Grant will help close 'digital divide'

By Rachel Raskin-Zrihen / Times-Herald, Vallejo Posted: 12/14/2011 01:02:41 AM PST

Solano County will share in a $450,000 grant meant to close the area's technology gap, Solano Economic Development Corporation spokeswoman Sandy Person said.

The California Public Utilities grant, to be distributed over the next three years to the East Bay Broadband Consortium, was approved earlier this month, Person said this week.

Funded by the California Advanced Services Fund, the program is intended "to help close the digital divide and promote innovative solutions to broadband infrastructure deployment, access and adoption needs and opportunities," she said. In other words, the idea is to make sure everyone in the area has Internet access, she said.

The consortium is a collaboration between the Solano Economic Development Corporation, the Contra Costa Economic Partnership, the East Bay Economic Development Alliance and the East Bay Community Foundation.

The first $150,000 will pay for the consortium to develop a broadband infrastructure plan "to make the East Bay a national and global leader," Person said. It also will help establish Get Connected East Bay!, a collaborative effort to provide free or low-cost access to computers and the Internet to all area residents, she said.

"We want to make sure every resident and business in the consortium area has reasonable access," Person said.

"It's about creating access to high-speed Internet connection (broadband) and basic digital literacy skills, which is essential to every aspect of life in today's economy," Person said. "There are access gaps, and this puts the people in those areas at a disadvantage. There are gaps in this county and this will help identify them."

Work on the plan is expected to start next month, she said.

Modular housing builder, Blu Homes, celebrates its new manufacturing facility at Vallejo's Mare Island

By Jessica A. York

Posted: 12/02/2011 01:00:41 AM PST

Mare Island's former ship and submarine shop was reborn Thursday with a ceremonial flourish for its newest tenant, an event many hope Vallejo's post-bankruptcy economy will mirror.

Modular home builder Blu Homes' president Bill Haney cut the ceremonial ribbon at the company's new West Coast manufacturing facility before a crowd of more than 300 onlookers.

"This is a place American men and women ... came together to rebuild America's industrial power and stand up for Americans' values after our Pacific fleet was destroyed at Pearl Harbor," Haney told those gathered, "That same notion of coming together to rebuild a future is something that we want to be able to do, here."

The company, which began leasing the 250,000-square-foot former submarine and ship manufacturing and repair shop on Nimitz Avenue in September, has already hired 50 workers from the greater Vallejo area, and expects to add 30 more by year's end, Haney said.

"I really believe that Blu Homes and Vallejo are a perfect fit at a perfect time," Vallejo Mayor Osby Davis said during the ceremony. "I say that because we all on the council think it would be an excellent idea to have a 'green-tech' island here on Mare Island ... and this is the start."

Thursday's celebration drew local dignitaries, former Mare Island workers, potential Blu Homes clients and more. In addition to Haney and Davis, event speakers included Tom Sheaff, vice president for Lennar Mare Island, and Paul Guilfoyle, a Blu Homes board member and actor best known for his police detective role on the TV show "CSI."

Guilfoyle jokingly placed the entire audience under arrest before sharing why he had become part of the Blu Homes venture, with its "green" energy-efficient homes and construction.

"It's obvious that the game plan of home building has changed radically. The idea of these great giant castles of isolation based on fear, segregating community based on vanity, are going away like dinosaurs," Guilfoyle said. "Let's open up these doors, and let's all of us ... walk toward the light of the future, the Blu light."

Homes in various states of construction ringed parts of the building's perimeter, opened for viewing. The building, the size of four football fields, looks -- and is -- about four times too big for the amount of work going on inside right now, said company co-founder Maura McCarthy. She said she expects the facility to begin filling up within a year to 18 months.

"We loved the building, we love the area and the labor was the right fit for us," McCarthy said of Blu Homes' interest in the Mare Island site during a pre-ceremony tour.

Contact staff writer Jessica A. York at (707) 553-6834 or jyork@timesheraldonline.com.

Blu Homes, green vision may signal jobs revival for Vallejo

By Jessica A. York

Posted: 12/05/2011 01:00:54 AM PST

For most struggling in the current economy, finding a job comes first, ideology second. But Mare Island industrial newcomer Blu Homes is aiming to package the two together, with a planned 80 local jobs created by year's end and a vision of no-waste manufacturing and an environmentally friendly "green" final product.

The company's available jobs, as with such opportunities in most areas, has a ready and willing audience.

Some 1,000 people turned out two months ago for the then-advertised 50 job openings with the 4-year-old company, with headquarters outside of Boston.

"(I am) so proud that they are in Vallejo, that they selected Vallejo, and the jobs that they'll create for the community, it's just exciting," Vallejo Economic Development Director Ursula Luna-Reynosa said. "Small businesses are ... creating this (new) economy. We often see new businesses with much smaller, 20 (to) 30 employees. This is a good size compared to that, and there are opportunities for it to grow. And the city is going to do whatever it can ... . We want to be there as they continue to grow."

Available workforce
Blu Homes officials said they were persuaded to set up shop in Vallejo because of the available workforce -- a combination of skilled workers prevalent in the East Bay, and the technological minds of Silicon Valley. The facility is likely one of the largest new manufacturing facilities to open this year in the Bay Area, officials said.

"Mare Island is continuing down the path of resurgence, and once again it's becoming a hub of economic activity in Vallejo and the North Bay," said Tom Sheaff, vice president of the former naval base's master developer, Lennar Mare Island, during the facility's opening ceremony Thursday.

Vallejo Mayor Osby Davis shared his support of not only the new company, but also its contribution toward the idea of a "green technology" island, clustering alternative energy and low environmental impact on Mare Island and Vallejo.

"I think it's kind of fitting that we take a historic shipyard that benefited the country and the world during war times, created jobs, and was a leader in shipbuilding and submarine building, and to bring a company that wants to revolutionize the way we build and sell homes," Davis said. "That is fantastic, it's a perfect fit."

In a pre-ceremony tour, Blu Homes co-founder and vice president of sales Maura McCarthy shared a similar sentiment concerning the facility's future on Mare Island.

"We're in the crown jewel of Mare Island, the biggest building," McCarthy said of the company's new 250,000-square-foot facility, a former Mare Island Naval Shipyard machine shop. "I believe in the cluster effect of green businesses. (The cluster) becomes much more a little mini-economy within an economy."

Happy for revival
The improvements, and reanimation of a long shuttered building -- the largest machine shop under one roof west of the Mississippi River in its time, former shipyard workers said, is something of a balm to the previous generation.

Several shipyard retirees commented on the most obvious change to the building -- its floor. New concrete replaced wooden blocks soaked in oil, a major improvement, some said. Friends John Chamberlin and Jack Tamargo served first as shop apprentices and later as general foremen for the former Building 680, the two said Thursday.

"When I came in the door, Aug. 15 of 1960, I looked all the way down the shop, and as far as you could see, there were nothing but individual machines and men running them and making parts," recalled Chamberlin, who now serves as secretary for the Mare Island Historic Park Foundation. "We were building ships and right around 800 men working here at the time ... in the war years we had 4,000 in the shop, in the '40s. "

Chamberlin said that while he does not think there's any comparison between the shop then and now, he supports Blu Homes' efforts to bring the facility back to life.

Tamargo recalled new equipment procured for the shop still coming in as the workforce was being reduced as the shipyard was nearing its 1996 closure.

"It was a sad thing to see, but we're glad to see the building is finally going to be used for something other than just a big empty building," Tamargo said.

"We wish Blu Homes well in their endeavor, that's for sure," Chamberlin added.

For more information Blu Homes and potential future job openings, visit the company's website online at www.bluhomes.com, and click on the "careers" link at the bottom of the page.

Contact staff writer Jessica A. York at (707) 553-6834 or jyork@timesheraldonline.com.

Mare Island landmark building now home to Blu Homes

FAIRFIELD — Workers once built parts for submarines in massive, historic Building 680 on Mare Island, before the Mare Island Naval Shipyard closed in 1996.

Now workers will build prefabricated homes there, homes that are energy-efficient, constructed using green methods and designed so they virtually fold up for convenient shipping to their foundation. Long-vacant Building 680 is getting a new tenant in Blu Homes.

