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Community Coordinator Report 3rd Quarter January - March 2005 On the Business Front Chamber of Commerce Annual State of the City Luncheon - Mayor Cites Big League Dreams, Sundial, Other Projects 
A record crowd at the State of the City luncheon heard Redding Mayor John Mathena describe nearly $400 million in city projects that are either under way or were recently completed. More than 900 people packed the Redding Convention Center and listened to a message and slide show by Mathena. Mathena's list of enhancements included the Big League Dreams sports park, some $130 million in local and state roadwork, and $156 million in private construction over the past year. Near the top of the list was the $23.5 million Sundial Bridge, which was funded primarily by McConnell and drew thousands to its July 4 opening. The bridge has boosted motel occupancy rates and attendance at Turtle Bay, Mathena said. Since opening July 31, Big League Dreams has hosted 178 teams in seasons that extended through the winter months. A four-field soccer complex is scheduled to be built next to the ball fields this year.
Neighborhood improvements under way include 34 new single-family homes at Lansing and Fell streets and additional homes and mixed-use developments along Parkview Avenue. The city Redevelopment Agency also committed $7 million to the Martin Luther King Jr. neighborhood for aesthetics and affordable housing. Road projects mentioned include a recently completed $1.2 million expansion of Shasta View Drive, a planned $40 million to $50 million replacement of the Cypress Avenue bridge over the Sacramento River and a planned widening of Highway 44 near Turtle Bay that could cost up to $40 million
Air Service To LAX Planned - Horizon Adding Los Angeles To Itinerary
Smart Business Resource Center Staff Gain CAC Accreditation
Smart Collaborations with the Anderson & Shasta Lake Chambers
Monthly Employer Seminar Series with Attorney Mark Vegh To see all the seminars offered this year, view the brochure.
Smart Website - Pay on-line with Visa & MasterCard
Businesses are now able to make payments on our website when registering to attend our workshops and seminars. They can also pay on-line when submitting Enterprise Zone Tax Credit voucher requests.
The Business of the Month 
Sierra Pacific IndustriesPO Box 496028, Redding CA 96049 (530) 378-8000 Sierra Pacific Industries is a private California corporation owned by the Emmerson family, with forestlands and manufacturing facilities in northern California and Washington. It was started in the 1940s by A. A. (Red) Emmerson and his father R. H. (Curley) Emmerson with one sawmill employing 8 to10 people in Humboldt County. Since that time Sierra Pacific Industries has grown to be one of the top manufacturers of lumber, millwork, wood windows and doors in North America, employing approximately 4,000 employees. It is also the largest owner of private industrial forestlands in California. Commitment to Fairness and a Safe Work Environment: The Emmerson family has a strong commitment to maintaining an atmosphere of fair treatment toward the their valued crew members; and a comprehensive on the job safety program is a major component of the Company's everyday activities. Sierra Pacific Industries continues to be an organization where its present employees are proud to work and others seek to become part of the team.
Mills and Other Facilities:
"Thank you (Smart Business Resource Center) for the assistance you have provided to us in qualifying a number of employees for the Enterprise Zone Hiring Credit. SPI has been receiving the benefits of participating in the Shasta Metro EZ program since 1991 and in the Oroville EZ program since we opened our mill there in 2001. We participate in the Sales and Use Tax Credit program as well as the Hiring Tax Credit program. Our participation in these programs has been very positive. In 2004 alone we anticipate total tax credit benefits to be approximately $1.1 million". ~ Alan Bell, Sierra Pacific Industries Assistant Corporate Controller
Partners and the Community Economic Development Corporation
Southern California Prospecting - EDC President Jim Zauher took advantage of being in Southern California for the Medical Device Trade show and arranged meetings with three of the Shasta EDC's highest priority Southern California prospect companies. Two of these firms are Medical Device Manufacturers and the other is a plastics company. All of the companies were very pleased to hear about the new Redding/LAX air service and arrangements are being made with two of the companies for upcoming site visits using the new direct service to Los Angeles. Small Business Programs of the Superior California Economic Development District
The CSBDC started a nine-session QuickBooks® training in February 2005 - reviewing bookkeeping basics and learning how to set up and operate their computerized bookkeeping system. In a collaborative effort with Shasta County Library, the CSBDC presents an Introduction to QuickBooks® training the third Monday of each month at the Shasta County Library Computer Lab. This FREE two hour orientation is designed to be a "first peek" at QuickBooks® accounting software and how it works. The CSBDC, in co-sponsorship with the EDC of Shasta County, Smart Business Resource Center, and EDD, presented the Enterprise Zone Tax Credits Seminar in March. Partnering with The Federal Technology Center (FTC), the CSBDC provides counseling once a month to clients interested in doing business with federal, state, and local government. A family child care provider workshop focusing on bookkeeping and legal issues these specialized businesses face is currently being developed in conjunction with the Shasta County Office of Education, Early Childhood Services. The "Keeping it Legal" workshop is scheduled for May 21, 2005. The Microenterprise Development Program (MDP) has recently graduated nine small business entrepreneurs from the workshop series "Business Plan Basics". The twelve-week workshop series covers all aspects of entrepreneurship and takes participants step-by-step through the process of writing a comprehensive business plan. Some of the businesses that were represented in the workshop include childcare, graphic design, pool cleaning, specialized doodle art coloring books, copy/shipping and mailbox center, multimedia presentations, and a commercial cleaning service. The Microenterprise Development Program is funded by a state Community Development Block Grant and provides the tools necessary to run a small business with coaching, support and an extended workshop series. The next Business Plan Basics workshop series is scheduled to begin in April. For more information regarding SCEDD and the programs they provide, please call (530) 225-2760 or visit their website at www.scedd.org. Employment Development Department - Fidelity Bonding Program
Fidelity bonding is an EDD funded and administered program, whereby a six month $5,000 fidelity bond is issued as an insurance policy at no cost to pre-qualified employers and job seekers. Bonding services are designed to protect employers against possible theft, dishonest or fraudulent acts, and help alleviate employers' concerns in hiring ex-offenders and at-risk job applicants.
