By Faughn New Developments 0 Comments

Jackson Ranch

OPEN FOR OPPORTUNITY

Jackson Ranch is approximately 415 acres of fully entitled, master planned development along the Interstate 5 and the existing Utica Avenue off-ramp, with a unique integration of industrial, commercial and agricultural centers aligned to create economic growth
As the half-way point between San Francisco and Los Angeles and adjacent to Interstate 5, Jackson Ranch offers visibility to a high volume of existing motorists who pass by annually. Upon completion, the center will be the only stop to offer food, lodging, a truck stop, and service stations within a 39 mile stretch of the freeway.

The site is located within a Federal Opportunity Zone, which was established within economically challenged areas in 2018 to encourage job growth and investment. This designation offers tax incentives over a 10 year period to businesses that locate and expand within this designation area.

By Faughn Back Office • Workforce 0 Comments

FOSTER FARMS ANNOUNCES NEW OWNER, CEO

Connecticut based holding company Atlas Holdings announced Tuesday that it has acquired Foster Farms, the 83-year-old poultry giant based in Livingston. Foster Farms’ has multiple facilities in the Central Valley, including Fresno, Kerman, Turlock, Caruthers and Porterville. The company, which generates revenues of approximately $3 billion annually, will still operate under the Foster Farms name. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Foster Farms has major processing facilities in California, Washington, Louisiana, Oregon and Alabama and has more than 10,000 employees. Along with news of the acquisition, Atlas also announced that Donnie Smith, former CEO of Tyson Foods from 2009 to 2016, is Foster Farms’ new CEO and chairman. “I love the poultry industry and am proud that Atlas has asked me to become the CEO of Foster Farms,” said Smith. “I’ve long been an admirer of the Foster Family and the business they’ve built over the past eight decades. In this new era, we will maintain and further that legacy, rooted in animal welfare, superior product quality, customer service and community engagement.”

https://thebusinessjournal.com/foster-farms-announces-new-owner-ceo/?mc_cid=970dee8ab2&mc_eid=d813f251f8

By Faughn Food Processing • New Location 0 Comments

AEMTEK Opens Lab in Central Valley

AEMTEK, a highly esteemed food safety laboratory, and analytical services provider, is opening a new location in Modesto. This facility will bring food safety testing closer to current and future clients in the Central Valley.

Doors Open to AEMTEK’s Modesto Location

AEMTEK will open the doors of its new Central Valley location in Modesto on Tuesday, May 3rd, 2022.The new laboratory is located off Kiernan Ave and 108, on Spyres Way. The facility features state-of-the-art equipment to provide companies with routine food safety testing, environmental monitoring testing and consultation, and research services including shelf life, challenge, and validation studies. Dr. Florence Wu, President of AEMTEK Inc., highlighted the importance of AEMTEK’s mission of providing accurate, fast, and reliable services to the region’s food companies. She said that “Food companies rely on AEMTEK’s testing results to make actionable decisions. Operating in Modesto will take us closer to our Central Valley clients, improve turnaround time, and facilitate more client-focused services.”

Serving the Central Valley

The new laboratory will serve the Central Valley food manufacturing community and provide new sample pick-up services to the Modesto, Stockton, Sacramento, and Merced regions. Keeping in line with AEMTEK’s mission, this new laboratory will employ the same focus on data accuracy, fast TATs, and industry-leading customer service for which AEMTEK has been recognized amongst its clients for nearly 20 years. An experienced team of Ph.D. scientists and microbiologists is excited to partner with food manufacturers of the Central Valley to help them achieve their food safety goals and keep the community safe. AEMTEK’s goal is to empower its clients across the U.S. to achieve top-notch food safety programs. The new Central Valley location will allow more companies in the Northern California Area and beyond to benefit from AEMTEK’s unparalleled services.