“That is now our crown-jewel plant,” Blu Homes co-founder Maura McCarthy said. “This plant is the biggest plant we have. Ironically, even though it’s a beautiful, old historic building, it’s going to be an extremely modern plant.”

The Navy constructed the building at the dawn of World War II and made it big. The structure is 257,750 square feet and has a central bay that is the equivalent of 10 stories tall.

And Building 680 is more than just another Mare Island industrial building for an additional reason. It has a sign at its top saying “Mare Island Naval Shipyard” that can be seen from the other side of Mare Island Strait along the Vallejo waterfront, giving it a high profile.

But the days of building propellers and periscopes there are gone. Blu Homes will be constructing homes that have most everything in place prior to shipping, from the electrical and plumbing systems to the cabinets.

These homes range in price from about $166,000 to $495,000 and more. They come with names such as the Element and Breezehouse. They have steel frames, high ceilings and lots of windows.

Don’t think of the relatively simple-looking prefab homes that get hauled down the freeways in two halves. These are fancier buildings.

“The name ‘Blu’ comes from the idea of building something that’s beautiful and green,” McCarthy said. “These houses are like the Lexus hybrid. They are high-quality, really durable.”

After being built at the plant in six to eight weeks, the homes are folded almost like origami, trucked to a foundation and then unfolded, McCarthy said.

A video posted at http://www.bluhomes.com shows how this works. The home sections arrive at a site looking like rectangular boxes. A crane then unfolds parts of the box, revealing a house with a far different shape over the course of a couple of days.

Blu Homes looked at some 25 sites in various states before settling on Building 680. One thing the Mare Island building had in its favor was its sheer size and height.

“We need to be able to build a two-story building,” McCarthy said.

Then there’s its location. The plant will be industrial, but use high-tech software. McCarthy said Mare Island is near to Silicon Valley and that such other possible plant locations as Arizona don’t have “the type of powerhouse brain trust” that can be found in the Bay Area.

Plus, Tom Steyer encouraged Blu Homes to locate in California, McCarthy said. Steyer is founder of Farallon Capitol Management and co-founder of OneCaliforniaBank, as well as an environmentalist.

Blu Homes might employ 50 or so workers on Mare Island, but could ultimately offer hundreds of jobs, McCarthy said.

“It all depends on demand,” she said. “Everybody is suffering a little bit in housing right now. The good news is this kind of housing is a bright spot in the housing industry.”

And Building 680 is now a bright spot in Mare Island’s ongoing, time-consuming and often painful rebirth after the naval shipyard got shuttered 15 years ago.

Reach Barry Eberling at 427-6929, or beberling@dailyrepublic.net.

Chambers of commerce give out Spirit of Solano awards

FAIRFIELD — Solano County’s chambers of commerce on Thursday honored local businesses and community members, such as Meyer Corp. and Travis Credit Union, for their contributions to the community.

They did so at the Spirit of Solano luncheon at the Hilton Garden Inn. About 325 people attended the sold-out event hosted by Westamerica Bank and the Solano Economic Development Corp.

“This gives us an opportunity to publicly recognize how important business is to our local economy,” Solano EDC President Sandy Person told the gathering. “You are the backbone of our economic well-being.”

Meyer Corp., the cookware giant with its main distribution center on 58 acres in Solano Business Park, won recognition from the Fairfield-Suisun Chamber of Commerce. It opened a 165,000-square-foot, 100-foot-tall warehouse in 2010 that has an automated storage and retrieval system.

“We appreciate your commitment to the Chamber of Commerce and your investment in our community,” Chamber of Commerce President Barry Young said.

Ed Blackman of Meyer Corp. in turn praised Fairfield. Meyer Corp. got unbelievable cooperation from the city in constructing its buildings, he said.

“Solano is a great place to live and a great place to work,” said Blackman, senior vice president of logistics and facilities.

Mark Warcholski, director of warehouse operations, also accepted the award on behalf of Meyer Corp.

The Vacaville Chamber of Commerce honored Travis Credit Union. Among other things, chamber officials praised the credit union for being involved in helping nonprofit organizations ranging from Boys & Girls Clubs to Habitat for Humanity.

Foster’s Bighorn Restaurant and Bar won the Spirit of Solano award from the Rio Vista Chamber of Commerce. Owners Howard and MaryEllen Lamothe are prominent members of the chamber, chamber officials said. Howard Lamothe is a fourth-generation Rio Vistan who previously owned Henry’s Coffee Shop and bought Foster’s Bighorn in 2001.

Other Spirit of Solano honorees were:

• Michael Paric of Computer Business Solutions, honored by the Benicia City Council.
• Max Villalobos, manager of the Kaiser Permanente Napa/Solano service area, honored by the Vallejo Chamber of Commerce.
• Jim and Kathy Ernest of Ramtown Karate, honored by the Dixon Chamber of Commerce.
• Mary Bitagon of Vallejo, honored by the Filipino-American Chamber of Commerce of Solano County.
• Roberto Cortez of Vallejo, president of Monarch Engineering, honored by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Solano County.
• Ruby Joyce Barnett, owner of Ruby Joyce Barnett Nationwide Insurance Agency in Vallejo and Oakland, honored by the Solano County Black Chamber of Commerce.

Reach Barry Eberling at 427-6929 or beberling@dailyrepublic.net.

Businesses receive Spirit of Solano status

Robin Miller/RMiller@TheReporter.com Published By The ReporterPosted: 12/02/2011 07:59:50 AM PST

Struggling businesses and a tough economy may be dominating headlines across the nation but on Thursday, local civic and business leaders took time out to praise a handful of firms they say are thriving examples of what makes Solano County tick.

 

In all, nine local businesses were honored with the Spirit of Solano award at a standing-room-only Fairfield luncheon. The award recognizes local chambers of commerce and honors businesses that embody the entrepreneurial spirit of the region.

"We are living in some trying times when our economic structure is challenged from every side," Solano EDC President Sandy Person told the crowd of some 300 people at the event hosted by Westamerica Bank and the EDC at the Hilton Garden Inn in Fairfield. "But it is appropriate that we honor each of you. You are the backbone of the economic wellbeing of our county."

She praised the businesses for their continued support of nonprofits, schools, churches and other agencies in the county, saying, "There is nothing we can't achieve if we continue to build on your many accomplishments."

Each of the businesses honored Thursday were nominated by local chambers of commerce. For Vacaville, the nominee was Travis Credit Union and Board Chairman Curt Newland couldn't have been prouder.

"This award follows the idea of people helping people," he said, adding that Travis is all about helping people. "We are proud of the work we do with groups and nonprofits and very proud of the financial literacy programs we have for teens and seniors," he said. That helping spirit is part of what earned Travis the award, chamber officials noted.

In Dixon, the award went to Ramtown Karate and its owners Jim and Kathy Ernest. Feted for their contributions to the community, individuals and families, the Ernests expressed amazement at the award. "We were surprised ... because we forget we're a business," Kathy Ernest told the crowd. "The business part of it is such a small part of what we get out of what we do."

Other winners included: Meyer Corporation in Fairfield; Computer Business Solutions in Benicia; businesswoman Marin Bitagon, nominated by the Filipino-American Chamber of Commerce; Monarch Engineering President and CEO Robert Cortez, nominated by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Foster's Bighorn in Rio Vista; Ruby Joyce Barnett and Nationwide Insurance, nominated by the Solano County Black Chamber of Commerce; and Kaiser Permanente in Vallejo.

Picks & Pecks Editorial from The Reporter

Solano County's entrepreneurial spirit was strong Thursday as nine businesses received Spirit of Solano awards from the Solano Economic Development Corp. In northern Solano County, the winners included Vacaville's Travis Credit Union; Dixon's Ramtown Karate, owned by Jim and Kathy Ernest; the Meyer Corp. of Fairfield; and Foster's Bighorn in Rio Vista. Picks to all.

After slumping below growth neutral last month, the San Joaquin Valley Business Conditions Index rose above growth neutral 50.0 for November.

www.craig.csufresno.edu/ubc/PDF/FresnoNovember2011.pdf

For More Information Contact:

Ernie Goss Ph.D., 559-278-2352

University Business Center

Craig School of Business

California State University, Fresno

San Joaquin Valley Leading Economic Indicator Advance:

Minimal Job Gains for November

November survey results at a glance:

- Leading economic indicator moves above growth neutral.

- Firms report net job gains for the month after four months of losses.

