Find a job at Turlock’s Ten Pin Fun Center as staffing begins for spring opening

Find a job at Turlock’s Ten Pin Fun Center as staffing begins for spring opening

 

Merced College receives $5 million gift. It’s the largest donation in school history

 

New Visalia museum planned for downtown historic district

Visalia was founded 167 years ago and is the oldest community in the San Joaquin Valley.

It’s surprising to some that the city doesn’t have a museum dedicated to its rich history. There is, of course, a museum at Mooney Grove Park but the focus at the museum is the Tulare County history and farm labor.

Visalia Heritage Inc. may have an answer.

Property owners Ernie and Liss Crotty may convert an 1883-built home in the historic district of the city into a public museum for Visalia.

President of Visalia Heritage and local architect Michael Kreps says the home the Crotty’s own at 617 N. Encina Ave., a Queen Anne-style Victorian, has been well preserved and “is in very good shape.”

This week, after several months of meetings, Ernie Crotty says they will meet with city planning staff for the first time to gauge what hurdles they may expect if the idea moves forward.

Since then, Crotty has made it his life’s work to restore the home.

Now over 70, Ernie says he wonders about the home’s future and has talked to friends about the idea of doing something like what preservationists have accomplished with the old Fox Theater through community effort.

“I did not want to think about someone coming along buying it and turning it into an Airbnb or something,” he said.

Crotty says he would love to simply donate the home for a museum but say he wants to move nearby and that will cost money.

“My general idea I have talked about is to donate about half the value and the furnishings and hope with a group effort, we can raise the funds and come up with enough interest to move forward,” he said.

He wants to open the home to the public and offer tours.

“It was originally the Stevens house (A Visalia merchant before the turn of the century) and it is one of the oldest in Visalia,” Kreps said.

The house had the town’s first gas generator to light up the place before there was electricity.

Visalia Heritage and the Crottys already have a collection of items that could be put on display and with word spreading about such a museum dedicated to Visalia history, there would be plenty more.

Well-known Visalia historian Terry Ommen is on board with the project as well.

The museum would be located in the heart of the 50 home historic district just north of Downtown Visalia, a few blocks north of Fox Theater. The Visalia Chamber of Commerce offers a self-guided walking tour of the district with descriptions of 29 homes in the area.

The district was established in 1979.

https://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/news/2019/03/12/new-visalia-museum-planned-downtown-historic-district/3139887002/?utm_source=visaliatimesdelta-Daily%20Briefing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_briefing&utm_term=list_article_thumb

CCVEDC Conducts Annual Mission to State Capitol

For Immediate Release

CONTACTS:

Lee Ann Eager, Co-Chair CCVEDC, 559-476-2513

Mark Hendrickson, Co-Chair CCVEDC 209-385-7686

Jennifer Faughn, Executive Director, 661-366-0756

CCVEDC Conducts Annual Mission to State Capitol


Photo 1 and 2: CCVEDC awaits introduction in the CA Assembly. Left to Right, Bobby Kahn, Mike Ammann, Lee Ann Eager, Lance Lippincott, Wil Oliver, Richard Chapman           Photo 3: CCVEDC Board meets with CMTA

March 25, 2019 Representatives from EDC’s throughout the Valley met with more than 20 legislators and top government officials to bring the voice of Central Valley businesses to the Capital. On the list of top priorities for the valley were Workforce Development, Infrastructure Development, Regulatory and Tax Reforms, Opportunity Zone and Tax Incentives. Central Valley priorities were presented in comparison to a list of top site selection factors for business.

“Each year, the CCVEDC Board meets with legislators to discuss mutually beneficial priorities for economic prosperity. This year we were very optimistic after speaking with Valley representatives, the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, and the new Lieutenant Governor. It was a very busy and constructive two days in Sacramento,” according to Lee Ann Eager, Co-Chair of the California Central Valley Economic Development Corporation, comprised of the eight EDC’s from San Joaquin to Ke

In addition to valley legislators, the group met with the Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economic Development and the Economy; the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GoBiz), and California Manufacturing & Technology Association officials.

 

As manufacturing is a large and still growing economic part of the Central Valley, the role of investing in Workforce Career Technical Education (CTE) has never been more important. CCVEDC supported the  State in continuing to invest and, if possible, increasing investment in Career Technical Training. Specifically, advanced manufacturing, value-added agriculture, logistics, and technology development.

“Workforce and Economic Development in the Central Valley have worked together hand in hand for more than 30 years, leveraging each other to the benefit of business and residents.  The legislators from the Central Valley understand and support the continued investment in this collaborative effort and the positive economic effect produced by this partnership,” stated Lace Lippincott, CCVEDC and CCWC Board Member.

