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IN PROGRESS ONLINE |
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Office of Economic Development, Placer County, California |
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Vol. 9, No. 10 |
October 2008 |
Ÿ Area Companies Make Inc. 5000 List
Ÿ Sierra College Adds Virtual Office Professional Program
Ÿ Family Fun & Frolic Highlight Tahoe City Harvest Festival
Ÿ Instructors Wanted at North Tahoe Community Center
Ÿ Auburn Symphony Opens New Season in October
Ÿ Mosey on Down to the Placer Farm & Barn Tour
Ÿ County Offers ‘Tools for Business Success’ Website
Ÿ Granite Bay Business Center Hosts Weekly Wine & Design Event
Ÿ Café Zorro Manages with Zest, Serves Cuisine with Zing
Ÿ Ten Placer Wineries, 50 Artists Featured at Roseville Fest
Ÿ Uncle Sam Encourages Expansion in 2008
Ÿ What’s in Your E-Mail Newsletter?
Area Companies Make Inc. 5000 List
Twenty-two local businesses were named to Inc. Magazine’s list of the 5000 fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. The rankings, released in the September issue, are based on the percentage of a company’s revenue growth from 2004 to 2007. Placer, El Dorado, Sacramento, and Yolo County businesses made up 22 of the 638 California businesses listed. The Tahoe City environmental services firm of Integrated Environmental Restoration Services, for instance, was ranked No. 365. For more, visit Inc. Magazine at http://www.inc.com/inc5000/2008/the-full-list.html?o=0 or the Sacramento Business Journal at http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2008/09/01/story11.html or Integrated Environmental Restoration Services at http://revegetate.com/index.html
Sierra College Adds Virtual Office Professional Program
To prepare students for starting a virtual office business, Sierra College now offers the Virtual Office Professional Program. The new degree program covers creating, managing, and marketing a virtual office. It also prepares students to help other businesses grow by working together. “It’s a very timely program,” said Dr. Cyndi Dunn, a Sierra College professor who helped bring the new offering to campus. “It offers a lot of options for careers.” For details, visit Sierra College at
http://www.sierracollege.edu/Programs/divisions/BusTech/cis/VOP1.html
Family Fun & Frolic Highlight Tahoe City Harvest Festival
Billed as “a fabulous week of family fun,” the Tahoe City Harvest Festival, October 11 - 18, starts with an Oktoberfest at Cobblestone Center featuring brews, tasty food, games, apple-bobbing, pumpkin painting, and music. The week continues with a bocce ball tournament, a deck party at Sunnyside, a fall food and wine tasting, a pumpkin patch carnival, live music and dancing, and a “Scarecrows on Parade” contest. For details, visit Tahoe City Downtown Business Association at http://www.visittahoecity.com/harvest_festival.aspx
Instructors Wanted at North Tahoe Conference Center
The North Tahoe Public Utility District is seeking instructors, 18 years or older, to teach classes at the North Tahoe Conference Center in Kings Beach. Of particular interest are instructors in the arts, sports, fitness, wine tasting, and Spanish. Cooking classes could be offered in the center’s industrial kitchen. Classes will be run on a contract basis. The district also encourages use of the center for activities such as movie screenings, cultural talks, and concerts. For details, or to discuss potential classes or activities, contact Kathy Long at (530) 546-7249 or sales@laketahoeconference.com. For more about the North Tahoe Conference Center, visit http://www.northlaketahoe.net/
Auburn Symphony Opens New Season in October
A concert called “Austria, Spain and Arabia - the Music of Fantasy” opens the 2008-2009 Auburn Symphony season on Saturday, October 11, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, October 12, at 3 p.m. The “fantasy” includes Rimsky-Dorsakov’s orchestral masterpiece, Scheherazade, and Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez with celebrated guitarist Brandon Yip as soloist. Both concerts will be held at Placer High School Auditorium. The season, which runs through May, includes three series concerts, two presentations by Maestro Michael Goodwin, a Messiah Sing Along, KinderKonzert, Music on the Green, and a special Auburn Symphony performance at the Mondavi Center, in Davis. Season tickets and individual concert and event tickets are available. For details and tickets, visit Auburn Symphony at http://www.auburnsymphony.com/
Mosey On Down to the Placer Farm & Barn Tour
“Experience working farms and ranches, and meet the farmers and ranchers who produce our food.” That’s the slogan of the 5th Annual Placer Farm & Barn Tour, set for Sunday, October 12, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The self-guided tour throughout rural western Placer County celebrates the county’s agricultural heritage and its vibrant family farms. Activities vary from horse-drawn wagon rides to farm-work demonstrations. Many farms will offer samples of fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables, and Placer County artists will be on hand to showcase and sell their drawings, paintings, and pottery. One unique component of the event is the AGROart competition, held at the Blue Goose Fruit Shed in Loomis, where artists of all ages create sculptures from fresh produce. Tickets are $10 for adults; children and students are free. For details, visit the Farm & Barn Tour at http://www.placerfarmandbarntour.com/