Private Lab Tours

To celebrate the grand opening, AEMTEK invites new and prospective clients to schedule a private tour of the new facility. To schedule a tour of the laboratory, complete this form. AEMTEK’s Central Valley laboratory will be open Monday – Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, with weekend and holiday analysis available upon prior notice. The laboratory will begin accepting samples at this location after its grand opening. 

http://aemtek-2484028.hs-sites.com/central-valley-lab

By Faughn New Location 0 Comments

ROBINSON’S INTERIORS EXPANDS, AFFILIATES WITH CARPET ONE IN FRESNO

Robinson’s Interiors is moving to a bigger Fresno location, affiliating with Carpet One Floor & Home and having its new grand opening June 4. The company, currently operating as Robinson’s Flooring in River Park, has served flooring customers in the Fresno area since 2009. “We had been looking to become a Carpet One store in Fresno for a number of years,” said Luke Robinson, who manages the store with his brother, Jake Robinson. “When the territory became available, we applied.” Jake added, “We had outgrown our location in Fresno, so the time was ripe to move to a bigger building as well.” They purchased the former Allied Linoleum & Carpet business at 292 W Herndon Ave.

This location and new affiliation will allow them to hire more staff, including in-house labor, and bring in the Carpet One brands. “There’s no better carpet than Relax it’s Lees,” said Jake. “And with the bigger showroom, customers can see, feel, and touch more samples.” Robinson’s Interiors began in Hanford when their father, Mike Robinson, rented a warehouse in downtown Hanford for $35 and a handshake. That was 1980. Since then the Hanford location has served both residential and commercial customers, including large institutions. In the early ‘90s, Mike was frustrated with what he termed the “Wild West” of the flooring business, where too many people were “shooting from the hip.” He was looking for better ways to serve his customers. He noticed some of his contacts, whom he respected, were Carpet One members. He investigated and determined Carpet One was a good fit for his business. Jake recalled his father saying, “They were good people who wanted to do good work.” When Mike opened Robinson’s Flooring in Fresno in 2009, he was unable to open under the Carpet One umbrella because it was unavailable.

Today, there are about 1,100 stores in the co-op, making it the largest co-op in the world. Because they buy under one account, they get significant discounts which are passed on to customers. That means Carpet One stores compete on price with big box stores. Jake added that Carpet One also provides members with access to superior products, state-of-the-art product knowledge, systems, and marketing. He noted the importance of the difference between a co-op and a franchise. “As a co-op we have a lot of resources, but very few requirements. We can be creative.” Mike Robinson passed in 2019, but the family is carrying on the business. Robinson’s Interiors is family-owned and community involvement is important. Their most recent project involved building beds for needy children so they don’t have to sleep on the floor.

https://thebusinessjournal.com/robinsons-interiors-expands-affiliates-with-carpet-one-in-fresno/?fbclid=IwAR2jovqzlBIVU8bMyrKmjeYLSmVF6sMXrZykY7YJ278bc376c_4UUytnIk8

By Faughn Energy • New Developments 0 Comments

Saint-Gobain Invests $32 Million to Upgrade Equipment in Chowchilla, California, Increasing Insulation Production Capacity by 13% and Reducing Carbon Footprint

Saint-Gobain, through its building products subsidiary CertainTeed LLC, is investing $32 million to upgrade equipment at its insulation plant in Chowchilla, California, allowing the facility to expand its production capacity by 13%. The new oven, new furnace and additional new equipment installed at the plant will consume less natural gas and electricity, ultimately reducing the facility’s carbon footprint by more than 4,000 metric tons per year.

The investments in Chowchilla were first announced in November as part of a broader $400 Million expansion of Saint-Gobain’s manufacturing facilities in the United States, and come only months after the company announced its global Grow and Impact strategy, which includes increasing its presence in key high-growth markets while reducing its environmental footprint. The furnace in Chowchilla is used to melt recycled glass and sand into molten glass which is eventually fiberized. The oven is used to cure binding material which holds the fibers together, allowing the insulation to assume its final shape and dimensions. The new equipment is more energy efficient than the plant’s current equipment.