The Central Valley is experiencing significant economic growth and activity. Yet, infrastructure development has been left behind and is needed to attract and grow jobs in this critical transportation corridor. The Central Valley is a prime location for advanced manufacturing, distribution, energy development, water technology among other sectors which support California’s identity as an innovation leader.

“It is important for our state legislators to be aware of the unique issues of the San Joaquin Valley. Water issues effect more than just farming operations, it effects all the other ancillary industries that thrive because of agriculture.” noted Bobby Kahn, CCVEDC Board Member and Treasurer.

Of California’s four million businesses, 3.1 million are sole proprietorships and 87% of companies have 20 or fewer employees. A complex regulatory process creates a significant burden on small businesses, causing many to consider leaving or expanding outside of the state.

“A vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Valley and the State is vital to the economy. Indeed, a region’s startup activity is a key factor in overall economic growth. It is critical to for these companies to be provided with relief from onerous regulations that hinder future investment and job creation,” according to Richard Chapman, CCVEDC Board member.

According to business, tax credits and other incentives can go a long way toward boosting capital — especially when the project involves job creation or a major capital investment. The new Opportunity Zones program is attractive, but hard to access and understand. Incentives allow manufacturers a chance to recover costs expended for workforce, research and expanding/staying in California.

“We encourage the legislature to conform state tax law to federal tax law treatment of Capital Gains under the Opportunity Zones incentive which will bring new investment and jobs into center city areas in need of redevelopment. Thirty-four other states have adopted state tax conformity provisions, but California has not. The Central Valley is home to over 150 Opportunity Zone census tracts that represent some of the most disadvantaged communities in nation,” stated Mike Ammann, CCVEDC board member representing San Joaquin Partnership.

CCVEDC is a not-for-profit Corporation whose mission is to attract and retain jobs and investment in the Central San Joaquin Valley counties of San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Kern. They are supported by the 8-counties in the Central Valley, Central California Workforce Collaborative, PG&E and Central Calif/Central Mother Lode Regional Consortium (CRC) Partnership.

NEW STATE GROUP TO PROMOTE OPPORTUNITY ZONES

image via caloz.org

image via caloz.org

Published On March 25, 2019 – 11:58 AM
Written By The Business Journal Staff

A new California organization has been formed to help investors and developers take advantage of federal Opportunity Zones.

CalOZ “will promote competitive, equitable and sustainable Opportunity Zone investments in California,” according to a release from the organization.

“Our state must embrace new strategies to rebuild an upward economy that works for all Californians,” said Kunal Merchant, president and Co-Founder of CalOZ. “Opportunity zones offer an important new tool, not only to promote economic mobility and the green economy in areas of our state that need it most, but also to re-evaluate and re-imagine how business, government, and community work together to foster a more competitive, equitable and sustainable economy in California.”

In President Donald Trump’s 2016 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, he outlined what was labeled Opportunity Zones, which offered tax breaks on capital gains for investments in distressed areas.

In Fresno, a number of the areas were established, including the Kings Canyon and Blackstone avenue corridors.

On average, Opportunity Zones have a poverty rate of nearly 31 percent with families making 59 percent of the median income for the area, according to the release, citing information from Economic Innovation Group.

“Opportunity zones offer an intriguing new pathway for our state to expand our middle class and restore the California Dream for all residents,” said Ashley Swearengin, Central Valley Community Foundation’s CEO and former Mayor of Fresno. “I’m thrilled to see CalOZ showing leadership on this issue and excited to support their work both in the Central Valley and state as a whole.”

CalOZ’s first priority will be coordinating with the state to create “high-impact” policies in addition to the ones being offered by the federal government. The plan is to create a “triple-bottom line mindset” for social, environmental and financial opportunities, according to the release.

“With more than three million Californians residing in opportunity zones, California can and must seize the chance to deploy an unprecedented source of private capital into the communities that need it most, “ said Jim Mayer, President and CEO of California Forward. “We’re proud to partner with CalOZ to support state and local action to ensure California emerges as a national leader in this program.”

The U.S. Department of the Treasury certified more than 8,700 qualified areas throughout the country. Of those, California has around 10 percent within its boundaries. And Fresno County is ranked third in terms of having the largest designated Opportunity Zones, according to Merchant.

Those designations will last through the end of 2028.

New state group to promote Opportunity Zones

How to Meet Workforce Demands? Duncan Poly Leads the Way.

For years, there has been a nationwide shortage of workers in vocational and technical careers, largely caused by society adopting a more college-going culture.