- Over the next six months, approximately one-fifth of firms expect to add workers and 20 percent anticipate layoffs, while the remaining 59 percent look for level employment.

- Business managers anticipate wholesale prices to grow by 3.2 percent over the next six months or approximately 6.4 percent on an annualized basis.

PMIs for U.S. & San Joaquin Valley, 2010-11

Oct. Dec. Feb. April June Aug. Oct.

U.S. San Joaquin Valley

San Joaquin Business Conditions Index ¡V p. 2 of 3

For Immediate Release: December 1, 2011

Fresno, CA - After slumping below growth neutral last month, the San Joaquin Valley Business Conditions Index rose above growth neutral 50.0 for November. The survey from individuals making company purchasing decisions in firms in the counties of Fresno, Madera, Kings and Tulare continues to point to slow to no growth in the coming months. The index, a leading economic indicator for the area, is produced using the same methodology as that of the national Institute for Supply Management (www.ism.ws).

Overall Index: The index, produced by Ernie Goss Ph.D., Research Associate with the Craig School of Business at California State University, Fresno, advanced to 51.7 from 48.1 in October. An index greater than 50 indicates an expansionary economy over the course of the next three to six months. Survey results for the last three months for the San Joaquin Valley are listed in the accompanying table. ¡§Based on our surveys over the past several months, I expect growth to weaken and potentially turn negative in the next three to six months,¡¨ said Goss. Employment: The hiring gauge increased to a tepid 50.3 from October¡¦s weak 44.7. This is the fifth consecutive month that the employment index has plunged below growth neutral. ¡§Manufacturing and construction firms continue to shed jobs. Both durable and non-durable goods manufacturers detailed pullbacks in hiring for the month,¡¨ said Goss. ¡§Employment data indicate that the region¡¦s employment level bottomed in August 2011. Since then, the area has added almost 5,000 jobs. However, even with these gains, the region will have to add almost 24,000 to return to pre-recession employment levels,¡¨ said Goss. This month firms were asked about their hiring expectations for the next six months. ¡§More than one-fifth, or 21 percent, expect to add workers, 20 percent anticipate layoffs, while the remaining 59 percent look for level employment for the next six months. ¡§These expectations are somewhat more optimistic than September 2011 when 33 percent expected layoffs in the next six months,¡¨ said Goss. Wholesale prices: The prices-paid index, which tracks the cost of raw materials and supplies, dipped to a somewhat inflationary 63.8 from October¡¦s 66.7. ¡§As area growth has waned, so have inflationary pressures at the wholesale level. Lower inflation in the pipeline gave the Federal Reserve room to take the coordinated monetary easing action it initiated yesterday with five other central banks,¡¨ reported Goss.

This month supply managers were asked how much they expected prices of products they buy to increase in the next six months. Approximately 20 percent of the supply managers expect these prices to grow by more than 6 percent during the next six months. Overall, supply managers anticipate prices to grow by 3.2 percent over the next six months or approximately

San Joaquin Business Conditions Index ¡V p. 3 of 3

6.4 percent on an annualized basis. ¡§Last December when we asked the same question, supply managers expected annualized price growth of 5.6 percent. Thus, anticipated wholesale price growth has increased by 0.8 percentage points since last December,¡¨ said Goss.

Inventories: Businesses expanded inventories at a slow pace for the month. The inventory index, which tracks the change in the inventory of raw materials and supplies, advanced to 50.4 from 43.7 in October. ¡§The lack of any significant buildup in inventories is another indicator of a negative outlook by businesses,¡¨ reported Goss

Business Confidence: Looking ahead six months, economic optimism, captured by the November business confidence index, rose to a still anemic 42.5 from 37.0 in October. ¡§Both U.S. and global economic uncertainty and slow growth continue to restrain economic confidence among individuals making purchasing decisions for their firms,¡¨ said Goss. Trade: For a fifth straight month, firms experienced a pullback in new export orders to 43.8. While this was up from October¡¦s 41.7, it still indicates reductions in export orders from October. At the same time the area¡¦s import index stood at a weak 47.5, but up from October¡¦s 36.7 and September¡¦s 41.9. ¡§Slow area growth and weakening global business continue to push trade numbers below growth neutral for the area,¡¨ said Goss. Other components: Other components of the November Business Conditions Index were new orders at 52.3, up from 48.1 in October; production or sales at 49.2, up from 48.3; and delivery lead time at 56.1, up from 55.6 in October. Table 1 details survey results for the last three months. December survey results will be released on the first business day of next month, January 2.

Table 1: Overall and component indices for last 2 months and one year ago (above 50.0 indicates expansion)

San Joaquin Valley

November 2010

October 2011

November 2011

Leading economic indicator

53.3

48.1

51.7

New orders

56.3

48.1

52.3

Production or sales

53.5

48.3

49.2

Employment

50.1

44.7

50.3

Inventories

51.4

43.7

50.4

Delivery lead time

55.1

55.6

56.1

Wholesale prices

65.2

66.7

63.8

Imports

51.8

36.7

47.5

Export orders

50.6

41.7

43.6

Business confidence

54.8

37.0

42.5

Craig School of Business: http://www.craig.csufresno.edu/

Follow Goss: Twitter at http://twitter.com/erniegoss or www.ernestgoss.com

Yolo and Solano leaders chart way for ag

Agriculture has been, is and will continue to be king in Yolo and Solano counties, but most people don’t understand that, industry leaders said Wednesday at a joint economic summit.

More than 100 politicians, farmers, professors, bankers and government employees met Wednesday at UC Davis to talk about the challenges facing the region’s $2.5 billion industry and how the two counties could pool their collective might to advance their interests.

Educating people will be key, they said.

“It’s important to dispel the myth that agriculture is a small part of the economy” or that agriculture equals farmers laboring in the field, said Dan Sumner of the UC Agricultural Issues Center, which is housed on the UCD campus.

Agriculture was a $2.5 billion business for the two counties last year, a sum almost evenly divided across a variety of sectors that include farming, processing, administrative support and distribution.

It could be an even bigger part of California’s economy, said Glenda Humiston, state director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Program.

If leaders like the ones at Wednesday’s meeting create a statewide agriculture plan, Humiston said agriculture could add 182,000 jobs in five years. The average worker would make $24 an hour.

More than 14 million workers had jobs in California last month, according to data from the state’s Employment Development Department. That’s up 140,000 since 2011.

Despite misconceptions that all ag jobs are on the farm, 65 percent of the estimated 182,000 uptick would crop up in and around cities, not farms, she added.

“The second you start talking about agriculture, (urban and suburban residents) get this glaze over their eyes,” Humiston said. “They have an image of Ma and Pa Kettle holding a pitchfork somewhere. They don’t get this.”

Farm jobs would increase, sure, she said, but many more would sprout to support the raw products coming off the field, including work in light manufacturing, management, distribution, logistics, packaging and marketing.

“These are not farmworker jobs; these are head-of-household jobs.”

Most of the two counties’ ag jobs are already off the farm, according to data presented by Doug Henton, CEO and chairman of Collaborative Economics.

About 15,500 people work in agriculture in Yolo and Solano. Roughly 3,500 grow crops on the farm while the remaining workers are involved “in all those activities between that farm and that fork,” Henton said.

There are many links in the food supply chain, Humiston said, warning the leaders not to fixate on a single link. That’s what Sonoma County did when it homed in on creating a central cold storage where farmers could store their wares and restaurants could come to pick it up.

But that’s only a speck in a complex game of connect-the-dots, she continued. “How is that food getting to the aggregation hub? What will it do once it’s there? You going to put it in boxes? Wash it? Where is it going? Who’s the customer?

“We’ve got to recognize these food systems we’re talking about are very, very complex,” she said. “It’s not simply an aggregation hub.”

Next steps include promoting agriculture, figuring out way to fill in gaps in the food supply chain, like processing plants, and redoubling efforts to preserve ag land.

Yolo County Supervisors Don Saylor and Duane Chamberlain plan to serve as emissaries to the Solano County Board of Supervisors by presenting Wednesday’s action plan. Solano County Supervisor Mike Reagan will do the same in Yolo.

“The counties have been working together without regard to artificial, manmade political boundaries for forever,” Reagan said. There’s a lot more work we can do to take advantage of the tremendous potential we have in this area.”

