Molding the Family Tradition
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INSIDE www.thebusinessjournal.com UPDATED DAILY NOVEMBER 9, 2018 thebusinessjournal.com the FOCUS | 8 ‘Big Baller’ bust proves big for BBB Gabriel Dillard – MANAGING EDITOR ter Business Bureau Serv- never delivered, leading to ing Central California is- an “F” rating for the busi- Fresno’s Better Business sued a warning to potential ness, based in Chino Hills. Bureau office had an en- customers of the “Big Baller LaVar Ball is the father of counter with another “BBB” Brand,” founded by LaVar Los Angeles Lakers basket- brand that netted world- and Tina Ball. The agency ball player Lonzo Ball. He’s wide attention and even an had received dozens of com- known for his outspoken Retail award. plaints that online orders to PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY BBB | The local Better Business Bureau the company were late or BBB | 12 Ins and outs of holiday hiring team celebrated a pair of recent awards with a cake. Back in January, the Bet- the EXECUTIVE PROFILE | 9 Molding Here are the Valley’s fastest the family growing tradition companies Local craftsman Eric Fleming Chief Administrative Officer Madera County overcomes the LIST | 10 tragedy, sets his Aplos Software tops the Fastest PHOTO CONTRIBUTED | The team at Lee’s Heating & Air gathers for a morning meeting. Growing Companies list own path The company is one of the fastest growing in the Central Valley Frank Lopez – STAFF WRITER This Week Online 6 People on the Move 13-14 Donald A. Promnitz – STAFF WRITER At Georgio’s Shoe Repair and Leads 16-17, 20 Leather Goods in Fresno, for- The past three years have been Public Notices 21-29 merly known as The Sierra Shoe good to the staff at Lee’s Heating Opinion 30 Repair, Arsen Georgio Sheklian & Air in Fresno. In fact, at a 128 makes and repairs handcrafted, percent rate of growth between quality leather goods and shoes, 2015 and 2017, the firm has be- continuing a local legacy and come one of the fastest growing keeping a craft alive. He is the companies in the Central Valley. owner, master leather crafts- For more information on the man and a “cordwainer” — a fastest growing companies in leather shoemaker, not to be the San Joaquin Valley, please see confused with a cobbler, who The Business Journal’s annual only repairs shoes. list on page 10. According to Tom Howard, the owner of Lee’s, this uptick Sheklian | 3 PHOTO BY FRANK LOPEZ | Arsen Sheklian opened his new shop at the corner of Palm and Herndon avenues in Fresno in August. List | 11 Fresno golf scene set for big changes Edward Smith – STAFF WRITER Significant change is wrote, “I have not been coming to Fresno’s golf- able to keep up with fa- ing community as one cility and equipment up- of the city’s older clubs grades necessary to pro- prepares to close and vide the quality that you one of the newer clubs continue to expect and changes hands. provide the tools neces- After 60 years of op- sary for our staff to per- eration, the Fig Garden form at their best.” Golf Club in northwest Knott attributed de- Fresno announced its clining interest in the impending closure to sport over the past few members in a letter on years as a reason for fall- Tuesday. ing revenues. Golfers will be able to The future of the 47- play the links there until acre facility is still up just before the end of the in the air, but in Oc- year. tober, 2017, an option PHOTO CONTRIBUTED | Left, Bill Tatham, Sr. has leased Copper River Country Club to Bellagio Road, LLC, which is President David Knott Golf | 12 headed by golf industry veteran Bob Husband, right. SENSITIVE TIME PRIORITY HANDLING PERIODICAL: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2018 ISSUE # 325460 | $1.25 PER COPY USPS 145-100 Got a smaller deal you want TO GET OFF THE GROUND? Talk to the team that CAN MAKE IT SOAR. Capitalize started out small and we grew our business on deals of all sizes. Even now, after building an $8 billion mortgage portfolio, we still give deals of $1 million to $4 million as much attention as the largest ones because we know from experience the opportunities they create. With our network of alternative funding resources, all of our deals—from the smallest to the largest—go better. If you could use a true advocate who values you no matter how many digits in your ask, talk