Solar installers boomed in 2013 and are expecting another good year, but some are skeptical about the new financial models underlying the growth numbers.
The drought plaguing the Tri-Counties and the rest of the state has the agriculture industry on red alert. With 2014 forecast to be the driest year in California history, Gov. Jerry Brown has declared a drought emergency in the state, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated 27 counties in California as primary natural disaster areas, including the tri-county region.
CEO Mike Sheldon said the company has been aggressively pursuing a “growth through diversification” strategy, adding maintenance services as well as servers and hard drives to its product lineup.
The area has seen a boom in hotel remodels and renovations recently, with upgrades to Hotel Santa Barbara and Fess Parker’s DoubleTree Resort, among others.
Santa Barbara County’s economy relies heavily on its billion-dollar tourism and agricultural industries, two of the fastest-growing sectors of California’s economy by number of jobs. But those are also industries with highly seasonal workforces and generally low-paying wages.
Lynda.com founder and executive chair Lynda Weinman put new details behind the explosive growth of her digital education company during remarks at the California Lutheran University Corporate Leaders Breakfast.
The cruise ship industry had an estimated $2.4 million economic impact on Santa Barbara last year, with more than 50,000 passengers visiting the city, according to a recently released survey.