— Reach Jonathan Edwards at jedwards@davisenterprise.net or (530) 747-8052. Follow him on Twitter at @jon__edwards

Solano, Yolo counties hope to further build ag industry

By Melissa Murphy / The Reporter Posted: 11/17/2011 01:03:02 AM PST

Adding value to agriculture is the goal for Solano and Yolo county leaders looking to build on an economic asset already in the region.
That goal was the topic of discussion Wednesday during the first Solano and Yolo joint economic summit at the University of California, Davis.

Farmers, bankers and government leaders made up the more than 100 people in attendance interested in working together to further build the region's agricultural industry that generated $2.5 billion in 2009 between the two counties.

The group reviewed advantages that the counties already have, but also some of the disadvantages that hold back the potentially booming industry.

"This is another step in a journey we believe in," said Solano County Supervisor John Vasquez. "This is the foundation to know what our asset base is and to build off it."

According to the group, Solano and Yolo counties share strengths, including an abundant supply of water, location between Sacramento and San Francisco, soil, access to markets, infrastructure, high crop value and a skilled workforce.

The summit's purpose was to take the information shared and turn it into strategic actions.

Areas of opportunity identified by the group include crop processing, reaching the global market and agritourism.

However, taking advantage of those opportunities will pose quite a challenge. Government leaders mentioned the water war between Northern and Southern California and the impacts on the Delta water, air quality standards that were designed to protect agriculture actually hamper growth in processing crops. Additionally, agritourism has the potential to bring in revenue, but the impact to local residents is perceived by some as a negative.

Glenda Humiston, state director for the USDA Rural Development, encouraged the group of agriculture supporters to be vocal about California as a whole creating an agricultural strategy.

Humiston explained that she regularly hears that if the housing market was back on track, the economy would pick up.

She believes the opposite.

"You wouldn't put a roof on a house before a foundation is laid," she said. "Until we get these (agricultural) jobs out there, they can't afford the house."

She encouraged the group to look at things differently.

Humiston explained that everyone needs to be involved in boosting the agricultural industry.

"Make a case to the business community why buying local will benefit them," she said, adding that instead of having city economic developers trying to bribe companies to relocate to the area, reach out to those already here.

"Things aren't going to be fixed by another farmers' market," she said. "It all comes down to collaboration, start using current resources."

Yolo County Supervisor Don Saylor picked out a few steps the counties can take in the next few months, such as presenting the information to each of the supervisor boards, figuring out a way to hire an agriculture ombudsman and including those at the summit that are willing to help in the planning.

"Agriculture is not a boutique industry, you can't just leave it on a shelf," he said. "It has to be a business enterprise."

Solano County Agricultural Commissioner Jim Allan said the summit was very constructive and gave definitive direction.

"Now it's time to take this to the broader ag industry and to the community," he said. "I think they will (accept it). They have an entrepreneurial spirit that will respond."

Editorial: Let's Champion Travis AFB

Published by The Reporter Posted: 11/13/2011 01:04:25 AM PST

The recent announcement that Travis Air Force Base would be eliminating 58 civilian jobs and moving 35 military positions to other bases should serve as a wake-up call to local leaders. If Solano wants to keep -- much less grow -- the base's $1.5 billion annual contribution to the local economy, it's time to resume advocating on its behalf.
It was a united advocacy that helped ensure Travis's survival a decade ago, when the Base Realignment and Closure Commission was downsizing the military footprint then.

Solano's local representatives joined the state's entire congressional delegation and stood behind an effort to protect as many California bases as possible. The governor organized a Council on Base Support and Retention, and the Legislature lobbied on its behalf.

Locally, leaders from all seven Solano cities joined forces with those from the county, the Solano Economic Development Corp., Solano Community College and other government agencies and private interests. They formed the Travis Community Consortium whose purpose was to protect the base's interests locally and in Washington, D.C.

Travis emerged from those BRAC hearings on solid footing. It is also poised to survive this current round of cuts, as the Pentagon attempts to reduce its spending to 2010 levels and shave off $450 billion during the next decade.

Of course, if the Congressional Super Committee fails to do its job, the military may be required to cut another half-trillion dollars, and who knows what that might mean.

As long as Congress is determined to reduce the nation's $14 trillion deficit, the military shouldn't expect to be spared completely. Certainly no one objects to the elimination of unnecessary services or duplications of efforts. But local leaders are in a position to encourage the Pentagon to look to Travis as the logical place to headquarter units when consolidations occur.

Among the reductions announced by Travis earlier this month, for example, is the Pentagon's decision to deactivate the 615th Contingency Response Wing and put it under the command of the 621st Contingency Response Wing at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey. Similarly, the 15th Expeditionary Mobility Task Force's headquarters at Travis is being deactivated and its military positions will be transferred to other bases. In all, 35 active-duty military members will be moved to different missions or bases.

Presumably, though, it might have been just as easy to deactivate other groups and bring their headquarters to Travis. That's the kind of pitch the local air base needs to have made on its behalf.

It won't be easy, though. The BRAC process was done publicly, but the legislation that authorized it has expired. Decisions are once again being made behind Pentagon walls, with little or no warning to Congress, much less local officials. Ensuring that these decisions are made in the open is the first thing local leaders should push for.

So far, the job losses announced at Travis have been relatively small. Most of the 58 civilian jobs being cut are coming out of the 60th Force Support Squadron and the 60th Civil Engineer Squadron, and many are being accounted for through a hiring freeze, attrition and retirements. They represent only 3.6 percent of Travis' 1,600 civil service positions. Meanwhile, the military positions being reassigned account for less than 0.5 percent of the base's 10,000 uniformed employees.

But there is no reason that Travis should have to lose any positions. It's location as the gateway to the Pacific, combined with the ongoing effort to modernize its facilities, should make it a base to which the Air Force wants to add missions.

It's time for all Solano leaders to come back together and resume the effort to remind the Pentagon of that.

Nominations for appointments to the new Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness

The Department of Commerce is seeking nominations for appointments to the new Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness, published in the Federal Register on 3 November 2011.

The deadline for applications is 14 December 2011. Full details appear in the Federal Register notice: 76 Fed. Reg. 68,159.

As described in the notice, the Committee will advise the Secretary of Commerce on the development and administration of programs and policies to expand the competitiveness of U.S. supply chains, including programs and policies to expand U.S. exports of goods, services, and technology related to supply chain in accordance with applicable United States regulations.

This advisory group is possible due to the sustained interest and willingness to participate that has been demonstrated from the beginning in May 2009 at the joint Department of Commerce – Department of Transportation national conference, “Game Changers in the Supply Chain Infrastructure: Are We Ready to Play,” held in Washington and carried on through informal regional outreach discussions on freight policy and competitiveness issues in Atlanta, Chicago, San Diego, Seattle, Kansas City, and New Orleans.

Nominees meeting the eligibility requirements will be considered based upon their ability to carry out the goals of the Committee as identified in the Federal Register notice.

Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs
t: (202) 482-3015 (main)      f: (202) 482-0900
email: ITALegislativeAffairs@trade.gov  web: http://trade.gov
U.S. Department of Commerce | International Trade Administration

Agriculture focus of Solano, Yolo summit

Published by The Reporter Posted: 11/02/2011 01:04:05 AM PDT

Adding more value to agriculture is the focus of a joint upcoming Solano and Yolo county economic summit. "We are bringing together the experts -- from academia to operators -- to help shape some strategies to grow this vital sector of our economy and bring more quality jobs to the area," said Solano County Supervisor Mike Reagan in a press release announcing the summit.

The Solano and Yolo Counties Joint Economic Summit will be held from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 16 at the Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center on the University of California, Davis, campus.

"The summit promises to give us a road map that will guide us in our collaborative efforts to increase the development of our agriculture economy," said Yolo County Supervisor Don Saylor.

The agenda of the summit includes:

* An overview of the Food Chain Cluster report and the shared agriculture opportunities in the two counties.

* Panel discussions that examine the potential for making the region the heart of the seed industry and how an aggregation hub can expand the region's capacity to move products to market
* Facilitated discussions that explore how the region can move past identified barriers to growing agriculture and the food chain cluster.

* Creation of strategic action plans that add more value to agriculture and bring quality jobs to the region.

