A big-hammer salute to Michael Bray of Michael Bray Construction, one of only 12 finalists nationwide vying for the title Contractor of the Year in a contest sponsored by Equipment World. Winner announced shortly in Las Vegas … And two local businesses made the honoree list of Pacific Coast Business Times’ Family Owned Businesses: congratulations to Quaglino Roofing of San Luis Obispo and Overland Security, headquartered in Santa Maria.
Going Viral, Locally
Whenever our social media masters see a locally created masterpiece go viral, they take notice and can’t help but spread the love. If you haven’t seen it yet, take a minute and enjoy some gorgeous local sights that dazzle under the artistry of Cuesta student (and BCA video consultant) Robert Weber. The video has topped 32,000 views in just a month and a half. We can’t wait to see where it goes from here, and where Robert’s talents take him next.
The athletic talents of Linda Smith, a partner at Duggan Smith & Heath LLP, are very much in the news – as in the cover of Running Times. The marathoner shares her training tips and trials … Literally on-the-move MindBody of SLO is joining forces with global spa resource SpaFinder.com to form the web’s largest spa/wellness resource. And we’re talking big audience here: SpaFinder.com beats Google, Yahoo! and Bing combined for the first stop in consumer spa info … Don Idler and his team at Idler’s Appliances are working with a Cal Poly business class on a social media project. Old met new when Don spoke to the class recently in a computer lab at the Orfalea College of Business. It seems Don’s dad was a returning vet who moved with his wife and three little kids to Cal Poly to attend school more than 50 years ago. Don says at the time there was a big contingent of vets at Poly and they lived on campus in travel trailers in an area called “Vet Ville.” Déjà sorta vu for Don – he confirmed with his sister that the Vet Ville where he and his siblings lived and played was located near – if not on – the site of today’s Orfalea College. Other fun looking back news: Idler’s manager Jim Witt, one of the music masters of popular local rock band Unfinished Business had a great time when his band opened for the Lovin Spoonful recently at SLO Brew. Packed house. Oldies are goodies … Speaking of rocking, when Galaxy Theatres opens its ten-screen multi plex in Atascadero in early March, not only will guests enjoy lumbar support seats that recline, rock and do more – movie lovers can also heighten the cinema thrill by choosing one of several dozen “D Box” seats in which the chair moves to the movie action … The popular Kilt restaurant/pubs in SLO and Paso are in search of a new name (beats a costly legal fight with the “Twisted Kilt” franchise). Have a little fun, submit your creative best by March 1 to renamethekilt@gmail.com and go for the win: new namer gets a ten-person party at the fun pub.
The name is a mouthful, but the competition was very cool. The Ray Scherr Elevator Pitch Competition at Cal Poly attracted plenty of students eager to compete for $750 prizes in exchange for a compelling 90-second pitch that could win the attention of investors and others. All part of the campus Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship … And in a world moving very, very fast – recent BCA intern Kelsey Magnussen reports that she was competing for a paid internship at a big international PR firm. The entry requirement: use Twitter and take no more than 140 words to sell the team on yourself. No news yet on outcome … Fab photog Duane Hall’s “Faces of the Harvest “black and white gallery is on the road to a larger audience. The work will be showcased next week at the opening reception of the 20th Annual Western Migrant Stream Forum, being held in Oakland … Mission Community Services Corp (MCSC) is making 2011 the year for entrepreneurship training. Tuesday, Feb. 15 is the kickoff of a 14-week program designed to help start up or growing businesses succeed. E-mail info@mcscorp.org and ask about the program.
