With today being Earth Day, it seems only right to mention an especially enviro-friendly product produced by Atascadero-based Impact Absorbents, Inc. that qualifies as simply brilliant – a paint solidifier. Paint can’t be taken to the landfill and haz mat disposal days aren’t always scheduled when you need them. The folks at Impact Absorbents have “Xsorb Rock Solid Paint Solidifier,” that turns unwanted paint into a disposable solid – an environmentally friendly option for disposing of latex and acrylic paints, even acceptable in landfills. You simply add the product to paint and shake or stir. The paint thickens into a disposable solid within minutes. How’s that for a top notch green idea right here at home? … Tickets are on the move for the UCSB Economic Forecast Project Mid Year Update. Wednesday morning, June 2. Paso Robles Event Center, and why not? Feisty presenters. Hot topics. And for attendees south of the grade, a free ride on the PG&E sponsored “Espresso Express” bus. Get over the hill, into the show and home before lunch. Space limited. Reserve a seat by calling the Paso or Atascadero chambers … There’s still time – State and Federal tax credits make for some fabulous opportunities for local home buyers. April 30 is the magic date for contracts, with up to $18,000 in tax credits and other incentives available. BCA clients’ Midland Pacific Homes and Trilogy Central Coast can tell you more.
Entries from April 2010
SEEN & HEARD
April 22nd, 2010
Categories — Business Successes, Events
LOCAL BEAT
April 22nd, 2010
Heavy lifting comes naturally to Mike Zamar Robinson of MZR Fitness, a new gym and training facility now open next door to Mac Superstore in SLO’s Pacific Coast Center. And Mike offers a shout out to SCORE counselors who helped him realize a boyhood dream of creating his own business … Another dream-made-reality: Katie McCarthy-Cobler has turned her love of fashion into a downtown SLO business. Check out Retrofit at 956 Monterey Street for a fabulous collection of gently used women’s clothing and accessories … This is not your high school AV Club. The Hind Foundation’s support of the arts will be readily apparent this fall when the Performing Arts Center flips the switch on an upgraded technology that includes a movie theater-quality HD video projector, a state-of-the-art 40 foot screen, and satellites capable of receiving an array of live programming such as The Met: Live in HD … Share the wealth: California’s Travel and Tourism Commission wants to tip off visitors to the spots prized by locals. Share your top five Central Coast destinations, and then click on “CA Fives.” And please, nobody mention Bubble Gum Alley, ok? … Santa Maria is rolling out the red carpet to boost restaurant business. “Dine Out: Santa Maria Style” continues through April 25. Special menus discounts; visit here and click on Hot Travel Deals.
Categories — Business Expansions, Good Press, New Locations
GOOD WORKS
April 22nd, 2010
Kudos to Karen and Bryan Duggan of Playful Planet in Los Osos. The couple wrote and produced “Storyland Yoga,” a kids’ DVD recently honored by the prestigious Parents’ Choice Awards. The video was shot in Montaña de Oro State Park and features yoga instructor Ahmed Fahmy and a group of little local yogis.
Categories — Business Successes, Kids
BRAGGING RIGHTS
April 22nd, 2010
Dead battery, bad watch band, fogged up crystal – Bill Spring’s Watch Shop on Morro Street in Downtown SLO was the fix-it place. But now Bill’s working-man career, like the electric trains that motored around his old store, has arrived at the end of the line. He’s earned a happy retirement and we wish him the best as we welcome new owner Shawn Ceschini … We’ve got to plug Cal Poly Public Relations instructor and guy-who-gets it, Doug Swanson. He leads a student-run consulting effort called PRspectives, whose students provide hands-on marketing service to local businesses and non profit organizations. We are big believers in the program and can vouch for the high caliber of work Doug demands and the kids deliver. This quarter, students Evelyn Tam, Sarah Goodman, Jayne Scuncio and Kellye Statton have joined the BCA team to help the Food Bank and the Wellness Community.
Categories — Business Successes
BCA BLURB
April 22nd, 2010
Eric Hubbs of Collaboration and Scott Morrell of BCA motored to San Francisco recently to be part of a prestigious group of new media experts gathered by the Web analytic company, HubSpot. Twitter, Facebook and Linked In are second nature to these two techno-whiz kids .. And we end this issue of FYI with a heartfelt thank you to Grant Berkefeld and Wayne Millheim of Ultrex Business Solutions, who delivered a fabulous new is-it-a-copy machine-or-a-space-ship to the hallowed halls of BCA recently. We haven’t had a paper jam, door slam, off-color cry for copier help in more than two weeks. Life is good.
Categories — Business Successes, Business Workshops
SEEN & HEARD
April 8th, 2010
The SLO County Sheriff candidates take their bite at judging homemade goodness at Idler's Mom & Apple Pie semi-finals in SLO.
Six Sheriff candidates came to Idler’s in SLO last Saturday hankering for some sweet stuff. They stepped up to the “Mom & Apple Pie” Contest judges’ table, made their way through a baker’s dozen of entries and named four semi-finalists to move on to the finals on April 24 at the Paso Robles Event Center. Baking whizzes, there’s still time to compete at the Atascadero prelim on April 10 and at the Paso Robles prelim on April 17 … Elena Carlone of Abruzzo in Italy made sure grandson Scott Liddi learned her secret recipe for foccacia. He’s
Scott Liddi
made it his own along with other fresh-from-scratch fare like biscotti and is serving it up everyday at ByScotti’s (gotta love a fun word play), 709 Fiero Lane near the SLO Airport. Welcome to the neighborhood … And in other food news – when Restaurant and Institutions ranked the top 100 grossing independent U.S. restaurants recently, the list gave shout outs to a number of major cities and a SLO County kissin’ cousin: Harris Ranch in Coalinga, holding position No. 74 … Maury Froman and partners Keith Matthias and Steven Rottman are busy guys. In addition to their real estate development company, the Rottman Group, the trio has created Compass Real Estate Group, a firm that manages difficult real estate properties for banks and other lenders.
Categories — Business Successes, Events
LOCAL BEAT
April 8th, 2010
Chris Thornberg
Once a year is not enough: Chris Thornberg, the fiery and ever entertaining lead forecaster of Beacon Economics, was introduced to SLO County business leaders last November at the UCSB Economic Forecast Project event. Chris is headed back our way for a mid-year update the morning of June 2 at the Paso Robles Event Center. More to follow. For now, save the date and get ready to rumble … The September “Savor the Central Coast” event being assembled by Sunset Magazine, the SLO County Visitors and Conference Bureau and the O’Donnell Lane Company is getting a huge boost from new team member and well-known sales and marketing guru Cheryl Cuming … Welcome to Brian Hermanson, Georgia transplant and new executive director of the SLO County Symphony, who steps into former exec Sandi Sigurdson’s very large shoes on April 16 … Judy Wallace is back with another fabulous “wares and vintage finds” event at the Mehlschau Barn in Nipomo on Saturday, April 24. Habitat for Humanity will benefit and attendees can meet Sue Whitney of JunkMarket Style … Saturday night, May 8 has it all: an epic movie, East of Eden; a fabulous venue, the Performing Arts Center and a blast from the past – pre-movie showing of a classic Bugs Bunny cartoon and a 1930’s Perils of Pauline movie serial. It’s the brainchild of the Foundation for the Performing Arts Center. Info at pacslo.org … Need help figuring out the many ins and outs of managing payroll taxes? EDD has a free workshop coming up in Santa Maria, Saturday, April 29.