To reserve your seat at the summit, call 864-1855 or e-mail pat@solanoedc.org. Registration fee is $25 per person, which includes parking and lunch. For more information about the reports shaping the discussions at the summit, visit www.solanocounty.com/jointsummit.

Kaiser opens trauma facility in Vacaville

By Kimberly K. Fu / The Reporter

Posted: 11/02/2011 01:03:53 AM PDT

Excitement bubbled Tuesday at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Vacaville, where officials heralded the opening of Solano County's second Level III trauma facility. The first -- at NorthBay Medical Center in Fairfield -- opened in September.  "We know that with this important level of care, the people who live in this area (and others) will benefit," said Max Villalobos, Kaiser's senior vice president. "We are excited that we are finally here."

The new designation means that trauma patients will receive aid including emergency resuscitation, surgery and intensive care. Since the hospital's "soft opening" on Oct. 17 an estimated 15 to 20 patients, including one at 4 a.m. Tuesday, have already been treated. And officials' preparations have proved successful.

"We've already learned that having them here, ready to go, is instrumental in saving lives," the administrator advised, regarding the team of top medical professionals assembled in-house, from surgeons to specialists to nursing staff and more.

Dr. Steven Stricker, physician-in-chief and chief of staff, described the Vacaville facility as "the most beautiful, incredible, wonderful medical center in the United States of America," called his team "world class" and emphasized that patients will receive comparable care.

He also promised that Kaiser would bring Solano's first neurological center to Vacaville next year, with plans to upgrade the trauma facility to Solano's first Level II center, which would make it Kaiser's second Level II center in Northern California. Its first is in South Sacramento.

With its location between Level II centers in Walnut Creek (John Muir Medical Center) and Sacramento (University of California, Davis, Medical Center), Vacaville is in a great position to grow its services, Stricker said.

"We are so lucky," he added.

Having a trauma center within the city, said Vacaville Mayor Steve Hardy, could change lives.

"In Vacaville, people will live who wouldn't have otherwise without the care," he said. "I'm very proud of this."

Dr. Mark Hawk, chief of neurosurgery with Kaiser Permanente Sacramento Region, pledged unrivaled care.

"There was a statement made that we opened the finest trauma center in Sacramento and we promise nothing short of that here," he said.

A permanent helipad is being sought for the facility and plans are already in the works to upgrade the trauma center's designation.

Solano County leaders told businesses can thrive here

By Melissa Murphy / The Reporter

Posted: 10/28/2011 01:03:26 AM PDT

The woes of the American economy are well known but Solano County has opportunities to turn lemons into lemonade, if its business and civic leaders act now.
That was the message real estate experts brought to local business and civic leaders Thursday at an annual county "real estate roundup," sponsored by the Solano Economic Development Corporation.

"The body is not well," Brooks Pedder, managing partner and director of Colliers International in Fairfield, a commercial real estate firm, told the group. "You are the immune cells and we need to wake you up to assist us in getting out of this."

Pedder repeated a message he said he brought to the group two years ago, that local civic leaders can't control the financial market or state and federal hurdles, but they can do something different -- like reducing or waiving development "impact fees."

His reasoning was it would give local communities an advantage over their competition and help produce jobs that might not otherwise be created.

Instead, in the past two years, revenue from fees wasn't generated because, according to Pedder, buildings weren't built, deals weren't completed and jobs weren't created. On top of that, approximately 2,000 jobs were lost in 2010-11, he said.

"The gains we made in 2006 have evaporated in the last 18 months," he said. "As a region, Solano has lost almost all positive momentum from the past three decades."

Pedder didn't deny that companies are still looking to leave California, but he said Solano County can do something about it.

"We need to be the alternative to the rest of the state," he said. "We need to rebrand ourselves."

He explained that Solano County needs to think, "There is no way we don't have what you need."

The county has plenty to offer, he said, noting its large, diverse labor pool, the opportunity for workers to cut their commute, affordable housing prices, its location midway between Sacramento and San Francisco, its close proximity to major universities, and its wealth of available buildings and land.

"We are a deal-making region, but we're losing our practice," Pedder said. "Get ready. Hopefully we can get you busy again. I don't have all the answers, but you guys are the key. Let's fix it."

There are other positives for Solano County.

Chuck Shaw of ICSC Northern California said Solano has "eight lanes of retail bliss" on Interstate 80.

"That's what the corridor does for you," he said. "There is strong retail sales and very unique property."

He encouraged the group of business and civic leaders to stay the course because local government has worked to patiently make sound decisions.

Shaw explained that the county has a key opportunity in developing the Solano County fairgrounds in Vallejo. Solano360, the county project to redevelop the property that sits along Interstate 80, is a great opportunity, Shaw said, if planned carefully.

"It's a huge undertaking and I wish you success in that," he said. "You are in considerably better shape than everyone else."

Mare Island landmark building now home to Blu Homes

FAIRFIELD — Workers once built parts for submarines in massive, historic Building 680 on Mare Island, before the Mare Island Naval Shipyard closed in 1996.

Now workers will build prefabricated homes there, homes that are energy-efficient, constructed using green methods and designed so they virtually fold up for convenient shipping to their foundation. Long-vacant Building 680 is getting a new tenant in Blu Homes.

“That is now our crown-jewel plant,” Blu Homes co-founder Maura McCarthy said. “This plant is the biggest plant we have. Ironically, even though it’s a beautiful, old historic building, it’s going to be an extremely modern plant.”

The Navy constructed the building at the dawn of World War II and made it big. The structure is 257,750 square feet and has a central bay that is the equivalent of 10 stories tall.

And Building 680 is more than just another Mare Island industrial building for an additional reason. It has a sign at its top saying “Mare Island Naval Shipyard” that can be seen from the other side of Mare Island Strait along the Vallejo waterfront, giving it a high profile.

But the days of building propellers and periscopes there are gone. Blu Homes will be constructing homes that have most everything in place prior to shipping, from the electrical and plumbing systems to the cabinets.

These homes range in price from about $166,000 to $495,000 and more. They come with names such as the Element and Breezehouse. They have steel frames, high ceilings and lots of windows.

Don’t think of the relatively simple-looking prefab homes that get hauled down the freeways in two halves. These are fancier buildings.

“The name ‘Blu’ comes from the idea of building something that’s beautiful and green,” McCarthy said. “These houses are like the Lexus hybrid. They are high-quality, really durable.”

After being built at the plant in six to eight weeks, the homes are folded almost like origami, trucked to a foundation and then unfolded, McCarthy said.

A video posted at http://www.bluhomes.com shows how this works. The home sections arrive at a site looking like rectangular boxes. A crane then unfolds parts of the box, revealing a house with a far different shape over the course of a couple of days.

Blu Homes looked at some 25 sites in various states before settling on Building 680. One thing the Mare Island building had in its favor was its sheer size and height.

“We need to be able to build a two-story building,” McCarthy said.

Then there’s its location. The plant will be industrial, but use high-tech software. McCarthy said Mare Island is near to Silicon Valley and that such other possible plant locations as Arizona don’t have “the type of powerhouse brain trust” that can be found in the Bay Area.

Plus, Tom Steyer encouraged Blu Homes to locate in California, McCarthy said. Steyer is founder of Farallon Capitol Management and co-founder of OneCaliforniaBank, as well as an environmentalist.

Blu Homes might employ 50 or so workers on Mare Island, but could ultimately offer hundreds of jobs, McCarthy said.

“It all depends on demand,” she said. “Everybody is suffering a little bit in housing right now. The good news is this kind of housing is a bright spot in the housing industry.”

And Building 680 is now a bright spot in Mare Island’s ongoing, time-consuming and often painful rebirth after the naval shipyard got shuttered 15 years ago.

Reach Barry Eberling at 427-6929, or beberling@dailyrepublic.net.

Solano EDC meeting focuses on real estate

FAIRFIELD — Solano County could be “The Other California” for businesses looking to flee or avoid the state.

That was one of the ideas that Brooks Pedder, managing partner at Colliers International, brought up at Thursday’s Solano Economic Development Corp. breakfast. He spoke at the corporation’s annual “real estate roundup” presentation.

California as a whole in Pedder’s view is a place businesses are leaving or avoiding for numerous reasons. Pedder suggested Solano County be an alternative — a kind of oasis for business within the state — and lower development impact fees as a way to show its uniqueness.

