Stantec to buy tri-county engineering firm Penfield & Smith
By Staff Report / Thursday, August 28th, 2014 / Central Coast, East Ventura County, Real Estate, South Coast, Technology, Top Stories, West Ventura County / Comments Off on Stantec to buy tri-county engineering firm Penfield & Smith
Stantec, a large publicly traded design and consulting company, is acquiring Santa Barbara-based engineering firm Penfield & Smith. Terms of the deal, expected to close in October, were not disclosed. Penfield & Smith has regional offices in Santa Barbara, Camarillo and Santa Maria. The company had revenue of $16 million last year, according to Business Read More →
QAD’s second-quarter profits drop despite record revenue
By Staff Report / Wednesday, August 27th, 2014 / Banking & Finance, Personal Finance, South Coast, Technology, Tri-County Economy / Comments Off on QAD’s second-quarter profits drop despite record revenue
Shares of Summerland-based business software firm QAD fell Aug. 27 on news that the company’s second-quarter profits dropped 24.2 percent to $985,000. QAD reported record revenues and higher operating income during the second quarter. Its total revenue climbed 12 percent to a second-quarter record of $73.1 million, it said, up from $65.2 million in the Read More →
Santa Barbara chamber opposes anti-oil effort Measure P
By Staff Report / Wednesday, August 27th, 2014 / Central Coast, South Coast, Tri-County Economy / 3 Comments
Proponents of Santa Barbara County’s Measure P, an anti-fracking measure that could also shut down conventional oil and gas production, suffered a setback on Aug. 27 when the largest South Coast chamber of commerce said it opposed the November ballot initiative. The Santa Barbara Region Chamber of Commerce said that its board voted to “urge Read More →
50 Fastest-Growing Companies 2014 announced
By Staff Report / Monday, August 25th, 2014 / Central Coast, East Ventura County, Latest news, South Coast, Top Stories, Tri-County Economy, West Ventura County / Comments Off on 50 Fastest-Growing Companies 2014 announced
Learn more about this year’s featured companies and the Sept. 18 awards event.
Competition heats up in infrared market as Flir, Seek Thermal release smartphone products
By Stephen Nellis / Friday, August 22nd, 2014 / South Coast, Technology, Top Stories, Tri-County Economy / Comments Off on Competition heats up in infrared market as Flir, Seek Thermal release smartphone products
This holiday season, two South Coast firms will compete to sell what could be the hottest gadget gift of the year: affordable thermal cameras for smartphones. Goleta-based Seek Thermal, the company founded by longtime infrared entrepreneurs Bill Parrish and Tim Fitzgibbons that has raised $30 million, said Aug. 19 that it will offer a Read More →
Pacifica Hotels, Eastern Real Estate team up on hostel takeover
By Elijah Brumback / Friday, August 22nd, 2014 / Real Estate, South Coast, Top Stories, Tourism, Tri-County Economy / Comments Off on Pacifica Hotels, Eastern Real Estate team up on hostel takeover
Last week, Santa Barbara firms Pacifica Hotels and Eastern Real Estate purchased the hostel from the Parker family.

Pour no more: Small wineries oppose Santa Barbara County tasting-room ordinance
By Marissa Wenzke / Friday, August 22nd, 2014 / Agribusiness, Central Coast, Small Business, South Coast, Tourism, Tri-County Economy, Wine & Viticulture / Comments Off on Pour no more: Small wineries oppose Santa Barbara County tasting-room ordinance
Many small wineries in rural areas of Santa Barbara County such as the Santa Ynez Valley may be unable to house tasting rooms or hold special events if county officials approve changes to a winery ordinance that has been in place since 2004.







