County to look at diversifying Solano economy

By Barry Eberling
January 15, 2013         

FAIRFIELD — Solano County has a chance to study creating a more diverse economy that depends less on defense expenditures at Travis Air Force Base.

A $369,000 federal grant is available for the study. The county Board of Supervisors will vote Tuesday whether to accept the money. It looks to be an easy decision – the item will appear on the board’s consent calendar, which is reserved for items likely to be noncontroversial and require no discussion.

Supervisors meet at 9 a.m. at the county Government Center, 675 Texas St.

At a glance

• Who: Solano County Board of Supervisors
• What: Accept grant to study how to diversify the economy
• When: 9 a.m. Tuesday
• Where: Solano County Government Center, 675 Texas St.
• Info: 784-6100

Solano County doesn’t want to contemplate a less vigorous Travis Air Force Base, much less a base closure. Rather, it wants to study further building an economy that has Travis Air Force Base and a whole lot more.

“It grows the economy around the base so that the base is a smaller piece of the pie, so it is not having an undue influence on the economy, even though it will always be a significant aspect,” county spokesman Steve Pierce said.

At the same time, the study will look at the supply chain serving the base. Then the county can reinforce the supply structures that the base needs, he said.

“It’s a gain all around,” Pierce said.

Travis Air Force Base had its beginnings in 1942 during World War II, when bulldozers carved out two runways in pastureland 10 miles east of Fairfield. Fairfield at the time was a small town with
about 1,400 residents.

A fast-growing base helped transform Fairfield-Suisun, as did the coming of the interstate freeway system and the rise of the commuter culture. Fairfield’s population by 1950 had doubled since the base opened and by 1960 had grown by 10 times, the start of a growth boom leading to today’s Fairfield population of about 105,000.

Today, Travis Air Force Base officials estimate the base’s local economic impact at about $1.4 billion annually. This includes the payroll for 13,368 employees at the base, other jobs created in the community because of the base and contracts awarded by the base to local businesses.

The base is the largest single employer in Solano County and employs about 6 percent of the county’s total industrial work force, a county report said. In addition, nearly 10 percent of the county population is veterans.

A county report said the study will assess:

• Industry clusters in the county and how much these clusters rely on and benefit from the base.
• Solano County’s work force and its ability to meet the demands of a more diverse economy.
• Work force leakage, which is local residents taking their talents to other regions.
• Potential opportunities to further diversify the county’s economy.

Finally, the study is to recommend a course of action.

If the Board of Supervisors grants it approval Tuesday, the county will look for a consultant to do the study. Results should be available in about 18 months.

Pierce said that the county receiving an economic diversification grant from the Department of Defense isn’t a sign that the base is marked for closure.

“The Department of Defense’s perspective is they want the communities around (bases) to be very viable,” Pierce said. “For a variety of reasons, it helps the bases.”

Mare Island Naval Shipyard closed in 1996 and set Vallejo into an economic downturn. Pierce clearly didn’t want to contemplate a Travis closure.

“It’s more than an economy to us, it’s part of our culture,” Pierce said. “That would be like us losing agriculture.”

Solano County will be the lead agency on the grant study, but intends to involve other organizations as well, a county report said. These include the Solano Economic Development Corporation, the Travis Regional Armed Forces Committee, the county’s seven cities, the Solano County Workforce Investment Board and the Solano College Small Business Development Center.

Reach Barry Eberling at 427-6929 or beberling@dailyrepublic.net. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/beberlingdr.

Solano EDC celebrating 30 years of service

By Melissa Murphy/ MMurphy@TheReporter.comthereporter.com
Posted: 01/14/2013 01:01:38 AM PST

Through the bumps, twists, turns, dips and unexpected loops, however, one organization stood steadfast, encouraging business owners and employers along the way.

The Solano Economic Development Corporation, known today as Solano EDC, is celebrating it's 30th anniversary of increasing economic activity, entrepreneurship and job generation in Solano County.

"We sit in a global economy and we're not just competing with another county, but other countries," said Sandy Person, president of the Solano EDC.

Person said California is the ninth largest economic engine in the world and Northern California is globally recognized because of that.

"We're situated in the epicenter of that," she said. "It's a significant marketing plus."

Person has been connected to the corporation since the early 1990s when she volunteered on its board of directors. At the same time there was a hit to the residential and real estate markets and it was then that the corporation took an industry focus and had a policy voice instead of focusing so much on the recruitment and marketing as it had done since its inception in 1983.

However, it was the team of Person, who was now president of the organization, and former president Mike Ammann, who joined the corporation in 2003, that allowed Solano County to make a name for itself.