As part of the expansion project, the plant has also installed a new oxygen generation unit which consumes 30% less electricity than the older equipment it replaces. Oxygen is mixed with natural gas and used at the plant to heat the furnace. “Our strategic investments in Chowchilla represent a major commitment to our customers on the West Coast for decades to come, ensuring that we will meet the need for our industry-leading fiberglass insulation at a time of unprecedented demand growth, all while reducing the plant’s carbon footprint,” said Andrew Goldberg, Vice President and General Manager of CertainTeed Insulation Product Group. “We will continue to strive to maximize our positive impact, for our customers and the communities where we do business, while minimizing our environmental footprint. We are grateful for the support we’ve received from our customers and the community, along with the hard work of the incredible team at our plant, as we begin this new chapter of our history in Chowchilla.”

A team of approximately 20 Saint-Gobain engineers and project management professionals worked for several years to plan the equipment upgrades in Chowchilla. An additional team of approximately 300 contract workers were brought on site to install the new equipment starting in January. The new equipment is expected to come online in February and March. This is the largest capital investment CertainTeed has made in Chowchilla since the plant began operations in 1978. Today the facility is home to 180 employees and is looking to hire additional colleagues in the coming weeks. Open positions include roles in controls, engineering, health and safety management, instrumentation, packaging and production management. A current list of job openings can be found on the company’s careers website. Dating back to 2009, the CertainTeed plant in Chowchilla has operated safely for more than four million worker hours without a lost time incident.

About CertainTeed
Through the responsible development of innovative and sustainable building products, CertainTeed, headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania, has helped shape the building products industry for more than 115 years. Founded in 1904 as General Roofing Manufacturing Company, the firm’s slogan “Quality Made Certain, Satisfaction Guaranteed,” inspired the name CertainTeed. Today, CertainTeed is a leading North American brand of exterior and interior building products, including roofing, siding, solar, fence, railing, trim, insulation, drywall and ceilings. www.certainteed.com.

About Saint-Gobain
Worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction, Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and services for the construction and industrial markets. Its integrated solutions for the renovation of public and private buildings, light construction and the decarbonization of construction and industry are developed through a continuous innovation process and provide sustainability and performance. The group’s commitment is guided by its purpose, “MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER HOME.”

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220215005271/en/Saint-Gobain-Invests-32-Million-to-Upgrade-Equipment-in-Chowchilla-California-Increasing-Insulation-Production-Capacity-by-13-and-Reducing-Carbon-Footprint

By Faughn Economy • New Developments 0 Comments

Madera County Receives $450K Grant From Caltrans

Madera County is pleased to announce the receipt of a Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant award of $450,000 from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). The award will be used to develop a Transit Area Specific Plan that will establish a vision for the phased implementation effort to relocate the San Joaquins Madera Station and construct the adjacent future High-Speed Rail (HSR) station.

The plan will lead to the creation of new intermodal transit options and future transit-oriented development along the Avenue 12 corridor in southeastern Madera County. The project is consistent with and supportive of the goals of the Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program, Senate Bill 1 requirements, the Madera County General Plan, the Madera State Center Community College Specific Plan (SCCCSP), Federal Railroad Administration(FRA) requirements, as well as the HSR Authority’s programmatic and project environmental documents.

