As part of an occasional series checking in with small-business experts in the region, the Business Times asked Ray Bowman, the director of the Small Business Development Center at the Economic Development Collaborative — Ventura County, to take part in a written Q&A about entrepreneurial finance.
He has been actively involved with business and economic development groups, forming the so-called “Gold Team” to focus on attracting and retaining jobs in the state. For that effort he partnered with Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a San Francisco Democrat. The Ventura County Economic Development Association and Chambers of Commerce Alliance for Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties were also involved.
In a big step forward for Covered California’s ability to serve residents of the Tri-Counties, Sansum Clinic said late Friday afternoon that its 23 outpatient medical clinics will serve patients who buy Anthem Blue Cross coverage on the state’s online health insurance exchange. Sansum is one of the largest primary patient care providers in Covered California’s District 12, which includes Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties.
In response to the natural disaster in the Philippines, Direct Relief International is preparing to conduct the largest-ever emergency airlift in the 65-year history of the Goleta-based nonprofit.
Direct Relief said that on Saturday, Nov. 23, it will deliver 50 tons of essential medications and emergency supplies to people affected by Typhoon Haiyan.
The air shipment includes enough medicines to treat 250,000 people and will be delivered on a wide-bodied cargo aircraft flight arranged and donated by FedEx, Direct Relief said. All of the aid items were requested by health officials and nongovernmental groups in the Philippines, it said.
Fred Kavli, a Norwegian-born entrepreneur, scientist and philanthropist who created thousands of jobs and gave millions for the study of theoretical physics, died at his home in Santa Barbara on Nov. 21. He founded KavliCo Corp., a Moorpark-based maker of advanced sensors for cars and aircraft. He also invested in real estate for more than 50 years.
In remarks prepared for the 2014 SLO County Economic Forecast Breakfast on Nov. 22, Jordan Levine of Beacon Economics said only San Luis Obispo, San Jose, San Francisco and Bakersfield have gone positive when it comes to the pre-recession jobs peak.
CKE Restaurants, the Carpinteria-based parent of Carls Jr. and Hardees, has been sold to an Atlanta private equity firm specializing in restaurant chains.
The price was not disclosed and the sale to an affiliate of Roark Capital Group comes five months after Apollo Global Management hired Goldman Sachs to explore a sale or spinoff of the company it purchased in 2010.