News from the Elk Grove EDC

February 2013 - Vol. 5 - Issue #2

In this issue...

EGEDC Welcomes New Board Members
The Elk Grove Economic Development Corporation welcomes three new Board members this year: Gary Davis, Jerry Mayberry and Michelle Odell.

Elk Grove Rain Garden Receives Prestigious Statewide Award

The Elk Grove Rain Garden Plaza was recently recognized by the California Parks and Recreation Society with an Award of Excellence for design.

GNB Corporation Receives Performance Award

GNB Corporation was among 12 California organizations recognized by the California Council for Excellence as leaders in innovation service and performance excellence in January.

Business Spotlight: Sinful Treats Gourmet Pastries and Desserts

Starting up a new business during a recession could have proven unfruitful, but after four years Mariel Black has learned first-hand how friendly the Elk Grove business community can be.

Featured Property: East Elk Grove Industrial Park
Each of these three East Elk Grove Industrial Park properties are M-1 (light industrial) zoned and feature quality concrete tilt-up construction, close proximity to Elk Grove Blvd., retail services close by, abundant landscaping and parking, and are fully sprinklered.

Also in this issue:
ElkGroveSiteSearch.com
News from the EGEDC
Elk Grove Quick Facts
Contact the EGEDC
EGEDC Supporters

EGEDC Welcomes New Board Members

The Elk Grove Economic Development Corporation welcomes three new board members this year: Gary Davis, Jerry Mayberry and Michelle Odell.

Mayor Gary Davis

Gary Davis

Mayor of Elk Grove

Elk Grove Mayor Gary Davis has been a resident of Elk Grove for more than eight years and has served on the Elk Grove City Council since November of 2006. Davis is Elk Grove's first directly-elected mayor after voters approved a new election format in 2012, that included voting for a mayor in a citywide, at-large election for a two-year term.

In addition to his role as Mayor of Elk Grove, Davis works for EdVoice, a nonprofit advocacy organization working to improve student achievement in California public schools. Prior to working for EdVoice, he was the Executive Director for the Sacramento State Alumni Association.

Davis is most proud of the work he does in the community to improve the lives of residents and strengthen Elk Grove's neighborhoods. He initiated the establishment of Playground Partners to build a community playground at Morse Park, the Elk Grove Youth Sports Foundation to ensure every child has the ability to play sports regardless of financial means, Elk Grove Together to promote service and complete service projects throughout Elk Grove, the Elk Grove Small Business Advisory Board, and the Elk Grove Homeless Solutions Committee. His most recent project was Elk Grove's very first half marathon, Kaiser Permanente's Running of the Elk.

"The City of Elk Grove has found success in working with the EGEDC, as well as the Chamber of Commerce, in building and growing jobs in Elk Grove," said Davis. "The EGEDC continues to move forward in improving the economic climate in our community and demonstrating that Elk Grove is THE place to locate business in the Sacramento region."

Jerry Mayberry

Division Municipal Services Manager

Sacramento, Calif. Division

Republic Services

Jerry Mayberry has more than 30 years of experience in the solid waste and recycling industry. His present position is Division Municipal Services Manager for the Sacramento, California Division of Republic Services.

Mayberry entered the waste industry with American Environmental Management Corporation in 1978 where he was General Manager through 1990, then with California Waste Systems as General Manager until 1993 before serving as Solid Waste Director for the City of Portland, Ore. He joined BFI in 1995 as Manager of Business Development and was responsible for retaining and expanding municipal contracts, and obtaining new contracts for collection, processing, transportation and disposal of solid waste and recyclables in Northern California. His responsibilities also included acquisitions and development projects.

Today, Mayberry manages municipal contracts in the Sacramento area that include nearly 90,000 residential customers in the City of Citrus Heights, the City of Elk Grove, and the City of Rancho Cordova. He is also responsible for maintaining governmental relations in the greater Sacramento area, and sits on numerous boards and commissions in the area.

"The EGEDC provides a vital resource to the Elk Grove Community in the creation of jobs and economic vitality of the City," said Mayberry. "The efforts of the EGEDC are beneficial to the overall health of the business community in Elk Grove and to the growth opportunities for my company."

Michelle Odell

Director of Public Affairs

Kaiser Permanente

South Sacramento/Elk Grove Area

Michelle Odell is the Director of Public Affairs for Kaiser Permanente's South Sacramento/Elk Grove area, which serves more than 200,000 members and is the leading health care provider in south Sacramento County. She oversees all aspects of Public Affairs including community relations, government relations; community health and community benefit planning; and internal and external communications, including media relations for Kaiser Permanente. She is a member of the leadership team for the health care facilities.