Madera County will do the planning work in partnership with the City of Madera, Madera County Transportation Commission, San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority (SJJPA), California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA), and Caltrans. This effort will guide the design and land-use in the vicinity of the station area as well as enable Madera County to promote economic development, encourage station area development and enhance multi-modal access connections between the station, the City of Madera, Madera Community College, and other surrounding communities throughout Madera County and northern Fresno County. “This is an exciting step towards enhancing our current rail connectivity. I believe this is imperative to the success of our cities, our County, Madera Community College, and the residents we serve through smart transit-oriented development,” said Madera County Board of Supervisor Brett Frazier following Monday’s announcement.

https://sierranewsonline.com/madera-county-receives-450k-grant-from-caltrans/

By Faughn New Location • Tourism 0 Comments

New Hampton by Hilton Opens Near Yosemite National Park

Hampton Inn Oakhurst-Yosemite welcomed its first guests on Thursday, May 19. The property is among a complement of three hotels owned and operated by OTO Development, part of The Johnson Group, near Yosemite National Park.The hotels — this Hampton by Hilton, a Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott and a Holiday Inn Express & Suites — are adjacent to each other along CA-41, just 13 short miles from Yosemite’s south gate.Noteworthy for its easy proximity to Yosemite National Park, Hampton Inn Oakhurst-Yosemite is an hour closer to the 1,169-square-mile natural attraction than any other Hilton property. It combines convenient access with the consistent service, accommodations and amenities guests have come to expect from the Hilton brand.“People are drawn to all the many natural wonders of Yosemite National Park,” says Corry Oakes, CEO of OTO Development. “They want to be surprised and delighted by the outside world, but they don’t want any surprises inside their hotel. That’s the value Hampton Inn Oakhurst-Yosemite brings to the market: a reliable, best-in-class experience every time, backed by the 100% Hampton Guarantee.”

Hampton Inn Oakhurst-Yosemite comprises 111 guest rooms intuitively designed for both function and comfort. On-site amenities include an indoor pool, a well-equipped fitness room, a 24/7 market and a guest laundry facility. For business travelers, there’s a business center and boardroom. A hot, complimentary breakfast is served every morning.“We are pleased to offer three popular brand options to the 4.5 million people who come to Yosemite every year,” Oakes says. “Visitors can make the most of the park’s activities and attractions, such as two wild and scenic rivers, waterfalls, granite cliffs and ancient giant sequoias, then relax back at their favorite, familiar hotel.”

The leadership team at Hampton Inn Oakhurst-Yosemite includes Stephanie Casillas and Richard Garwood, Assistant General Managers; Steve Tarn, Regional Director of Operations; Jennifer Mooradian, Director of Operation Support; Carla Tenenbaum, Regional Director of Sales; Lauren Hartman, Area Director of Sales; and Maygen Brown, Complex Sales Manager.OTO Development purchased Hampton Inn Oakhurst-Yosemite from a family of independent hoteliers while the property was still under construction. OTO previously acquired Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Oakhurst Yosemite and Holiday Inn Express & Suites Oakhurst-Yosemite Park Area, which are next door to the new Hampton by Hilton. The seller was represented by Stanley Wang of Marcus & Millichap.

Hampton Inn Oakhurst-Yosemite is located at 40740 CA-41 in Oakhurst, California.

https://sierranewsonline.com/new-hampton-by-hilton-opens-near-yosemite-national-park/

By Faughn Renewable Energy 0 Comments

Aemetis Completes 20 Miles of Biogas Pipeline and Receives Merced County Approval for Final Stage of Main Pipeline Construction

Aemetis, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMTX), a renewable natural gas and renewable fuels company focused on below zero carbon intensity products, today announced the completion of 20 miles of biogas pipeline and approval for construction of the remaining biogas pipeline in Merced County, California.  Construction of the 39-mile main biogas pipeline is on schedule for completion in Q4 2022. “Issuance of the Phase Two Pipeline permit and construction of the main pipeline in Merced County is a very significant milestone for the Aemetis Biogas RNG project,” said Andy Foster, President of Aemetis Biogas, Inc. “California and Merced County recognize that the adoption of dairy biogas as a negative carbon intensity fuel to replace diesel in heavy trucks and buses is essential if we are to make strides to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions. Aemetis continues to rapidly deploy the infrastructure necessary to connect our network of dairy digesters and increase the production of carbon negative dairy renewable natural gas.”