“Let’s repackage ourselves,” he told the 150 or so business and civic leaders attending the event.

A key to marketing “The Other California” is the Solano EDC, given that individual cities don’t have the “band width” to broadcast such a message by themselves, he said.

“We don’t want to become a permanent economic victim,” Pedder said. “We’re not there yet. We need to turn on the switch. You guys here are the key. We have a lot of empty buildings. We need your help.”

Development fees help pay for infrastructure and other costs. Pedder’s argument is that while reduced fees bring in less money, having no development brings in no money, and no jobs either.

The industrial vacancy rate is 14.4 percent. To see speculative buildings constructed, the rate would have to be about 5 percent, he said.

Like other speakers, he mentioned the importance of job creation to the local economy. Solano County’s unemployment rate is 11 percent.

“We have a form of cancer — let’s call it ‘we need jobs’ ” he told his audience.

But he saw strengths to help market “The Other California.” Local housing prices are once again competitive. The county has a good location between Sacramento and the Bay Area. It is near the Universities of California at Berkeley and Davis, he said.

Kevin Ramos, chief investment officer with Buzz Oates, said Solano County is a Bay Area suburb. Bay Area markets firm up from west to east, so the economic growth in parts of the Bay Area could reach Solano County in two to three years, he said.

Among the challenges facing Solano County is being part of California, with its overreaching regulations, he said. Also it has a “tweener” location and some businesses may decide they want to be either in the Bay Area or Central Valley, he said.

He called the building fees in the county “moderately high,” adding that his firm sees higher fees in some areas and lower fees in others.

Chuck Shaw of Fite Development Co. talked about retail. Solano County retail isn’t as healthy as Bay Area retail, but is much better off than Central Valley retail, he said.

Shaw sees the county as having an ace-in-the-hole when it comes to retail development. He called Interstate 80 “eight lanes of retail bliss.”

Solano County has 20.3 million square feet of retail space and an 8.3 percent vacancy rate. That’s not so bad, Shaw said.

Reach Barry Eberling at 427-6929 or beberling@dailyrepublic.net.

Fairfield brewery gets mammoth wind turbine to power plant

FAIRFIELD — Fairfield on Friday got a new landmark.

Anheuser-Busch and Foundation Windpower assembled a white wind turbine with a tower some 320 feet tall at the Budweiser brewery along Interstate 80. Hundreds of such mammoth turbines are in place 10 miles to the east in rural Montezuma Hills pastureland, but this one is in Fairfield city limits.

Brewing beer at Budweiser should soon be a breeze. Plant General Manager Kevin Finger estimated the turbine could provide 20 percent of the electricity for the brewery.

The local brewery sits amid a wind belt. That wind has even given the area its name. Supposedly, “Suisun” is the Patwin Indian word for the area’s famed west wind.

Finger is familiar with the area’s stiff winds that will soon give the brewery power. He commutes to work from Green Valley by bicycle and often must fight the breeze on his return evening trip.

As far as he knows, this is the first turbine at an Anheuser-Busch InBev facility, Finger said.

“To my knowledge, this is also the first at a brewery facility in the United States,” he said.

The General Electric turbine on Anheuser-Busch land is owned by San Francisco-based Foundation Windpower. Foundation Windpower has a 20-year agreement to sell the electricity to the brewery. The turbine will produce about 1,500 kilowatts of electricity per hour.

This turbine and associated equipment cost about $4 million, said Matt Wilson of Foundation Windpower. Power from the turbine should start going to the brewery on Nov. 2 or Nov. 3, he said.

On Friday morning, a crane with a boom extending even higher than the turbine tower prepared to lift the nacelle — a box the size of a mobile home that contains the gearbox and other equipment — to the top of the tower. It would then lift the three turbine blades to the nacelle for attachment.

That mammoth crane had to be assembled on the spot. Finger said it arrived on 27 tractor-trailer flat beds.

Anheuser-Busch has launched other renewable energy projects at the local brewery. The brewery gets 4 percent of its electricity annually from 6,500 solar panels covering about 6.5 acres. It has replaced about 15 percent of its natural gas use with methane that comes from brewing wastewater.

But none of these other efforts will draw the attention of passers-by on adjacent I-80. The turbine, in contrast, is hard to miss.

The turbine is “an environmental statement,” Wilson said.

And a big one at that.

Reach Barry Eberling at 427-6929, or beberling@dailyrepublic.net.

Solano event addresses the future of real estate

EDC brings business leaders from all around
Times-Herald staff report
Posted: 10/19/2011 01:01:00 AM PDT

Trends and the immediate future of Solano County's commercial real estate market will be the focus of the Solano Economic Development Corporation's Oct. 27 breakfast meeting, organizers announced.

Leaders in the areas of office, industrial and retail properties will hold a panel discussion at the 2011 Real Estate Round-up, 7:30 a.m. at Fairfield's Hilton Garden Inn.

"This is an important event for anyone interested in gaining information about the opportunities that exist for growth in our commercial real estate," Solano EDC interim president Sandy Person said. "We've put together a great panel of leaders in the field which will share their views and 'best guesses' for what the next year will bring."

Sponsored by Pacific Gas & Electric Company, the event costs $25 for EDC members and $35 for non-members.

To register, call (707) 864-1855

Positive economic news for Solano county

Published by The Reporter
Posted: 10/04/2011 01:02:37 AM PDT

A monthly newsletter from Solano Economic Development Corporation finds good job news for the local economy.

In the past month, four companies have announced plans to relocate and/or expand their operations in the county, Solano EDC noted. They will bring some 200 jobs to the area.

"In light of all the bad news from the state and national scenes, this is tremendous news for Solano County and shows the strength that will undoubtedly come when the economy finally begins its long awaited rebound," the EDC newsletter noted.

Companies that have announced plans include:

* Coda Automotive will complete assembly of its new Coda EV, all electric sedan, in Benicia, bringing about 50 jobs to the community. The firm expects to complete assembly and ship some 10,000 to 14,000 vehicles in the coming year.

* Altec announced it will expand its green vehicle operation in Dixon, increasing the job force to 200 employees there.

* Blu Homes will begin mass producing pre-built homes at Vallejo's Mare Island, employing 90 when it opens, with more expected as the production increases.

* enXco recently celebrated Shiloh III -- a $300 million expansion of its windmill farm operation between Rio Vista and Fairfield. The new project features 50 2.05 megawatt turbines and will generate more than 100 megawatts of power.

Tech sector finds home in Fairfield

The business press is full of stories about how the technology sector is one segment of the Bay Area economy that is growing, even booming in some locations. Software, specialty electronics and small specialty manufacturers seem to thrive in our risk-taking, highly educated mega-regional setting. And, these companies provide quality jobs for those with the right skills.

Fairfield may not be considered part of Silicon Valley, but our city is home to a variety of technology companies that may fly under the radar. These interesting small companies (or branches of larger companies) help broaden the local economic base and provide unique products and services in the regional, national and even international market.

One unique company that has been in Fairfield since 2004 is Tronex Technology, Inc., located at 2860 Cordelia Road. Founded in Napa in 1982, Tronex manufactures precision hand-cutting tools that are used primarily by professionals engaged in electronics manufacturing (particularly in making printed circuit boards), wire and cable assembly, medical device manufacturing, scientific research and jewelry making.

“We manufacture top performing tools for a niche market that extends across the globe, including Europe and the Far East,” said Arne Salvesen, president of Tronex. “In many applications, our tools will be used for several hundred thousand cuts before they require sharpening. People are very often surprised that we actually manufacture in Fairfield as a lot of manufacturing has moved overseas. We use American specialty steel and other raw materials. We design and manufacture with such care that the performance of our tools is exceptional, which enables us to be competitive.”

Salvesen is an engineer and Harvard MBA who has become enamored with the business advantages of operating in Fairfield. He mentioned to us that he looked at several expansion sites in the region and chose Fairfield because it was centrally located and allowed Tronex employees the opportunity to live close to work. Salvesen also noted that both Solano Community College and Napa Valley College have played a vital role in employee training by providing classes in machine tool programming and drafting.

