SLO company helps growers manage water use
Hortau Irrigation Management Systems drummed up funds for new research and development, allowing it to take its technology to the Pacific Northwest. Headquartered in San Luis Obispo, the agriculture technology company completed a third round of financing in two years, netting $10 million. With the money, Hortau hired additional staff in Washington state and plans Read More →
Obama’s Asian trade strategy could keep China in check
Striding confidently across the tarmac at the Palm Springs International Airport on Feb. 16, President Barack Obama was leaving what has become his favorite winter getaway spot with a bit of swagger. He had just come from a press conference where he argued that he, not the GOP-controlled Senate, held the constitutional high ground in Read More →
Downtown SLO development raises issue of building heights
The San Luis Obispo City Council gave a preliminary nod to the concept of a mixed-use development slated for the heart of downtown SLO. It was not a formal action, the developers were just looking for feedback prior to submitting a final project. While the development isn’t necessarily pivotal to SLO’s economic vitality, the conversation Read More →
Artisan winemakers star at Solvang Garagiste Festival
The winemakers who gathered to pour at the Garagiste Festival in Solvang on Feb. 13-14 are mostly unknown in the marketplace, have limited equipment of their own and produce in such small quantities that financially, as one artisan told me, “it’s not for the faint of heart, to put it mildly.” This is the world Read More →
New app helps travelers reduce carbon footprint
A new app created by a Santa Barbara travel shop owner caught my eye when I walked into Vita Travel on Feb. 5 because it seems like the perfect app for eco-conscious Millennial travelers. Greg Bellowe created VitaExplorer as a way to force people to think about their impact on the environment when they travel. Read More →
Central banks losing ability to steer global economies
Upheaval in the global markets in recent months may be signaling that the era of the all-powerful central bank may be coming to an end. Evidence is mounting that central bank moves are having less and less of the desired impact on regional economies. For Exhibit A we turn to the People’s Bank of China, Read More →
Compass manager sued by Coldwell Banker over ‘secrets’
Coldwell Banker is suing a former employee for allegedly stealing the company’s trade secrets. The residential real estate brokerage company is going after John Nisbet, who left Coldwell Banker’s Santa Barbara office to work for the rapidly expanding residential real estate firm Compass. Coldwell Banker is accusing Nisbet of stealing confidential data, including market data, Read More →