This project milestone allows the installation of biogas pipeline in Merced County for construction of a pipeline for a total of 39 miles from the Aemetis ethanol plant in Keyes, California to dairies in Stanislaus County and Merced counties. The pressurized pipeline conveys conditioned, pressurized biogas from dairies to the Company’s centralized gas cleanup facility and the Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) interconnection system to inject renewable natural gas (RNG) into the gas utility pipeline. At the Keyes plant, the biogas is upgraded to negative carbon intensity RNG for use as a transportation fuel in cars, trucks, and buses. The RNG is either delivered into the PG&E utility pipeline located onsite at the Aemetis ethanol plant, dispensed to trucks at fueling stations across California or at the RNG fueling station being built at the Aemetis plant.

Previously, Aemetis announced that it received approval for the biogas pipeline from the Merced County Board of Supervisors for the Phase Two pipeline, as well as an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) for the entire pipeline project, the key approval necessary to meet the permitting requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) prior to pipeline construction. The CEQA approval confirms that mitigation measures in the biogas project will avoid or mitigate any impacts on the environment. The Company completed the permitting for 20 miles of biogas pipeline in Stanislaus County in August 2021 to connect dairies to the Aemetis biogas cleanup facility at the ethanol facility. The initial four-mile Phase 1 pipeline project was completed and commissioned in the third quarter of 2020 in conjunction with the completion of the Company’s first two dairy digesters, and the 20 miles of Stanislaus County pipeline has now been completed.  Additional pipeline will be added to connect digesters to the main biogas pipeline.

Once complete, the Aemetis biogas digesters and clean-up facility will produce more than 1.65 million MMBtu of RNG each year. Aemetis received a negative -426 Carbon Intensity pathway for biogas from the company’s first two dairy digesters, which is currently being utilized as process energy at the ethanol facility. When built, the system will eliminate emissions from approximately 1 million cars per year and eliminate about 5 million metric tonnes of CO2 per year. The pipeline project and the $12 million biogas cleanup facility are funded in part by a $4.2 million grant from the California Energy Commission.

 

About Aemetis

Aemetis has a mission to transform renewable energy with below zero carbon intensity transportation fuels. Aemetis has launched the Carbon Zero production process to decarbonize the transportation sector using today’s infrastructure. Aemetis Carbon Zero products include zero carbon fuels that can “drop in” to be used in airplane, truck, and ship fleets. Aemetis low-carbon fuels have substantially reduced carbon intensity compared to standard petroleum fossil-based fuels across their lifecycle.

Headquartered in Cupertino, California, Aemetis is a renewable natural gas, renewable fuel and biochemicals company focused on the acquisition, development and commercialization of innovative technologies that replace petroleum-based products and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  Founded in 2006, Aemetis has completed Phase 1 and is expanding a California biogas digester network and pipeline system to convert dairy waste gas into Renewable Natural Gas. Aemetis owns and operates a 65 million gallon per year ethanol production facility in California’s Central Valley near Modesto that supplies about 80 dairies with animal feed. Aemetis also owns and operates a 50 million gallon per year production facility on the East Coast of India producing high quality distilled biodiesel and refined glycerin for customers in India and Europe.  Aemetis is developing the Carbon Zero sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel fuel biorefineries in California to utilize distillers corn oil and other renewable oils to produce low carbon intensity renewable jet and diesel fuel using cellulosic hydrogen from waste orchard and forest wood, while pre-extracting cellulosic sugars from the waste wood to be processed into high value cellulosic ethanol at the Keyes plant. Aemetis holds a portfolio of patents and exclusive technology licenses to produce renewable fuels and biochemicals.