Before becoming Public Affairs Director in June 2008, Odell spent nine years at the Sacramento Bee, serving as Public Affairs Manager from 1999 to 2007. In that role she directed public affairs and corporate communications initiatives, including branding, community outreach, media relations, and charitable contributions. Her most recent role was as Business Development Manager, overseeing marketing, sales, and website development. Prior to then, she spent eight years as an investment advisor at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter.

Odell is a Senior Fellow of the American Leadership Forum and also serves on the Board of Directors of WEAVE and The Healthy Communities Forum. She previously served on the Board of Directors of the Sacramento Ballet, the Sacramento Public Library Foundation, the Children's Receiving Home, and the Sacramento Theatre Company. She was also an Advisory Board member of the Stanford Home.

"I'm very excited to serve on the board," noted Odell. "I look forward to helping the City of Elk Grove to continue building a healthy, thriving community,"

Elk Grove Rain Garden Receives Prestigious Statewide Award

The Elk Grove Rain Garden Plaza was recently recognized by the California Parks and Recreation Society with an Award of Excellence for design. Representing more than 4,000 park and recreation professionals throughout California, this award is the highest form of recognition offered by the CPRS.

The Rain Garden Plaza is one of the most comprehensive rain gardens in the Sacramento region and is designed to educate the public about eco-friendly landscaping and water conservation. The park opened last year and features a creatively designed and aesthetically pleasing outdoor area that includes a rain garden, biofiltration swales, pervious paving system and river-friendly landscaping. It also includes a canopied picnic area, exercise equipment and unique artwork.

The Rain Garden Plaza has also received the California Stormwater Quality Association 2012 Outstanding Sustainable Stormwater Project Award and the Laguna Creek Watershed Council Green Seal Award. The park was also named the 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers Sacramento Section Sustainability Project of the Year.

The Rain Garden Plaza is located at 9385 Laguna Springs Drive, adjacent to Elk Grove City Hall and the Elk Grove Police Department. Click here for more information.

GNB Corporation Receives Performance Award

GNB Corporation was among 12 California organizations recognized by the California Council for Excellence (CCE) as leaders in innovation service and performance excellence in January. GNB received a Bronze-level California Award for Performance Excellence (CAPE), and was featured among other organizations that represent leading practices and performance in business, education, healthcare, non-profit and the military.

GNB is a world leader in custom engineered products, specializing in vacuum valves, vacuum chambers, vacuum hardware accessories, and custom manufactured products. The company uprooted its headquarters from the San Francisco Bay Area and relocated to Elk Grove in 2001.

"We are exceedingly proud of all our recipients as they have clearly demonstrated exceptional performance and are progressing on their efforts toward achieving excellence," said Brent Duggleby, Chair of the CAPE™ Council. "As the CAPE program serves as California's gateway to the nation's Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, our Gold-level recipients can be recognized as being numbered among California's, as well as the nation's highest performing organizations."

The 2012 award recipients were formally honored at CCE's 19th annual Best Practices and Awards Conference, Celebrating Excellence 2013, at the Irvine Marriot earlier this month. Visit the CCE website for more information.

Business Spotlight: Sinful Treats Gourmet Pastries and Desserts

Starting up a new business during a recession could have proven unfruitful, but after four years Mariel Black has learned first-hand how friendly the Elk Grove business community can be.

"During the recession, people here were more open to helping each other out rather than competing with each other, so it was easy for me to find a commercial kitchen to work in," noted Black who opened Sinful Treats Gourmet Pastries and Desserts in 2009. "When I started doing research, like at coffee shops, to see if we could sell the product, businesses were very open. That's how I met people and learned that my business might work out."

Sinful Treats Owner, Mariel Black

Sinful Treats first started out with what is now their signature dessert--"Food for the Gods," a luscious date and walnut pastry that is a favorite Filipino Christmas-time treat.

"We get calls from the east coast saying that we're the only one who is shipping this," said Black. "That's why I wanted to be online so we could ship our products all over the U.S."

Sinful Treats has since greatly expanded their focus to their online bakery and gift shop, wholesale products, catering services and fundraising programs. Most of the business is done online and serves clients throughout the Sacramento region. Black credits her Aunties for her love of baking.

"Big families love food, so we spent a lot of time in the kitchen cooking and baking. Those were very good memories and I think that's why I kept baking, just to keep a part of that with me. I had never really planned to be in business with it," laughed Black.

In 2004, Black and her husband moved to Elk Grove from the San Francisco Bay Area because of the inexpensive housing market.