"We were a dynamic force," Person said.

"We recognized that the state didn't have a plan. It has missed the concept of bringing the tools together to build the economy."

"I love this organization and what it represents," she continued. "It's a spirit of partnership and we have the ability to serve the public and private partnership efforts together."

Ammann said he was behind the name change. Initially dubbed SED Corp., he wanted people to know who they were outside of the county, thus it took on the Solano EDC moniker.

"The (nickname) changed, but the tradition on the inside was maintained," he said. "It was our goal to be more market savvy."

He said even a new logo put a dot on the state of California to show where the county sits within the state.

"We wanted to do anything and everything to be identified outside of California," he said.

Ammann said the corporation's influence grew with "Solano's Got It - The best that Northern California has to offer."

Economic summits also helped Solano County market itself as the "heart of the mega region" between Sacramento and San Francisco.

Even though Solano County is part of the nine-county Bay Area region, it was never really part of the North Bay or the East Bay and the differences between the cities of Vallejo and Dixon are so vast, Ammann said, that Solano County was being pulled in many directions.

"We had to come together to see the overall market," he said. "We were in the perfect position to do that. Solano County is in the best location to serve all of Northern California that way. We had to identify and show the unique assets to outsiders."

He said it was initially hard to identify Solano County, especially to the commuters on Interstates 80 or 680 "who didn't realize they're in the county."

The hard work paid off when the biotech industry sprouted in the county.

Ammann said the county marshaled its resources, marketed its tie to the University of California, Davis, Solano Community College and its proximity to other educational institutions in the Bay Area.

Genentech came as did Novartus.

"We exposed Solano County to the opportunities for the biotech industry," he said. "Maybe the industry hasn't met the expectations of the community because of the economy, but there is solid opportunity for future growth. The whole community can be proud we got our arms around the industry."

He said repositioning Solano County, to make it part of both Sacramento and San Francisco was the positive strategy the corporation had to eliminate the "in betweener" reputation.

"As a community we overcame all of that and came together to sell itself," he said.

Ammann, who is now working as the President and CEO of the San Joaquin Partnership, said there have been some big changes during the last 10 years, and the corporation is prepared for new changes moving forward.

Person, who is now president of Solano EDC, said there will be challenges, but working with Solano EDC means the communities can come up with a solution together to tackle those issues.

Looking to the future, the corporation will continue to market and recruit, but it will also develop programs to serve the existing economic base.

"California has unique problems," she said. "But it's time that everyone pitch in and help in difficult financial times. The economic downturns effect bottom lines and the pushing on businesses can be disproportionate. There should be an equal sense of pain."

Still Person is very optimistic.

"You can't find solutions without a positive outlook," she said and added that being the cheerleader is in her DNA. "We have to appreciate the assets we do have and spread the word."

The 30th Annual Meeting of the Solano Economic Development Corporation is at 11:30 a.m., Jan. 31 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Fairfield, 2200 Gateway Court in Fairfield.

The cost is $45 per person, $350 for a table of eight. Sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information or to register, contact Pat Uhrich at 864-1855 or pat@solanoedc.org.

Follow Staff Writer Melissa Murphy at Twitter.com/ReporterMMurphy.

Solano EDC December E-Blast

Click here for the Solano EDC E-Blast

Solano County's chambers of commerce honors local firms

Times-Herald staff reporttimesheraldonline.com

Posted: 12/12/2012 01:00:47 AM PST

Krissy and Richard Hitewshew of Vallejo's A-1 Guaranteed Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. were among nine Solano County businesses honored at the recent 17th annual Spirit of Solano luncheon. The firm was chosen for the award by the Vallejo Chamber of Commerce.

 

Selected by the various Solano County Chambers of Commerce for their outstanding spirit and community support, this year's recipients included Dennie Geltzs and Frances Hurley of Printer Concepts Technology of Benicia and Vacaville's Gary Passama of NorthBay Healthcare, selected by their cities' chambers.

 

The Dixon chamber selected Dorothy Luedke and Cher Besneatte of Curves of Dixon, while the Fairfield-Suisun chamber chose Pat Holzwarth of Delta Graphics and Sohail Tabar, of Ford Lincoln Fairfield.

 

Omar Enrique Martinez Zerbato of Martinez Multi Services, received the Filipino-American chamber's nod, while the Hispanic chamber chose Marisela Barbosa of Monarch Engineers and K. Patrice Williams of 123 Target Marketing, was the Solano Black Chamber's choice.

