93555
Assets:$0,Liability:$0,Exemptions:$0
FEDERALLIENS
Number1RecyclingCenter
DocNo:16-078839,IRStaxlien
774WOliveAve,Porterville,CA93257
Amount:$3,370
ABCPreSchool
DocNo:16-078840,IRStaxlien
978WCleoAve,Porterville,CA93257
Amount:$853
NeumannDevelopmentCorporation
DocNo:16-078842,IRStaxlien
33167Highway190,Springville,CA
93245
Amount:$450
TeamCentralValleyInc
DocNo:16-031658,IRStaxlien
2930GeerRd174,Turlock,CA93282
Amount:$11,624
STATELIENS
FrutasExpressllc
DocNo:16-022805,EDDtaxlien
1675WLaceyBlvdSteVC4,Hanford,CA
93230
Amount:$1,064
AreaRemodeling&ConstructionCo
DocNo:16-022806,EDDtaxlien
889613thAve,Hanford,CA93230
Amount:$2,459
JVDaleRichardsonDDS
DocNo:16-022807,EDDtaxlien
1409WhitleyAveSteD,Corcoran,CA
93212
Amount:$1,072
RiteTempServices
DocNo:16-022808,EDDtaxlien
723WentworthCt,Lemoore,CA93245
Amount:$3,531
QRSInvestmentGroup
DocNo:16-022809,EDDtaxlien
247DelMontePl,Lemoore,CA93245
Amount:$1,384
GenosDieselRepair
DocNo:16-022810,EDDtaxlien
1015491/2Ave,Hanford,CA93230
Amount:$854
E&BLandscape&GardenSupplies
Inc
DocNo:16-022811,EDDtaxlien
POBox629,Hanford,CA93230
Amount:$1,469
OneResultRealEstateInc
DocNo:16-0167703,EDDtaxlien
7625NPalmAveSte106,Fresno,CA
93711
Amount:$607
ElVallellc
DocNo:16-0167705,EDDtaxlien
2225ChandlerSt,Selma,CA93662
Amount:$537
EmeraldConstruction&Engineering
Inc
DocNo:16-0167706,EDDtaxlien
2491NMiamiAve,Fresno,CA93727
Amount:$3,777
PrincessNails
DocNo:16-0167707,EDDtaxlien
1050ShawAve#E1123,Clovis,CA93612
Amount:$7,402
LibertyLinesInc
DocNo:16-0167704,EDDtaxlien
2559SEastAve,Fresno,CA93706
Amount:$13,336
TheHCBrockCompanyInc
DocNo:16-0167708,EDDtaxlien
2025WFrontSt,Selma,CA93662
Amount:$6,003
APlusConcreteConstruction
DocNo:16-0167715,EDDtaxlien
5761EChristineAve,Fresno,CA93727
Amount:$3,656
AmericanAgEnterprisesllc
DocNo:16-0167716,EDDtaxlien
3072WJensenAve,Fresno,CA93706
Amount:$1,669
ParadiseIslandSpa
DocNo:16-0167709,EDDtaxlien
8068NCedarAve,Fresno,CA93720
Amount:$5,505
AthleticPerformanceTrainingllc
DocNo:16-0167710,EDDtaxlien
340ClovisAve,Clovis,CA93612
Amount:$1,389
CentralCaliforniaGaming
ManagementInc
DocNo:16-0167712,EDDtaxlien
711WShawAve#112-300,Clovis,CA
93612
Amount:$1,940
Blimpie
DocNo:16-0167713,EDDtaxlien
810EOliveAve,Fresno,CA93728
Amount:$545
KhazarIndustriesInc
DocNo:16-0167711,EDDtaxlien
3275ECentralAve,Fresno,CA93725
Amount:$3,810
ClovisSmog&SmallEngineService
DocNo:16-0167717,EDDtaxlien
2890NLarkinAveSte101,Fresno,CA
93727
Amount:$1,099
JTransport
DocNo:16-0167718,Boardof
Equalizationtaxlien
2902NBrixAve,Fresno,CA93722
Amount:$11,048
SecuredRefrigeratedTransportInc
DocNo:16-0169019,FranchiseTaxBoard
taxlien
5724EJeffersonAve,Fresno,CA93725
Amount:$45,032
JMRomeroJrFLC
DocNo:16-078942,EDDtaxlien
234NHSt,Porterville,CA93257
Amount:$263
BellyBusters
DocNo:16-078943,EDDtaxlien
298SRedOakSt,Porterville,CA93257
Amount:$1,183
A&AShellFoodMart
DocNo:16-078944,EDDtaxlien
560SParkDrSte99,Pixley,CA93256
Amount:$1,434
T&MTowing
DocNo:16-078945,EDDtaxlien
3531SKSt,Tulare,CA93274
Amount:$1,623
ScenicHeightsInteriors
DocNo:16-078946,EDDtaxlien
850NMainSt,Porterville,CA93257
Amount:$995
Cardenas&AssociatesInc