County Offers ‘Tools for Business Success’ Website
The Placer County Economic Development Office is offering a comprehensive online resource for existing or start-up businesses. “Tools for Business Success” includes links to information on about two dozen topics, including Business Formation, Business Planning, Funding Programs, Business Incentives, Employer Assistance, Selling to the Government, and Selling on the Internet. The site also lists more than 750 business books and a directory of sources of capital. For details, visit Tools for Business Success at http://www.toolsforbusiness.info/success/index.cfm?cx=placerco
Granite Bay Business Center Hosts Weekly Wine & Design Event
Vista De Lago business Center in Granite Bay is hosting a free Wine & Design get-together the second Wednesday of every month from 4 to 6 p.m. This month’s date is October 8th. At the event, visitors are encouraged to peruse the center’s services - realty, building, interior design, tile and stone, and flooring businesses. They can also receive free consultations, browse products, and enjoy wine tasting. The evening includes music and complimentary hors d’oeuvres and desserts. Vista De Lago center is located at 7095 Douglas Blvd. For more, visit the Roseville Press Tribune at
Café Zorro Manages with Zest, Serves Cuisine with Zing
Like its namesake, the clever fox, Café Zorro keeps moving and making smart changes in its modus operandi. Known for its California cuisine, “legendary” pizza, and fine wines and beers, the café, located in Loomis, has recently added lunch service, a “family-style” table, and a take out menu to its dinner and wine bar offerings. The menu changes constantly because, as the café’s website notes, “Our overriding commitment is to provide the highest quality to you, and so we are always finding new, exceptional wines and beers and creating new dishes.” Dishes such as Zucchini-Wrapped Scottish Salmon and Goat Cheese & Fig Stuffed Chicken spice up the dinner menu and during Happy Hour from 4 to 6 p.m., the special might be Oysters and Champagne or appetizers and Martinis (the café now has a full liquor license). For its Oktoberfest, through Oct. 12, Café Zorro is featuring German-style dishes and beer. For details and menus, visit Café Zorro at http://www.cafezorro.com/
Ten Placer Wineries, 50 Artists Featured at Roseville Fest
Placer Valley Tourism is producing the 1st Annual KOBRA Crush 29 Wine & Art Festival, presented by Thunder Valley Casino. The party is set for Saturday, October 18, 5 to 10 p.m. at downtown Roseville’s Civic Center Plaza. As many as 50 professional artists will show their work at the fest, offering many pieces for sale. Ten Placer County wineries will serve tastings of their finest vintages. Internationally renowned 3D muralist Greg Brown will be featured as he completes a mural near the Blue Line Gallery. Four party bands - Hip Service, Boys Nite Out, Steelin’ Dan, and the Jerry Martini Trio - will provide continuous musical entertainment from the main stage. The kitchens of upscale Crush 29 will provide food in two venues, a Wine Café and a MicroBrew Garden. For details, visit Placer Valley Tourism at http://www.placertourism.com/View/?pid=acff1f5f9af14956a3f91b62af232601
or Rocklin Today at http://www.rocklintoday.com/news/templates/community_news.asp?articleid=6503&zoneid=4
Uncle Sam Encourages Expansion in 2008
There is a good reason for companies to expand during the rest of this year -- they can get more back from Uncle Sam. The Economic Stimulus Act offers two incentives to promote business investment: 50 percent depreciation of equipment purchased in 2008; and expensing of up to $250,000 in equipment and fixtures, up from $128,000. For details visit http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/64091/66eb1926e8/27001252/088b358bc5/
What’s in Your E-Mail Newsletter?
In Progress Online (IPOL), our monthly economic development e-mail newsletter, covers the latest news on Placer County business and industry, agriculture, tourism, and the arts. It reports on new projects in our cities and towns and keeps readers up to date on the state of the region’s economy. IPOL posts news of state and local training, incentives, and loan programs that benefit business. It provides links to more information on each item. News about your business is always welcome. Please send items, questions, comments, or suggestions to the Office of Economic Development at econdev@placer.ca.gov or visit the OED Web site at http://www.placer.ca.gov/CEO/EconDev.aspx For past In Progress Online newsletters, go to Placer County Biz News at http://www.placer.ca.gov/CEO/Econdev/business%20news.aspx