According to Adecco, an estimated 31 million career tech jobs will be left vacant by the year 2020 due to Baby Boomer retirements.

Portrait of Bob Nelson

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the city of Fresno and the Central Valley. If this is the thing of stuff to come, I am incredibly proud of this start.” — Bob Nelson, superintendent of Fresno Unified

Fresno Unified, the fourth-largest school district in California, is working to change the narrative of career tech and the looming worker shortage.

The district showcased its efforts last Thursday with an open house displaying $12 million worth of improvements to CTE facilities at Duncan Polytechnical High School.

New Heavy Trucks Facility

Perhaps the biggest upgrade is a new, 10,000-square foot heavy trucks facility large enough to fit eight semi-trucks.

“It’s the first of its kind in the nation,” said Vanessa Ramirez, Fresno Unified’s public information officer. “The facility provides the most modern equipment for preparing students for jobs in the Valley’s growing transport industry.”

Ramirez said students in the school’s heavy truck maintenance and repair program will utilize the facility. To ensure it met the needs of employers, Fresno Unified worked closely with industry partners on designs, she said.

This Has Been Needed For a Long Time

Hugo Rodriguez, the service manager at Fresno Truck Center, hopes the new facility is the first of many local high schools will construct for students.

“It is 20 years (late), but it is a great start,” Rodriguez said. “I am anxious to see what kind of kids we can get out of the program.”

Rodriguez said he’s also concerned about how many students he can get to fill vacant positions.

“The trades died out of the high schools years ago, and we’ve struggled for years finding technicians to come in and fill the voids,” Rodriguez said. “This facility is definitely needed.”

The district also expanded Duncan’s existing facilities in manufacturing and construction technology, automotive, welding and fabrication.

Students Give Thumbs-Up

To fund the work, the district utilized $7 million from Measure Q — a $280 million bond measure passed in 2010 — along with $5.2 million from a California Career Technical Education Facilities Program grant.

“In addition to better serving the Duncan students we already have, we absolutely expect attendance will grow from here for all of our Duncan pathways.” — Amy Idsvoog, Fresno Unified’s interim chief information officer

With the new improvements, Josiah Montijo said he’s not worried about whether he’ll be adequately prepared for a career in programming.

“(The improvements) will prepare you for your career or for any job you are trying to go into,” said Montijo, a senior in the school’s manufacturing pathway. “I don’t think I would be as prepared if I didn’t come to Duncan.”

Nathaniel Martinez said the new and updated facilities will definitely help him expand his knowledge in Duncan’s construction pathway.

“Previously, we were working in little portable classrooms and using the construction site that we already had to do anything that we needed,” said Martinez, a junior. “This new building is going to help us expand out more and attract new students.”

Return On Investment

There are 1,048 students at Duncan. Amy Idsvoog, Fresno Unified’s interim chief information officer, said the district is hoping the new improvements will help increase enrollment to 1,400 students in the next three to four years.

Seeing the new equipment and taking in the aroma of gas and oil reminded Trustee Veva Islas of the days she spent with her father, who was an agricultural mechanic.

“(My father) would have been so excited to have been a student here,” said Islas, who represents the area in which Duncan is located. “I am excited for those that are going to have the opportunity to come to this program, and just really have a fantastic experience.”

“I think the improvements are incredible. I think we should duplicate it in other areas.” — Brooke Ashjian, former Fresno Unified trustee

Once-In-a-Lifetime Opportunity

With all the new upgrades, Esli Cardenas said she is confident she will develop the skills necessary to land her dream job at Vanir Construction Management.

“It will definitely help me in the future, and hopefully I can start my own private business and build companies and more buildings like what we have here,” said Cardenas, a senior in Duncan’s construction pathway.

Superintendent Bob Nelson said the new facilities at Duncan is about opening doors.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the city of Fresno and the Central Valley,” Nelson said. “If this is the thing of stuff to come, I am incredibly proud of this start.”

More CTE in the Pipeline

Former Fresno Unified trustee Brooke Ashjian was instrumental in boosting career technical education during his four years on the board. Seeing his vision come to life at Duncan, he said, is satisfying.

“I think the improvements are incredible,” Ashjian said. “I think we should duplicate them in other areas.”

That’s just what Fresno Unified plans to do, Idsvoog said.

The district, she said, has been approved for state grant funding, requiring a local funding match for CTE facilities at Fresno, Hoover, and McLane high schools.

Idsvoog said the district has also applied for funding for CTE facilities at Edison and Sunnyside high schools.