to Capitalize. We’re always ready to help you launch. READY TO CAPITALIZE NOW? Give Alan Rurik a call to discuss your next project, 559.244.3100 no matter WHAT size it is! www.capitalize.cc FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2018 www.thebusinessjournal.com 3 Sheklian | from 1 George Sheklian was 85 years old when he passed away. Along with selling custom leather shoes and handmade leather goods de- Filling big shoes signed and made in the bottega (Italian At a young age Arsen would help out for “workshop”), Georgio’s also offers around the shop. He never saw it as handbags made in Italy and shoes from work, but as time he got to hang out Red Wing Heritage, as well as top-quali- with his dad — and he was happy to have ty shoe care products. his own money to buy candy. George Sheklian, Arsen’s father and At 14, Arsen started showing a strong original founder of the business, started interest in music, and his father knew making shoes in Buenos Aires, Argenti- that he wasn’t interested in going to col- na in a shoe factory when he was just 8 lege. His father approved of his choice years old. but made him learn a trade so he could “His family was very poor. My dad al- always have a job if he needed it. ways did whatever it took to make ends Arsen discovered Rockabilly music meet, to help his family,” Sheklian said. in his 20s and formed his own group. Eventually, Arsen’s father opened up He realized his dream of becoming a his own shoe factory with his brother in travelling musician and toured Europe Buenos Aires, but left the business with under his stage name of Arsen Roulette. his brother in 1962 and moved to the He even played with rock n’ roll legends United States. Jerry Lee Lewis and Ike Turner. In 1962 he opened his first store in In 2009 Sheklian was living in Parma, Madera. The next year he opened up Italy, as his home base and travelling the first Sierra Shoe repair in Fresno on with his group all over Europe when Ashlan and Cedar avenues, later mov- his father suffered a heart attack. He re- ing into the Manchester Mall during its turned to the United States to help. heyday, then to a location on Blackstone “It was a blessing in disguise,” Shek- and Sierra avenues. lian said. “I’m so happy that I spent those Sheklian Sr. was always doing for oth- years with him. I remember thinking, ‘I ers, and would work on any shoe, no don’t want to do this the rest of my life, matter the price, believing that no job but I have to help my dad’. A few days was too small. His store quickly became after a month something clicked in me a staple of Fresno. and I thought that this business is awe- Sadly, an unexpected tragedy befell some.” the family in 2014. It was during this time that Arsen and On a December 2014 morning, Shek- his father started the “Georgio’s and lian Sr. was on his daily coffee run, on Sons” line with items designed and ma- his way to say “good morning” to his terials chosen by them that were manu- neighbors who owned the gun shop factured in Italy, offering a quality shoe next door. Two men who were rob- that is more affordable than ones hand- bing the store ran out and knocked him made. PHOTO BY FRANK LOPEZ | Owner of Georgio’s Shoe Repair, Master leather craftsman, and cordwainer Arsen Sheklian down. He suffered brain trauma and in his workshop in Fresno where he repairs and produces handcrafted leather shoes and other leather items. died some days later in the hospital. 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Member FDIC 4 www.thebusinessjournal.com FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2018 Sheklian | from 3 name. “There’s no shop like what we do — The Georgio’s and Sons line has we make shoes, we make handbags, over 40 different items that are either we used to produce for big compa- handmade, or manufactured in Italy, nies,” Sheklian said. and even though they are only semi- Over the years, Sheklian and his fa- handmade, Sheklian says that Italian ther built up a loyal following of cus- shoemakers take a lot of pride in their tomers, and aside from some news- work. paper ads, Sheklian Sr. didn’t adver- The years went by and Arsen tise too often, believing that “if you do kept learning more of the craft, and a good job, the work speaks for itself.” spending time with his father in the Sheklian advertises on social media bottega.