STAY iN tOUCH www.thebusinessjournal.com May 6, 2011 THE FOCUS 14-15 Store shelf shuffle Family Dollar Producers offer tips on landing coveted retail space plans slew of Valley stores CONSTRUCTION • Builders contend with John Lindt – CoNtRiBUtiNg WRitER sprinkler rule • Out of demolition, Family Dollar Stores, Inc. reuse of North Carolina has set an ambitious schedule to open new locations in the Central Valley where population growth is strong. THErF P O ile 0 1 The chain, with more than 6,800 stores nationwide, currently has no stores in the state, but has targeted more than a dozen Valley locations as potential sites, according to various sources in local municipal government. Instead of targeting the trendiest districts, Family Dollar appears to be making DavID MOTSeNBOCkeR, a play for the small-town Clay Moffitt consumer who may not want Owner, Sierra Nut House sales associate kaley Monteleone stands next to some chocolates at the Fresno location in the villagio Shopping Center. The to drive out of town to get a Dmots Steel Buildings company supplies grocery stores in 11 states, plus certain parts of Canada. good deal on everyday goods. The company has contacted Clay Moffitt – Staff WRitER instances, cut down on shipping fruits, coffee, soups and more, city planners to build mostly costs. the Sierra Nut House knows new 8,000 square-foot Distribution is vital to “When it makes sense, we the process well. In its more stores in Avenal, Coalinga, survival in the food industry, have a great opportunity to than 40 years of business, it has Wasco, Hanford, Corcoran, THE liSt | 12 but approaching a grocery chain source locally, particularly expanded beyond its two stores Firebaugh, Sanger, Reedley, Lewis C. Nelson and can be both an intimidating and produce, dairy and meats,” said in Fresno and has its product in Parlier, Fresno, Kerman, Sons, Inc. tops the list of confusing process for a local Brendan Wonnacott, Fresh & grocery stores up and down the Tulare, Woodlake, Exeter and supplier looking to take product Easy Neighborhood Market’s West Coast, throughout New Commercial Contractors Farmersville, for starters. to market. director of communication. England and in states such as “I look at them as mini Although grocers may be Being discovered can be New York and Montana. Walmarts,” said city planner selective, many are looking for one of the biggest obstacles to The Sierra Nut House has Greg Collins, who is familiar This Week Online 6 local suppliers who can provide overcome for producers. with the company's plans | Gitomer 7 quality product and, in certain Local supplier of nuts, dried r etail 5 in Exeter, Woodlake and Public Notices 9 Farmersville. “They may b e m o r e c o m m o n t h a n Opinion 30 McDonald’s or Starbucks in Homebuilders: Another one bites the dust the future.” “The new Family Dollar Todd r. Brown – Staff WRitER debt. La Dante Rose reported its trade in the Valley since permit will go to the planning exemptions of $248,800 — 1995. The company says it built commission in the next few With all the talk of scanty property protected from being a modest 50 homes a year on weeks,” said Tulare city improvement in home sales and recouped by creditors. average, specializing in starter planner Bonnie Simoes, who an expectation of a solid real The firm had sales offices homes around 1,200 square feet notes the company wants to estate rebound in the coming for its Majestic 3 development but also constructing luxury build near Highway 99 off of years, builders as well as sellers in Tulare and Majestic 4 abodes of 4,500 square feet. Bardsley Avenue in Tulare. are hardly out of the woods yet. development in Woodlake. Yet “We mainly focus on building The filing for bankruptcy last messages left at one office for the move-up home, which we Family dollar | 8 month of La Dante Rose Homes sales manager Ron Grodsky can offer at an affordable price Inc. of Visalia underscores the — named with spouse Ellen that is comparably priced to continuing challenges in the Grodsky as the debtors — other builders’ entry level central San Joaquin Valley’s were not returned. The other homes,” the company’s website housing market, especially number gave a disconnected said. new construction in an era of signal. Mike Miller, president of deflated values and still-high Fresno attorney Hilton A. the Central Valley division of unemployment. Ryder, the firm’s representative builder Lennar Homes, said The builder, in bankruptcy in the proceeding, declined to his firm certainly has seen a court case 11-13524-7, reported comment on the case. slowdown since the housing CUDoNtRiB tE assets of nearly $574,000 but Despite the silence, an bubble burst. Family Dollar typically builds stores in the a liability of more than $4.92 Internet search revealed that 8,000 square-foot range, and each store million, a likely insurmountable the family homebuilder plied Homebuilders | 5 employs about seven people. Friday, May 6, 2011 ISSUE # 324328 | $1.25 PER COPY USPS 145-100 2 www.thebusinessjournal.com FRID aY, MaY 6, 2011 Join The Business Journal Corporate Golf League Now in its 12th year, The Business Journal Corporate Golf League has become a favorite networking event for area executives. The play begins May 2011. It continues every Tuesday evening for eight weeks. We’ll be playing nine holes each week and using a modified Calloway match play format. This format allows you to rotate your players every week. Come out and spend some social time with co-workers, clients or prospects, meet other area executives, compete against other local businesses and have some fun. The Business Journal will host an awards ceremony with dinner on the last evening. Dinner will be served each week. Space is limited, so sign up early. San Joaquin Country Club May 24th - July 26, 2011 A portion of the proceeds from the golf league go to support The First Tee of Fresno For sponsorship or tournament information call 559.490.3423 or email [email protected] l Fax form to: 559.490.3526 Sign me up! Contact Person: Company Name: Address: Phone: Fax: Email: one player $500 team of four $1,800 FRID aY, MaY 6, 2011 www.thebusinessjournal.com 3 College graduates entering a difficult job market Ben Keller – Staff WRitER As always, Central Valley graduates face fierce competition in the job market as they wrap up their studies. With the effects of the economic downturn gradually waning, fresh young minds are seeking every opportunity to find a rewarding career, even in a job pool that is still hard-pressed to expand. Job aggregators and online job boards such as Monster.com and CareerBuilder continue to grow in popularity, as do social media sites like LinkedIn and Facebook for connecting job seekers to the right employers. However, some feel such websites are too co- pious and distant to account for regional needs while providing little instruction in the way of ré- sumé preparation and interviewing tips. Serving approximately 30,000 job seekers last year through referrals, resources and job skills training, the Fresno Regional Workforce Investment Board (WIB) works alongside seven other Valley WIB’s to display thousands of local job openings via an online database categorized by industry at www.careersinthevalley.com. Although seasonal or temporary gigs are still being highly sought out by companies loosen- ing their belts just enough for summer swells, Assistant Director Pam Lasseter said she is seeing more this year in the way of specialized positions and college-level work. “More and more employers now, because of de- mand, are wanting people to submit electronical- ly,” she said. “A lot of employers in these special- CUDoNtRiB tE ties are posting to (job sites) because they want Nursing students at California State University, Fresno receive instruction. More nursing graduates are finding it harder to enter jobs in the current those graduates to understand the curriculum be- economy. ing taught.” According to a study last year by the Fresno room visits and dropped activities like its Dress ment from 16% who said the same in last year’s WIB, more than 10,075 new jobs will be needed for Success workshop and business etiquette lun- survey and 11% in 2009. by 2013 in Fresno County, 1,480 alone in agribusi- cheon. Even its annual career fair last Thursday, Even better news for the Valley is a general ness and 1,317 in professional and technical occu- with around 60 employers on hand, was less tendency for graduates to stay close by after pations. While an improvement from a three-year crowded than past years. school. Charlezsette Day, job developer with the projection of 13,605 in 2007, tight business condi- “The armed services usually show up and we Employment Resource Center at Fresno City tions still strain the county with an unemploy- have none this year,” she said. “A lot of the ad- College, said its become more difficult to jump ment rate that tarries above 18%. ministrative justice (employers) like the police . ship considering high gas prices and fewer com- Among 1,063 responses in a survey of local em- none are hiring.” panies subsidizing travel expenses for new hires. ployers used in the study, 33% said they were still While many employers may be holding on lon- Many graduates, she added, will simply take what- hesitant to hire due to low sales and financing and ger to their seasoned veterans, some light may be ever they can get at the time as long as it bears low access to cash, while another 22% faulted gov- on the horizon for new grads.