Such projects, Idsvoog said, are pending future board approval. She said the local match would likely come from Measure X construction bonds.

https://gvwire.com/2019/03/25/how-to-meet-workforce-demands-duncan-poly-leads-the-way/

Evapco West marks 40 years in business

March 27, 2019

John Rieping

John Rieping/The Madera Tribune

Daniel Evangelista of Evapco answers questions during a tour of the manufacturing plant.

An international manufacturer of cooling and refrigeration products recently celebrated 40 years in southwest Madera with a catered barbecue, car show, plant tours and more.

“Evapco Madera was the second manufacturing plant that Evapco founded,” said Bill Jones, senior vice president of global operations for Evapco. “We were established in 1976 in Baltimore, Maryland, and the operation out here in Madera was founded in 1979. … And the operation has grown substantially over the years.”

Evapco West hosted its annual employee bash Friday at its factory, which has more than tripled in size since its founding.

“I’ve seen it change where this building didn’t exist. It was an empty field,” said Daniel Evangelista after leading a factory tour.

One of 190 employees, Evangelista has worked for Evapco for 16 years.

“I started off in different positions, and I’ve been able to grow within Evapco,” said Evangelista, who handles aftermarket customer service as a Mr. GoodTower Service Center manager for Evapco. “And it’s a company that allows you to grow. It’s a good provider for myself and my family. But it’s also a neat place to work.”

Plant superintendent Gary Harrold has worked 37 years for Evapco. “I’ve been on a long ride, so I’ve seen many changes… The best thing is ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) — profit sharing. They’ve got a lot of good benefits (including a 401K) retirement plan (and) a lot of good people.

Robert Poythress, Madera County supervisor for District 3, praised the “off-the-charts good” benefits offered by Evapco, including semi-annual bonuses. “But even that’s not enough,” he said. “If people weren’t happy working here, they wouldn’t be here. And they’re very happy.”

The benefits have not been one-way for the company.

“Madera has always ranked as one of our most profitable plants as well as one of the highest in quality and safety… We’ve never struggled with quality of workforce,” said Jones.

Evapco has also benefited from the aid of local agencies.

“We have had a number of expansions over the years that we’ve received a tremendous amount of support from City Council members, Economic Development, (and the Madera) Chamber of Commerce,” said Jones.

“I know that the community, whether it’s city officials or the EDC, has really worked hard with Evapco to make sure anytime they want to expand,” said Poythress, who also noted the area’s affordable housing as a perk for employers. “It’s like: what can we do to help make that happen, to expedite deals?”

Bobby Khan, executive director of Madera County Economic Development Commission, said working with Evapco and similar companies has been “a great experience.”

When Evapco needed a new plant, “we were able to work with them and get special financing for them through the state of California, which helped assist them in building that addition,” said Khan. “And the same when they redid all this parking area in here.”

While business-friendly agencies help, Khan said, the city and county does need more “site-ready” industrial land with “infrastructure in place … sewer, water, street, curb (and) gutter” to attract more companies like Evapco West.

“That’s really what we need and the other thing that would be nice is if we had investors that would come and build some buildings on a speculative basis … We have a vacancy factor in the industrial (land) market of 0.5 percent,” said Khan. “So we tell them that we can build a building for them, and we can tell them that we can build it in six to seven months, but they don’t always believe that. Because there’s not too many communities that can get a project done that fast. But we can do that here in Madera.”

Poythress agreed, “The main thing that we have been missing historically has been space.”

But he said city and county’s Freedom Industrial Park, near Madera South High School, has enabled two businesses to come in. “We have the Span spec building and another business coming in on top of that. And then we’ve had some other areas — in Tesoro Viejo, a light industrial area — that’s going to be developed. So we just need to continue looking for space that can be developed to accommodate mid-size manufacturers.”

http://www.maderatribune.com/single-post/2019/03/27/Evapco-West-marks-40-years-in-business

New Turlock retail development, and Dutch Bros Coffee, proposed next to Stan State

Land for a new commercial retail plaza called Warrior Crossing is pictured on Wednesday March 20, 2019 in Turlock, Calif. The area will feature two commercial buildings, one which will have the area’s first and only Dutch Bros. Coffee shop.
Land for a new commercial retail plaza called Warrior Crossing is pictured on Wednesday March 20, 2019 in Turlock, Calif. The area will feature two commercial buildings, one which will have the area’s first and only Dutch Bros. Coffee shop. JOAN BARNETT LEE JLEE@MODBEE.COM

2018: A GOOD YEAR FOR NEW RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT

A construction crew works on the roof of one of the buildings making up the Californian Apartments under construction in the 5400 block of North Salinas Avenue in northwest Fresno. Photo by David Castellon.