Large, international technology companies have also found Fairfield a good fit for their business plans. A newcomer to Fairfield, TenCate Advanced Composites, recently moved from Benicia into the former Tri Eagle Beverage space at 2450 Cordelia Road. The parent company, Royal TenCate, is based in The Netherlands and focuses on high-tech specialty fabrics and composites. Their markets include protective fabrics for firefighters, specialty military armors, space composites, geosynthetics, industrial fabrics and artificial turf. According to the company website, TenCate fabrics were worn by the responders to the recent industrial fire in northeastern Fairfield. TenCate will employ approximately 100 people in its Fairfield facility.

Fairfield also supports home-grown businesses as well. Dependable Plastics has operated for more than 25 years at 4900 Fulton Drive. Dependable custom manufactures plastic casings and coverings for medical devices and tools. They can make everything from simple hand-tool cases to full-scale machine coverings. Some of the coverings showcased on the company website are amazingly complex and intricate.

Technology companies look for a variety of things in choosing a location for their business including location, affordable and available space, cost of housing and an educated workforce. In addition to local community colleges, Solano County is the home of a local Workforce Investment Board, a private nonprofit organization that has been contracting with Solano County for 28 years to help with workforce education and job placement. According to Loraine Fernandez, program administrator, WIB uses individualized programs to help unemployed and displaced adults, youths and veterans with retraining and job advanced placement. Technology fields that are popular now with WIB clients include fiber optics and Internet security. WIB also offers a Career Center open to everyone. Interested people should visit the Solano Employment Connection Career Center, 320 Campus Lane in Fairfield.

The WIB is offering a Career Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday at University of Phoenix, 5253 Business Center Drive. Call WIB at 863-3596 for more information or to register.

Economic Notes is an update from Fairfield City Hall written by Brian Miller and Karl Dumas of the Fairfield Planning and Development Department. They can be contacted at 428-7461 or email at kdumas@fairfield.ca.gov or bkmiller@fairfield.ca.gov.

Solano bank gets millions for job growth

By Rachel Raskin-Zrihen / Times-Herald

Posted: 09/29/2011 01:01:21 AM PDT

A Solano County bank was awarded more than $20 million in federal funds to help create local jobs, the U.S. Treasury announced Wednesday.

Dixon's First Northern Community Bancorp is among 16 California banks to share $103.1 million as part of the final wave of Small Business Lending Fund money meant to help create new jobs, Treasury officials said. The Dixon bank got its $22.8 million last week, a bank spokeswoman said.

"This is a good thing," bank spokeswoman Louise Walker said. "We'll be able to provide more opportunities to local small business."

Bank officials applied for the program four months ago and learned they were approved in July, Walker said.

"We're hoping to lend some $30 million to $40 million, but it really will depend on the demand for loans," she said. "You hope it creates or retains jobs."

Walker said she's unaware of other area banks being awarded any of these funds.

Messages left with the Treasury Department weren't returned Wednesday.

The Small Business Lending Fund was established as part of the Obama Administration's Small Business Jobs Act. Its aim is to encourage community banks to increase lending to small businesses, helping those companies expand their operations and create new jobs, Treasury officials said in a prepared statement.

Wednesday's 16 brings to 30 the number of California community banks sharing $274.5 million in this federal funding.

The program provides capital to community banks with less than $10 billion in assets at a dividend rate that falls as the bank increases its lending to small businesses, treasury officials said. This provides "a strong incentive for new lending to small businesses so they can expand and create jobs," they said.

Other Northern California banks awarded funds this round include Oakland's OBDC Small Business Finance ($219,000), Lafayette's California Bank of Commerce ($11.0 million) and San Francisco's Low Income Investment Fund ($7.5 million). Also on the list are San Jose's Opportunity Fund Northern California ($2.2 million) and the California Coastal Rural Development Corporation in Salinas ($870,000).

Contact staff writer Rachel Raskin-Zrihen at (707) 553-6824 or rzrihen@timesheraldonline.com.

Section of Mare Island is cleared for 'Town Center'

By Rachel Raskin-Zrihen/ Times-Herald, Vallejo

Posted: 09/25/2011 01:03:35 AM PDT

The section of the former Mare Island Naval Shipyard set aside as the "Town Center" has been "cleared" by the agency overseeing the island's environmental remediation and is now ready for reuse, a spokesman for the island's main developer said Thursday.
But market forces will likely delay any actual progress.

The Town Center is envisioned to one day include mixed-use commercial development -- office, R&D, light industry and retail, developer Lennar Mare Island spokesman Jason Keadjian said.

The new certification allows the 61 acres covered to be developed -- 59 acres for commercial reuse and about two acres for homes, Keadjian said. This latest approval brings the environmental cleanup of Lennar's 650-acre parcel to more than 60 percent completion, he said.

Lennar Mare Island was given a "No Further Action" required letter by the California Department of Toxic Substances Control. The letter certified that impacts to soil and groundwater resulting from former military use have been addressed, Keadjian said. The California Regional Water Quality Control Board, San Francisco Bay Region (water board) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency collaborated on the inspection, he said.

Lennar officials managed the investigative and remedial activities at 34 sites associated with the former shipyard's underground storage tanks, fuel-oil pipeline system, electrical transformers and general fill used to build up the area over the years, Keadjian said.

"This milestone is part of the continuing environmental cleanup and redevelopment of the former shipyard," he said. "The cleanup is a cooperative effort between the United States Navy, the city of Vallejo, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, the California Regional Water Quality Control Board and the community."

Councilwoman and mayoral candidate Joanne Schivley, expressed cautious optimism upon learning of the sign-off.

"Now Lennar and the city and not the Navy has control of when we can develop there, which I'm sure will happen when it's economically feasible to do so," she said.

City Councilwoman Marti Brown had a similar reaction.

"It's great news because it means that now all the environmental remediation work is done," Brown said. "And now the next step of development can move forward. Whether the economy is going to let us, is another matter."

Between 2007 and 2009, in anticipation of development in the newly signed-off area, Lennar demolished nine buildings and removed potentially hazardous materials like asbestos and lead-based paint from a dozen others, Keadjian said.

"This area represents almost one million square feet of commercial space for Mare Island and the city of Vallejo, with the potential to support approximately 1,000 jobs," Keadjian said. "LMI is excited to have the environmental work complete and we look forward to realizing the potential of this area as market conditions improve."

Located between Azuar Drive and Railroad Avenue, the Town Center site is considered one of Mare Island's best for long term development opportunities for both new construction and rehabilitation of existing structures, Keadjian said.

Fairfield distributor brings international guests to his facility

 

Daniel Levesque, center, and Louisa Berube, left, of Quebec, Canada, take a tour through one of the tractor part warehouses at the FP Smith Parts & Equipment headquarter on Ramsey Road in Fairfield Tuesday afternoon. (Mike Greener/Daily Republic)

FAIRFIELD — Daniela Bucciolini met, and conquered, her match Tuesday.

Bucciolini was one of more than 135 guests at Fairfield’s FP Smith Parts & Equipment. Her company near Florence, Italy, produces spare parts for the Komatsu PC220LC excavator she tested out at Smith Parts.

Her employee, Filippo Becattini, videotaped as his boss scooped up piles of dirt into a bucket, then dropped them back down.

“She wants to do these kinds of dangerous things,” Becattini said. “She’s very competitive.”

“I was like a child with joystick,” Bucciolini said after her test drive. “It was fantastic. It was easy and incredible.”

And, yes, she wouldn’t mind owning one.

“She doesn’t have enough room in her garage,” Becattini joked.

More than 18 countries were represented at the event, an early introduction to the Independent Distributor’s Association convention that opens Wednesday in San Francisco.

Marcello Marchetto accompanied her boyfriend, Walter Antonella, to the event. His company, outside Milan, Italy, sells the undercarriage parts for the excavator.

Marchetto also tried out the excavator.

“I’m very satisfied,” she said after stepping down from the cab of the excavator. She followed it with a few words from the Rolling Stones tune “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction.”

“I know this is work for a man,” she said, with translation help from Bucciolini. “But even a woman can do this. It’s very soft.”

“It’s a woman’s machine,” Bucciolini proclaimed.

Guests of Smith Parts were treated to a variety of activities including a tour of his warehouse.

“I really want to see his variety of parts,” said Enzo Masciotra, from Montreal.

Many of them purchase parts from the Fairfield company.

Robert and Kimberly Castle traveled from Brisbane, Australia. He was attracted to the vintage car show Smith Parts had arranged for his guests.