 

The Spirit of Solano is hosted by Westamerica Bank and the Solano Economic Development Corporation. Last week's awards program in Fairfield was designed to recognize the role chambers of commerce play in economic development and honor those businesses that take an active part in improving the communities they serve.

Vacaville officials urge shoppers to spend money at local businesses

By Kimberly K. Fu/ KFu@TheReporter.comthereporter.com
Posted: 12/09/2012 01:03:22 AM PST

Shop local and support your community.

 

That is the message Vacaville leaders are passing on, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a strong, thriving local economy.

 

"Shopping locally not only supports the city in terms of sales tax revenues, but it also supports our entire city in that ... (dollars spent) on local businesses creates jobs, which, in turn, creates more spending," explained Mark Mazzaferro, spokesman for the city of Vacaville and its economic development representative. "Pretty soon, it's a nice network of support."

 

Bob Vollmer, head of the Downtown Vacaville Business Improvement District, agreed. Shopping locally means keeping tax revenues at home, he said, which keeps the economy going, local businesses in business and so on.

 

The DVBID executive director quoted an E Magazine article by Tim Mitchell to illustrate the phenomenon:

 

"A dollar spent at a locally owned store is usually spent six to 15 times before it leaves the community. From $1, you create $5 to $14 in value within that community," Mitchell wrote. "Spend $1 at a national chain store, and 80 percent of it leaves town immediately."

 

Vollmer said revenues from shopping locally have helped to keep the downtown area vibrant.

 

"Over the last three years, we've sustained a 9 percent increase in sales tax revenue," he said. "Our vacancy rate downtown ... is 1 percent, which is great."

 

That, he pointed out, is what can be accomplished by shopping locally in an economic downturn.

 

On a regional scale, shopping close to home is integral to a community more than ever with the loss of redevelopment funding, impacts from state and federal budget cuts and more, advised Sandy Person with the Solano Economic Development Corporation. The trickle-down effect of local spending not only keeps businesses going, she said, but it also pays for things like public safety services and other resources a community needs.

 

It's a good sign that retail businesses have not dropped off in Solano County, she continued, and that auto sales are returning after scant sales numbers a few years back.

 

But does Vacaville have everything its residents need? And is shopping locally cost-effective?

 

Mazzaferro said the city strives to encourage a diverse array of businesses to come to Vacaville and will continue to do so. Right now, there's a little bit of everything -- from hotels to retail, restaurants to auto. As for cost, he believes shopping near home is somewhat of a bargain. Consider the money saved from gas not spent to travel elsewhere, and time saved, too, he said.

 

As for Vollmer, he thinks Vacaville, especially the downtown area, is rich in what it provides to the community.

 

"We have 25 restaurants in downtown Vacaville and all the entertainment you want," he said, ticking off live music, seasonal events like the Halloween Stroll and the farmers market, and more.

 

The longtime Vacaville resident added that he'd love to help welcome more new businesses to the downtown area and wishes it could somehow grow to accommodate anyone who wants to open there.

 

"Come down here," he urged. "There's always something going on."

 

Follow Staff Writer Kimberly K. Fu at Twitter.com/ReporterKimFu.

Solano County firms receive the 'Spirit of Solano' award

By Melissa Murphy/ MMurphy@TheReporter.comthereporter.com

Posted: 12/07/2012 01:10:21 AM PST

'Tis the season to give back to the community. For several local businesses, helping others is their motivation all year long.

 

Amid cheers, laughter and applause, nine businesses were acknowledged Thursday for their years of contributions during the 17th annual Spirit of Solano award luncheon.

 

The award recognizes local chambers of commerce and honors businesses that embody the entrepreneurial spirit of the region and who take an active role to improve the communities they serve.

 

From the Vacaville Chamber of Commerce, NorthBay Healthcare received one of the Spirit of Solano awards.

 

Giving back to the community goes back more than 50 years, when a group of local physicians created NorthBay, its mission of compassionate care, advanced medicine means no one is turned away, even for the most expensive, most sophisticated treatment.

 

Vacaville Councilwoman Dilenna Harris vouched for NorthBay's care as a mother delivering a premature baby. She said the neonatal intensive care unit at the hospital saved her daughter, who just recently gave birth to her own child.

 

"NorthBay, you are awesome," Harris said.

 

NorthBay Healthcare President and CEO Gary Passama received the award.

 

"NorthBay believes that to have a healthy community, it must have a thriving business sector," he said and thanked the Vacaville Chamber of Commerce for the acknowledgment.

 

Not accustomed to being publicly recognized for their behind the scenes efforts, Richard and Krissy Hiteshew, owners of A-1 Guaranteed Heating and Air Conditioning, humbly accepted their award.