Published On March 18, 2019 – 10:54 AM
Written By 

Back in 2010, as the Valley and the rest of the nation were in the midst of the Great Recession, Mike Miller looked at how badly the crisis had hurt new home construction and worried whether business would survive.

“I’m looking into the future, going, ‘I’m not sure if we’re going to be around in Central California more than another year,’” recalled Miller, vice president of the Central Valley Division of Lennar Homes of California, Inc., which builds new homes from Merced to Bakersfield.

What he didn’t know at the time was the recession was winding down.

By 2011, the economy had picked up enough that Lennar Homes became the top single-family home builder in the Valley. based on permits drawn that year and the estimated combined values of those projects, based on data collected by ConstructionMonitor.com.

And the improvements continued for both the Valley’s economy and Lennar, which for each year after 2011 continued being the Valley’s top single-family homebuilder, drawing 695 construction permits in 2018 valued at more than $188.13 million.

“2018, it was a very good year for us,” though it didn’t match up to new home construction activity during the housing booms before the recession, in the early to mid 2000s, Miller said.

Still, he said of last year, “this was one of the better years since the recession.”

And 2018 wasn’t just a good year for building single-family homes in the Valley.

New construction activity also was strong for multi-family homes and commercial properties, said B. J. Perch, vice president of B. J. Perch Construction, Inc., the Visalia-based builder that bears his father’s name.

“I would say we’ve been on an upward trend, so we’ve been progressively increasing our volume and growing, so it was a good year,” said Perch, whose company ranked first last year in combined permit values for multi-family homes, more than $14.15 million, and second for commercial permits, valued at $20.82 million.

Harris Construction, based in Fresno, was the top commercial builder in the Valley last year, with permits valued at more than $34.73 million. Officials for Harris didn’t respond to an interview request.

“We’re mainly a commercial contractor, so we build health care facilities, corporate offices, industrial [buildings], retail and multi-family,” along with senior living facilities, Perch said.

“We had a significant increase in multi-family. I just think the demand out there [has grown].” Perch noted that his company alone is working on or planning to start work this year on apartment complexes with 700 combined units in Visalia, Tulare and Fresno.

“The demand is there. In

Fresno, there is a lot of multi-family going on, and I think there has been for awhile,” a shift from just a couple of years ago when new single-family home construction dominated the market, he added.

“2018 was one of the busier years we have had for multi-family homes,” he said, adding that he knows of cities in the Valley looking to amend zoning rules to allow more high-density housing and are working with developers to attract such projects.

One fallacy about the local housing market appears to be that the housing demand here is being significantly elevated by an exodus of people from the Bay Area coming here for the cheaper housing.

While it’s true housing in the Valley is cheaper, Miller said the influx here of Bay Area people is small, because it’s too difficult to commute there from here, and it’s still rare to encounter telecommuters looking to buy homes here.

“We have seen that willingness to travel or drive further in our Merced area, but our Central Valley is still mostly operating on people who live here and are continuing to live here, so we aren’t seeing that huge influx from outsiders.”

As good as 2018 was for new construction, it did have its challenges, with both Perch and Miller noting the growing difficulty in hiring skilled construction workers.

“And what happened is when the market crashed, a lot of people left the [construction] industry, and when the market came back, they never came back,” instead going to manufacturing jobs and other fields, Miller said. “Where construction seemed to be a place to go, it seemed to be a place to flee away from.”

In fact, Miler said that the agricultural industry also is facing worker shortages and in response has raised wages to the point that for the first time Valley ag jobs are drawing people away from construction jobs.

That leads to the other big challenge: higher wages for construction workers combined with increasing costs driving up prices for new homes.

In fact, that’s why California becoming the first state to require solar panels in all new homes sold starting Jan. 1 of next year is a major concern among developers.

Miller said he’s unclear how many solar panels will be required on homes as well as whether homebuyers would have to buy the solar panels with their new homes or if buying a house and leasing the panels — or some similar system — will be permitted.

At least here in the Valley, Lennar includes solar with each of its new homes, but if buyers don’t want to buy the systems, the developer has an alternative allowing the systems to be owned by the solar company, with the homeowners buying the power they generate at a discounted rate.

Losing such options could hurt new home development, Miller said, “especially [for] first-time and first-move-up homebuyers, because there is going to be another $15,000-$20,000 worth of cost immediately added to the cost of the home,” and some of them may not be able to afford it or be able to get loans covering the added costs.

“The whole industry is trying to understand the effect it’s going to have on all of us.”

Remote workers and super commuters are on the rise – and they probably make more than you