Safe Harbor Statement

This news release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding assumptions, projections, expectations, targets, intentions or beliefs about future events or other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, without limitation, statements relating to the development and construction of the biogas pipeline, biogas digesters, our compliance with governmental programs, and our ability to access markets and funding to execute our business plan.  Words or phrases such as “anticipates,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “predicts,” “projects,” “showing signs,” “targets,” “view,” “will likely result,” “will continue” or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on current assumptions and predictions and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties.  Actual results or events could differ materially from those set forth or implied by such forward-looking statements and related assumptions due to certain factors, including, without limitation, competition in the ethanol, biodiesel and other industries in which we operate, commodity market risks including those that may result from current weather conditions, financial market risks, customer adoption, counter-party risks, risks associated with changes to federal policy or regulation, and other risks detailed in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and in our subsequent filings with the SEC.  We are not obligated, and do not intend, to update any of these forward-looking statements at any time unless an update is required by applicable securities laws.

https://www.aemetis.com/aemetis-completes-20-miles-of-biogas-pipeline-and-receives-merced-county-approval-for-final-stage-of-main-pipeline-construction/

By Faughn New Developments 0 Comments

MGA RESEARCH ANNOUNCES WEST COAST EXPANSION

MGA is excited to announce our West Coast geographic expansion with a new test facility in Hughson, California! Localization has been a core principle of MGA starting approximately 30 years ago, with the purchase of our Wisconsin proving grounds and test facility in the Detroit region. These facilities focused on serving the Midwest based automotive industry. As time went on, the localized demand from our customers continued to grow as they pushed into the Southeastern US and Mexican markets. As a result, MGA established facilities in Texas, Virginia, South Carolina, and Alabama. The emergence and success of many automotive startups and established aerospace customers in the Western United States, has created a demand for local testing services, and MGA is responding. 

As the ninth location in North America, our California facility will serve as a strong addition to existing automotive, space, and aircraft testing capabilities we offer. The location is approximately 100 miles east of San Jose and San Francisco. Sitting on 9 acres with expansion capabilities, this 80,000 sq ft facility will bring unparalleled testing capability under one roof to the West Coast. Capabilities will be added in a phased approach starting in the Summer of 2022. We are bringing these capabilities online based on customer feedback and needs for that region – currently that plan calls for 3 phases: 

Phase 1 – Summer 2022  

FMVSS 200-Level Component Safety, Environmental and Lifecycle, Durability, and Pyroshock 

Phase 2 – Early 2023 

Accelerator Sled testing, Component Safety Expansion, Vibration, and Durability Expansion 

Phase 3 – 2023 

Indoor Full Vehicle Crash Track, Battery and Electronics lab, Materials

Testing Since late 2021, we have hired local CA associates who have been training at multiple MGA facilities to learn our processes and enhance their skillsets. In addition to local hires, several key MGA associates are moving out to California to work full time and bring the same quality of service provided at all our facilities. MGA will continue to grow and expand this facility as time goes on to best serve our growing customer base. With all our planning, state of the art equipment, and experienced staff, we look forward to supporting our west coast customers achieve their goals.

https://mgaresearch.com/news/mga-research-announces-west-coast-expansion/

By Faughn Manufacturing • New Developments 0 Comments

Pacific Steel awards main contract for $350M California rebar mill

Pacific Steel Group anticipates an early-2025 start for a 380,000 ton/year rebar mill in Mojave, Calif., integrating the facility with its fabrication and installation businesses. The company has awarded a contract to Pennsylvania-based Danieli Corp. to build an advanced MIDA Hybrid micro mill, potentially powered by adjacent solar arrays. With four North American rebar mill installations since 2009, the MIDA milling technology yields production efficiencies through “endless” casting and rolling and lowers energy consumption by eliminating the need for the second heating phase typical of steel bar production.

The Mojave facility will help lower carbon dioxide emissions through world class productivity metrics, reduced transportation requirements for Southwest region concrete contractors, and the use of green energy, Pacific Steel affirms. “We are excited about partnering with Danieli to build one of the cleanest, safest and most efficient steel mills in the world,” adds Chairman Eric Benson.

https://concreteproducts.com/index.php/2022/04/11/pacific-steel-awards-main-contract-for-350m-california-rebar-mill/