"We could never have afforded to buy a house like the one we have now in Elk Grove while we were in the Bay Area," said Black. "Comparing what my childhood was in the Bay Area, I prefer to raise my kids here. There are so many things for them to do and to keep busy. The Cosumnes Community Services District has a lot of activities for them, and I'm really happy with where my kids are going to school, too."

For Sinful Treats, an Elk Grove location was an excellent choice for maintaining business.

"If I started this business in the Bay Area, I would have been eaten alive in the first year. My business probably would not have survived," said Black.

Black says that her business has received so much support from the Elk Grove community, she wanted to return the favor. In addition to helping schools and non-profit groups with fundraising, one of the biggest projects is "Treat Our Troops" where folks can order goodies that will be shipped to wounded American soldiers that end up in the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.

"It's amazing the support I've gotten for this business, and now I get to give something back!"

For more information, visit the Sinful Treats website.

Featured Property: East Elk Grove Industrial Park

9721, 9727 & 9733 Kent Street, Elk Grove
Offered by Oates Investments

Each of these three East Elk Grove Industrial Park properties are M-1 (light industrial) zoned and feature quality concrete tilt-up construction, close proximity to Elk Grove Blvd., retail services close by, abundant landscaping and parking, and are fully sprinklered.

Property Features:

9721 Kent Street

±15,400sf industrial building available for sale or lease
Divisible to ±7,700sf
Includes ±1,049sf of quality office and ±14,351sf of warehouse space
Clear height: 14' - 17'
Grade level doors: 6 (12' x 14')
Power: 800 amp, 277/480 volt
Yard: ±18,580sf
Prime corner location with excellent street visibility
APN: 134-1060-001
Mapped for condominium
Owner financing available, lease-to-own option
Lease rate: $.40-$.50 psf/month gross

9727 Kent Street

±12,100sf industrial building
±3,025sf available for lease
brand new ±500sf office
Clear height: ±14' - 17'
Grade level doors: 1 of 6 (12'x14')
Power: 800 amp, 277/480 volt, 3 phase
Warehouse lighting
Fenced and paved yard
APN: 134-1060-002
Owner financing available
Lease rate: $1,960/month gross

9733 Kent Street

±19,800sf industrial/flex building available for lease
Divisible to ±1,650sf
Brand new ±1,095sf and ±252sf office build-outs
Clear height: 14' - 16'
Grade level doors: up to 11 (12' x 14')
Power: 800 amp, 277/480 volt, 3-phase
APN: 134-1060-003
Owner financing available
Lease-to-own option
Lease rate: $.45-$.60 psf/month gross

For more information on this property, contact the EGEDC at (916) 691-3895, or send an email to info@elkgroveedc.org.

Find Available Commercial Property at ElkGroveSiteSearch.com

View Elk Grove's extensive commercial property listings along with size, use, cost and development incentives at ElkGroveSiteSearch.com. Corresponding demographic and statistical reports such as labor force, education levels, community profiles, and consumer spending and age can also be created. Businesses are mapped by industry showing their distribution and concentrations throughout the area. For more information contact the EGEDC at info@elkgroveedc.org.

News from the EGEDC

We have a new address!
The EGEDC and the Elk Grove Chamber of Commerce have moved! Our new office is located on 9401 East Stockton Blvd., Suite 125 in Elk Grove!

Program Expedites Small Business Building Permits

The City of Elk Grove's new, personalized service, "T.I. Tuesdays", to expedite building permits for small businesses allows applicants to meet one-on-one with staff to process smaller tenant improvement building permits. In most cases the permit can be issued at the counter the same day. For details call 916-478-2235 or visit: www.elkgrovecity.org/building-permits.

Download EG's Small Business Start-Up Guide

Check out the City of Elk Grove's new user-friendly Small Business Start-up Guide full of tools and resources to help aspiring business owners succeed in Elk Grove!

Free Consulting From the Small Business Development Center!

The Small Business Development Center provides free business consultation to Elk Grove's existing and emerging businesses. An SBDC consultant is available at the beginning of each month in the same office space as the Chamber and the EGEDC. Free and low-cost workshops are also available. Send an email to info@elkgroveedc.org for more information.

Business License Report Online--See Who Else Has "Opened Up to Elk Grove"

Click here for the City of Elk Grove's latest online monthly new business license report!

Online Plan Reviews Streamlined
A convenient web-based electronic plan submission, review and tracking system is available on the City of Elk Grove's website that allows building permit customers to manage a plan review, upload files and track the status of a project review.

For more information on news items, contact the EGEDC at (916) 691-3895, or send an email to info@elkgroveedc.org.