A 1967 Armijo High School graduate, Pete Smith will be installed as vice president of the Independent Distributors Association, which represents more than 450 companies worldwide. It’s a trade association for companies that manufacture, sell or distribute parts for heavy equipment.

More than 26 countries will be represented at the convention.

The last time the convention took place in San Francisco was 1989.

“It ended on a Sunday and the (Loma Prieta) quake was on a Monday,” said Nancy Estes, executive director of the Independent Distributors Association.

While there have been other pre-convention events in the past, Estes said Smith took it to the max with clay shooting, live entertainment and food.

“This is phenomenal,” she said.

“When you live in Cordelia, you make things happen,” Smith said. “Either you go to the world or you bring the world to you.”

Smith welcomed guests from as far as China. Kevin Hu feasted on oysters and pizza at the event. The company he works for, outside Shanghai, manufactures spare parts for heavy equipment.

FP Smith Parts & Equipment has been in business for more than 60 years and has 21 full-time employees.

Reach Amy Maginnis-Honey at 427-6957 or amaginnis@dailyrepublic.net.

VacaValley Hospital to get $118 million makeover

VacaValley Hospital to get $118 million makeover

Will double number of beds; is precursor to trauma center plans

By Dan Verel, Business Journal Staff Reporter 

A rendering of the $118 million VacaValley Hospital expansion

VACAVILLE — VacaValley Hospital will soon undergo a $118 million renovation, a project that will double the size of the current hospital.

NorthBay Healthcare, which operates the 50-bed hospital and NorthBay Medical Center in Fairfield, is currently awaiting approval from the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development on the planned improvements, which would add an additional 24 beds — 16 medical-surgery beds and eight intensive care unit beds — to the hospital.

All told, construction on the hospital would include two stories while adding roughly 68,000 square feet to the hospital, which will double its footprint, said Steve Huddleston, a spokesman for NorthBay Healthcare. Improvements include an expanded emergency department and a new MRI machine. About 13,500 current square feet of the hospital will be renovated, and four modern surgical suites will be added to the hospital. An upgrade to the central utility plan is also part of the project, as are additional parking areas.

“We don’t have enough beds and capacity in the system now,” he said.

Rendering of lobby

Hospitals across California are undergoing significant construction projects in order to meet state requirements mandated for seismic safety, but the facility upgrades in Vacaville are not a result of that, Mr. Huddleston said. Instead, the project is part of the health system’s strategic plan, defined two years ago, to open Solano County’s first trauma center. Just last week, the 132-bed facility in Fairfield received its level III trauma center designation.

“None of the issues are related to the seismic retrofitting,” Mr. Huddleston said. “There will be two new major services that are vascular and heart related.”

The plan for the trauma center initially called for the Fairfield hospital to obtain a level III designation, but to eventually move the trauma center to the 25-year-old Vacaville hospital, where it would apply for a level II designation.

But soon after NorthBay Healthcare announced its plans over a year ago, Kaiser Permanente’s Napa-Solano region said that it too intended on seeking a level II trauma center — at its Vacaville facility. Kaiser eventually amended its plan to seek a level III center in Vacaville, which it expects designation for by the end of October. In response to Kaiser’s plan, Mr. Huddleston has said NorthBay Healthcare would explore the possibility of keeping the trauma center in Fairfield.

There is no limit on how many level III trauma centers can be in a county, but state law says a county can have only one level II center, unless a specific exception is granted. Both NorthBay Healthcare and Kaiser have said they will likely seek level II designations at the respective facilities after a needs assessment is completed by the county to see if a such a center could be sustained.

The expansion at NorthBay Healthcare’s VacaValley Hospital will go ahead regardless of where the trauma center ends up, Mr. Huddleston said.

NorthBay Healthcare expects to break ground on the expansion in Vacaville by early 2012 and to have construction completed by early 2014, Mr. Huddleston said. Before any construction and before any financing can take place, OSHPD must approve of the plans. The health system is hoping for state approval by the end of this month so that it can begin with the financing.

All told, the health system will be seeking about $200 million in loans and bonds, but only $118 will account for the construction. The remainder of the loan will go toward refinancing existing debt. Once OSHPD signs off on the plans, the Federal Housing Authority, through its Hospital Mortgage Insurance Program, would be able to back the bonds, which would then guarantee a loan from Bank of America, Mr. Huddleston said.

DPR Construction, which has offices in Sacramento, San Francisco, Redwood City and San Jose, has been selected as the general contractor. San Francisco-based WRNS Studio is the architect.

NorthBay Business Journal Impact Solano Conference 2011

Impact Solano Conference 2011

Located at the center of a geographic triangle linking San Francisco, the North Bay and Sacramento, Solano County is welcoming entrepreneurs and businesses looking for a place to locate or expand with favorable operating conditions, lower costs and other important perks.

Impact Solano, the North Bay Business Journal’s upcoming conference focusing on this county, was held Wednesday morning, Sept. 21, 2011, at the Hilton Garden Inn in Fairfield. The conference featured an economic outlook and panel of of local speakers. [Read an overview of the conference.]

Robert Eyler, Ph.D., Professor of Economics, Frank Howard Allen Economics Research Fellow, director of the Executive MBA Program, Sonoma State University
Presentation (PDF): IMPACT Solano: Recovery, the Region and Reality

Sandy Person
Interim president, Solano Economic Development Corp.
Presentation (PDF): Solano County Update

Gary Passama
President and CEO, NorthBay Healthcare
Presentation (PDF): Overview of NorthBay Healthcare and report on VacaValley Hospital expansion

David Payne
President, Altec Industries
Presentation (PDF): Green Fleet Focus Factory project

Solano business conference finds some bright spots

Robert Eyler, economics department chair at Sonoma State University, gives the keynote address at the Impact Solano conference at the Hilton Garden Inn Wednesday morning. (Brad Zweerink/Daily Republic)

FAIRFIELD — Solano Economic Development Corp. Interim President Sandy Person found some numbers to smile about Wednesday amid the slow economy.

Four recent business endeavors will bring 200 new jobs and a half-billion dollars in investment to the county, she said. Those are the Shiloh III wind project by enXco in the Montezuma Hills, the planned Altec Industries public utility equipment company expansion in Dixon, the Coda electric car company in Benicia and the Blu Homes prefabricated, eco-friendly homes plant on Mare Island.

The challenge for Solano County, as explored during the Impact Solano conference Wednesday, is to keep this type of momentum going. The morning conference sponsored by the North Bay Business Journal took place before more than 100 people at the Hilton Garden Inn.

Even more development projects are coming to Solano County. Gary Passama, president of NorthBay Healthcare, said NorthBay could begin work on a $120 million VacaValley Hospital expansion within the next half-year. The state must still approve the project.

Person also noted some projects that the Solano EDC has under way. Among them is an economic study of Highway 12 to show, among other things, where all of the truck traffic goes. The Solano Transportation Authority will use the study to try to get more federal and state highway improvement dollars.

“We don’t know much about Highway 12,” Person said. “It serves some tremendously important industries in this county.”

Robert Eyler, economics department chairman at Sonoma State University, was the keynote speaker at the conference. He sees some encouraging economic news for California amid the bad news, such as growth in personal income among Californians.

“Is California as a state recovering? Yes,” he said. “Is it a slower recovery than we want? Of course.”

Solano County is creating jobs. It has some demand in the housing market, however weak that might be, he said.

He talked of county strengths, such as its location between the University of California, Davis, and UC Berkeley. The county needs to communicate with them, to get the science done there to result in Solano County jobs, he said.

Person later said she is going “full throttle” in her contact with UC Davis.

“We have some amazing opportunities to collaborate there,” Person said. “Stay tuned.”

Eyler praised the county’s decision to focus on economic clusters: life sciences, the food chain and energy. He talked about the county’s weather and microclimates as a plus.

But he warned against cities fighting among themselves over who gets what firm, something that could drive away companies the county is trying to woo.

“Don’t worry where it lands,” Eyler said. “Worry about how you feed off it after it lands.”

And he cautioned local leaders to watch what’s going on in other communities that want to compete with Solano County.

Eyler ended his part of the conference with words of encouragement. He urged local economic and civic leaders to “keep at it” and to stay engaged. Then the county will do fine, he said.

Reach Barry Eberling at 425-4646, ext. 232, or beberling@dailyrepublic.net.