DocNo:16-078947,EDDtaxlien
501WVisaliaRd,Exeter,CA93221
Amount:$2,117
Lance’sEngineShop
DocNo:16-078948,EDDtaxlien
POBox447,Strathmore,CA93267
Amount:$318
ABCPreSchool
DocNo:16-078949,EDDtaxlien
978WCleoAve,Porterville,CA93257
Amount:$1,151
SenenAgFarmLaborServicesInc
DocNo:16-078950,EDDtaxlien
4934WHemlockAve,Visalia,CA93277
Amount:$2,827
SequoiaNephrologyMedicalGroup
Inc
DocNo:16-078951,EDDtaxlien
1031NDemareeSt,Visalia,CA93291
Amount:$6,116
NRCElectronicsInc
DocNo:16-078952,EDDtaxlien
167WPoplarAve,Porterville,CA93257
Amount:$129
Smith’sFlowers
DocNo:16-078953,EDDtaxlien
55NDSt,Porterville,CA93257
Amount:$1,338
J&GElectricInc
DocNo:16-078954,EDDtaxlien
814EDouglasAve,Visalia,CA93292
Amount:$1,186
Fred’sFamousBBQ
DocNo:16-078955,EDDtaxlien
210ETulareAve,Tulare,CA93274
Amount:$1,012
GoldenTouchLimousinellc
DocNo:16-078956,EDDtaxlien
21919Avenue168,Porterville,CA93257
Amount:$450
StandardFarmInc
DocNo:16-078957,EDDtaxlien
168SMainSt,Porterville,CA93257
Amount:$3,872
OlguinCabinetInstallationsInc
DocNo:16-078958,EDDtaxlien
182JohnsonSt,Tulare,CA93274
Amount:$3,978
SupremeAir
DocNo:16-078959,EDDtaxlien
6928Avenue304,Visalia,CA93291
Amount:$3,430
M&ATrucking
DocNo:16-078960,EDDtaxlien
23302Road196,Lindsay,CA93247
Amount:$1,135
NavarroTrucking
DocNo:16-078961,EDDtaxlien
569LemonaSt,Woodlake,CA93286
Amount:$516
NRCElectronicsInc
DocNo:16-078962,EDDtaxlien
167WPoplarAve,Porterville,CA93257
Amount:$602
CarniceriaYTaqueriaMiTierra
DocNo:16-078963,EDDtaxlien
2337NMichaelSt,Visalia,CA93292
Amount:$534
USAPetro
DocNo:16-078964,EDDtaxlien
41304Road128,Orosi,CA93647
Amount:$1,507
SupercityWholesalellc
DocNo:16-078965,EDDtaxlien
4243WNobleAve,Visalia,CA93277
Amount:$5,507
AsapTowing
DocNo:16-078967,EDDtaxlien
1700EGoshenAveSteC,Visalia,CA
93292
Amount:$377
AssociatedBookkeepingServices
DocNo:16-078968,EDDtaxlien
921WOakAve,Visalia,CA93291
Amount:$2,489
LawOfficesofDanielPrado
DocNo:16-078969,EDDtaxlien
4236WMineralKingAve,Visalia,CA
93291
Amount:$1,567
SanJoaquinValleyPatrolInc
DocNo:16-078970,EDDtaxlien
REALESTATE
NEWMARKGRUBBPEARSON
COMMERCIALisreportingthefollowing
realestatetransactions:
3,000squarefeetofindustrialspaceat
4718N.BendelAve.,#102,Fresnoleased
toAutumnEastes,dbaIronForged
FitnessfromEricStanfield.NickAudino,
SIORandDanielSimonofNewmark
GrubbPearsonCommercialwerethe
agents.
5,000squarefeetofindustrialspaceat
3704W.AshcroftAve.,Fresnoleased
toStallionTireCare,Inc.fromDouglas
B.JensenTrustof2009.DanielSimon
andTroyMcKenneyofNewmarkGrubb
PearsonCommercialweretheagents.
14,948squarefeetofwarehousespace
at4966E.LansingWayinFresnoleased
toSpeedEngineeringandPerformance,
Inc.fromJerryE.CookTrust.Nick
Audino,SIORofNewmarkGrubbPearson
Commercialwastheagent.
12,195squarefeetofwarehousespace
at4379N.BrawleyAve.,Fresnoleased
toGardaSuppliesfromBrawley7,LLC.
EthanSmith,CCIMandRonStoltenberg
weretheagentsincooperationwith
ChadMcCardellofColliersInternational.
RETAILCALIFORNIAisreportingthe
followingrealestatetransactions:
400squarefeetofretailspaceinthe
TradingPostShoppingCenterat840
HerndonAve.inClovisleasedtoD&L
RosesfromDNClovis,LLC.LewisSmith
