Requests for proposals overlook value of face-to-face communication
I’ve been in business for more than 30 years and in that time I’ve hired quite a few people. But in all that time, not once, did I hire a person based strictly on their resume and certainly I’ve never hired anyone without having met them first. In every instance, I felt it was important, Read More →
Ojai company leads way to reliable, clean energy
By Jan Dietrick The Feb. 10 article in the Pacific Coast Business Times, “Power to the people: SimpliPhi to double production at Ojai battery storage plant,” about how the Ojai company is positioning itself for growth, can be viewed through the lens of current trends in energy policy. Policy-makers in California and Washington, D.C., should Read More →
Profits should not be considered a dirty word
By Lee Schuh My wife and I recently overheard a boisterous group of 20-something women bemoan the evils of profit while we ate an early dinner at our favorite restaurant. They blamed their poor-paying jobs on those who get the profits. They complained that these profit-takers are the only ones benefiting in this society. The Read More →
Our view: State needs to be smarter about water infrastructure
The dam was declared totally safe. The collapse was totally unexpected. This month’s emergency evacuation of 200,000 people below the troubled spillways at the Oroville Dam in Northern California recalled memories of a disaster right in our backyard. On March 2, 1928, as many as 600 people, many of them residents of Ventura County, died Read More →
Our view: Puzder ground into political hamburger
Just a day before his confirmation hearing, CKE Restaurants and subsidiaries Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s CEO Andy Puzder has withdrawn his nomination for secretary of labor. Puzder, a former Santa Barbara resident who was ideologically in step with President Donald Trump, was rapidly losing support from the left as well as the right. And after Read More →
Estate tax changes threaten small businesses
Jim Lisi By Jim Lisi In addition to the disproportionate effect of the estate tax on family farms highlighted by Business Times staff writer Marissa Nall, other estate tax issues are also lurking. In December, the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service held hearings on proposed regulation changes to Section 2704 of the tax code. The Read More →
Our view: Amgen’s smart moves keep it poised to grow
From its perch in Thousand Oaks, Amgen continues to be one of the savvier companies in the biopharma space when it comes to navigating drug policy and drug pricing. It continues to win the battle to keep copycat biosimilars from eroding its core franchises while gaining approval for new drugs – the latest is for Read More →
