Editorial: Chamber chief ‘hatched’ Santa Maria recovery
Bob Hatch has the sort of practical wisdom that is very rare in today’s charged political environment. He has been increasingly frustrated at the no-growth politics of the county that seemed to stymie every effort to promote jobs and opportunity for the Santa Maria Valley.
Santa Maria chamber CEO Bob Hatch to retire
Bob Hatch is retiring after 20 years as president and CEO of the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce, the largest business group in North Santa Barbara County.
DenMat drills down on growth strategy in Lompoc
DenMat has acquired most of the dental assets of Fort Collins, Co.-based Zila and will move those operations to its Lompoc headquarters, adding more warehouse space and ramping up hiring in sales, marketing and manufacturing.
Lompoc bets on TBID: Hoteliers organize tourism marketing district
The Lompoc Tourism Improvement District was unanimously approved by the City Council on Dec. 5 and has overwhelming support from hotel owners in the city. The district will take effect Jan. 1, assessing a 2 percent tourism fee on hotel stays to generate funds to advertise the city to potential travelers.
The maverick of the valley: New Vintners’ chief has bold plan for Santa Barbara wine country
Morgen McLaughlin believes that some of the best wines in the in the world are being produced in Santa Barbara County, but that message hasn’t been getting out to consumers or the media.
Editorial: Future of turbines is blowing in the wind
Word that Acconia Energy North American has abandoned plans to build the region’s only wind farm near Lompoc comes amid a surprising resurgence in wind power for California.