 

The company in business since 1996 was chosen by the Vallejo Chamber of Commerce.

 

"We don't do it for the recognition," Krissy Hiteshew said. "It's kind of awkward for us to be up here, but we're very appreciative.

 

"We grew up in Vallejo so it's our turn to give back to Vallejo. We couldn't be here without the help of others."

 

Hiteshew said they run their business on doing the right thing even when no one is looking and thanked their co-workers for the success.

 

Additional Spirit of Solano award winners are:

 

Dixon Chamber of Commerce: Curves of Dixon, Dorothy Luedke and Cher Besneatte.

 

Fairfield-Suisun Chamber of Commerce: Ford Lincoln Fairfield, Sohail Tabar; Delta Graphics, Pat Holzwarth.

 

Benicia Chamber of Commerce: Printer Concepts Technology, Frances Hurley and Dennie Geltz.

 

Solano County Black Chamber of Commerce: 123 Target Marketing, K. Patrice Williams.

 

Solano Hispanic Chamber of Commerce: Monarch Engineers, Marisela Barbosa.

 

Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Solano County: Martinez Multi-Services, Omar Enrique Martinez Zerbato.

 

Follow Staff Writer Melissa Murphy at Twitter.com/ReporterMMurphy.

Spirit of Solano honors county businesses

FAIRFIELD — Ford Lincoln Fairfield, Delta Graphics and NorthBay Heathcare were among those honored Thursday at the 17th annual Spirit of Solano ceremony.

Local chambers of commerce chose the honorees. The awards were handed out at the Hilton Garden Inn at a luncheon sponsored by Westamerica Bank and the Solano Economic Development Corp.
“What better way to show a united economic front than being here to cheer on our champions?”

Solano EDC President Sandy Person told the crowd of about 200 people.

Westamerica Bank Chief Executive Officer David Payne described the criteria for naming businesses as Spirit of Solano winners. Among them are outstanding customer service, adaptability, profitability and contributions to the community.

The Fairfield-Suisun Chamber of Commerce named both a large and a small business of the year. Chamber Executive Board Chairwoman Sue Vaccaro thanked Spirit of Solano organizers for allowing the group to go against the norm and have two winners for this time only.

Price Simms Dealergroup opened Ford Lincoln Fairfield in 2010, helping to revive an auto mall battered by the recession. The dealership provides about 100 jobs. Its community contributions include working with the Tomato Festival, local schools, Toys for Tots and The Leaven.

“It is truly one of our guiding principles to give to our local community,” General Sales Manager Sohail Tabar said. “I want everyone to understand, this is only the beginning for Ford Lincoln Fairfield.”

Delta Graphics won as the Fairfield-Suisun Chamber of Commerce’s small business of the year. Vaccaro called it a “mom and pop” business with two employees.

The business opened in 1995 in Fairfield. Pat Holzwarth became a partner in 1995 and she and her husband Ken became the sole owners in 1997. They have been active chamber members, with Holzwarth serving as a chamber ambassador.

“I hope all of you will remember to support your local economy – the small businesses,” Holzwarth said.

The Vacaville Chamber of Commerce named NorthBay Healthcare as its business of the year. NorthBay Healthcare operates VacaValley Hospital in Vacaville and NorthBay Medical Center in Fairfield.

Vacaville City Councilwoman Dilenna Harris introduced the award. She talked about NorthBay Healthcare’s local roots, given that a local group of physicians founded it about 50 years ago. She described how it has over time added such features as neonatal care and a cancer center.

“When our community grew, NorthBay was very aware of the needs and the advanced treatments that would be needed,” Harris said.

Though it has grown to have 1,800 employees, NorthBay remains connected to the community, she said.

NorthBay Healthcare Chief Executive Officer Gary Passama said the medical group believes having a healthy community also means having a strong and vibrant business sector.

The Vallejo Chamber of Commerce presented its award to Richard and Krissy Hiteshew of A-1 Guaranteed Heating and Air Conditioning; the Solano County Black Chamber of Commerce to K. Patrice Williams of 123 Target Marketing of Vallejo; the Solano Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to Marisela Barbosa of Monarch Engineers in Vallejo; the Filipino-American Chamber of Commerce of Solano County to Omar Enrique Martinez Zerbato of Martinez Multi-Services in Vallejo; the Dixon Chamber of Commerce to Dorothy Luedke and Cher Besneatte of Curves of Dixon; and the Benicia Chamber of Commerce to Frances Hurley and Dennie Geltz of Printer Concepts Technology.

Reach Barry Eberling at 427-6929 or beberling@dailyrepublic.net. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/beberlingdr.