To qualify for a fidelity bond, the job seeker or employee must meet some basic criteria:
Shasta County Library
Business and Marketing Research Online
Rapid Response KMS - Hair Care Firm Trimming Payroll 
KMS Research LLC of Redding is eliminating its sales and marketing department. The move cuts 14 jobs and is part of a corporate wide consolidation by parent company Kao Corp. of Japan. Kao will move the sales and marketing department of KMS to Baltimore, headquarters of Kao Professional Salon Services (KPSS) Inc., executive Tom Johnston said Tuesday. The layoffs in Redding take effect April 1, Johnston said. "All the people who have been laid off have been given severance packages, a bonus to stay on until March 31, 2005.
Budget Call Center Closes - 220 Jobs Affected
Allegiant Airline: No dice on Vegas The fact that Allegiant is underperforming in Redding puzzled city officials and at least two travel agencies. Airports Manager Rod Dinger said the 162-passenger MD-83 averaged about 75 percent capacity since service started Aug. 6, 2004. Flights in December were running more than 80 percent capacity. It would be an understatement to say we were disappointed, Dinger said. In our opinion, the community did support the service and the proof is the number of passengers. The city courted Allegiant for seven months before landing the service. Redding agreed to a $115,000 subsidy package that helped Allegiant advertise the service and pay for airport terminal improvements. Dinger said that package included $70,000 in matching advertising funds. Allegiant has drawn about $30,000 from the fund that the city won't get back, Dinger noted. Dinger said the city initially tried to get Allegiant to commit to staying for at least a year, but the airline refused. The last Redding-to-Las Vegas flight was Jan. 3, 2005.
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Horizon Air will offer flights from Redding to Los Angeles twice daily beginning April 25, the airline announced. Flights to Los Angeles will start at $69 one way through June 10. After that, one-way tickets will start at $99. Redding is using a $500,000 federal grant it received in September to subsidize Horizon's service to Los Angeles. Redding Airports Manager Rod Dinger estimates the service to Los Angeles will cost Horizon about $9.5 million the first year. The city of Redding partnered with the Arcata-Eureka Airport to obtain the grant. Dinger noted that the U.S. Department of Transportation grant stipulates Horizon must offer the flights to Los Angeles for one year. Any change to the service would have to be approved by the Department of Transportation. Jim Zauher, president of the Economic Development of Corporation of Shasta County, said the Los Angeles service will help his organization's ability to recruit businesses to the north state.
Different Ways To Boost Revenue - With the statistics for online sales, as well as information on the latest trends, we now offer multiple and creative payment alternatives - Visa and MasterCard.
EDC Weathers Storm to Exhibit at Medical Design Show - Attendance at the exhibition, which was held from January 10 - 12th at the Anaheim Convention Center, was slowed slightly on the first day by record rains. However, days two and three saw very good turnouts. The EDC came away with 12 new prospects who are considering expanding or relocating their businesses.
During the past quarter, Superior California Economic Development District's (SCEDD) small business development programs provided assistance to small businesses in a number of ways. In addition to confidential, one-on-one business coaching and an extensive resource library, the Cascade Small Business Development Center (CSBDC) and the Microenterprise Development Program offered a variety of workshops and seminars to the small business community.
The Employment Development Department's (EDD) Fidelity Bonding Program provides bonding services at no cost to employers, employees, and job seekers at Job Service sites and One-Stop Career Centers throughout California.
Come learn about QuickBooks accounting software. This free class is designed to be a "first peek" at QuickBooks and how it works. It is geared for business owners and their employees. It will introduce you to the QuickBooks environment and give you an opportunity to see the program perform daily tasks and generate reports. This will be a hands-on class and questions are welcome as time allows. Instructor: Mary Richmond, Certified QuickBooks Pro Advisor and Business Counselor for the Cascade Small Business Development Center.
Meets every third Monday of the month: 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Holiday's last day of business in Burney was Feb. 12, ending nearly a 30-year run in this eastern Shasta County town, company President Richard Morgan Jr. said. "We look at all of our locations, based on size, age and the ability to compete in the marketplace," he said. It is an "old facility for us; it doesn't have great expansion potential." Morgan estimated that it would cost $2 million to expand the 13,000-square-foot store. "It's just the cost of expansion and remodel is so high, there's just not enough business to make it worthwhile," he said. The store, which opened in 1976, employs 29 people. Morgan said employees there will have the opportunity to move to any of the chain's 23 other stores. Severance packages will not be offered to employees who leave the company, Morgan added.
Allegiant Air announced that it's discontinuing direct jet service from Redding to Las Vegas. The Las Vegas-based airline called it a business decision, adding that ticket sales for the route never met expectations. The company wasn't more specific.