Another stop on the Green Coast tour
ColumnsWhen German solar panel manufacturer SolarWorld took over the former Shell Solar plant in Camarillo in 2006, the early signals were not exactly encouraging. First, SolarWorld planted its North American headquarters flag not in Ventura County but in Hillsboro, Ore., where it acquired an empty computer chip factory and built a solar panel plant that Read More →
Atascadero might not be big enough for both theater projects
ColumnsA theater showdown may soon be coming to a small city near you. Atascadero has two development teams battling to fill the void in the currently theater-less city, but the City Council is concerned that two movie theatres may be one too many for its little town. On May 11, the City Council voted 5-0 Read More →
Editorial: Rise of the Wall Street machines
OpinionWe’re not the only people who’ve seen eerie similarities between the compacted crash of the stock markets in early May and the Black Monday crash of 1987. A slowly recovering economy, clashing views over currencies and computerized trading were all factors in the October 1987 crash as well as the mini-crash that happened May 7. Read More →
SLO firm gets local with mobile ads
Small BusinessThe buzzword-heavy consensus in the tech world is that print publications are dying, consumers glaze over at the sight of traditional Web ads and hyper-local mobile phone marketing is the official Next Big Thing. That’s all fine — but what’s a corner diner or mom-and-pop shop to do to get out a coupon and grab Read More →
Growing a tech business: Ojai
Small BusinessTri-county agricultural giants such as Gills Onions and Mission Produce ship onions and avocadoes all over the country and are some of the biggest names in the business. But they run on software written by Ojai entrepreneur Bryan Bernard and his small team of programmers. Bernard’s AgKnowledge software suite is tailored to agribusiness, with the Read More →
Capital raise at Pacific Capital, other banks tops $700M
UncategorizedTri-county banks have brought more than $700 million into the region in recent months, with some looking to expand and others simply hoping to shore up their capital. “It means we have more financial institutions with the wherewithal to lend,” said California Lutheran University economist Bill Watkins. “It gives businesses more borrowing opportunities and provides Read More →
Fight for a swing seat: Parks, Strickland in fierce contest in Ventura County
UncategorizedVentura County is famous — some might say infamous — for its growth-control laws, among the strongest in the nation. But a flip of a single seat on the Board of Supervisors, some observers say, could swing the county’s policies in a growth-friendly direction. Two-term Supervisor Linda Parks is up for re-election and locked in Read More →
