Bakersfield.com Local Business

Maya Cinemas takes steps toward summer opening

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 16:51:00 PDT

Maya Cinemas took a high-profile step toward opening this summer when a red helicopter spent much of Tuesday morning plopping heavy air conditioning units on top of the 16-screen movie theater under construction at California Avenue and P Street.

The theater has been more than a decade in the making. It was one of the key anchors of the City Center project, a now defunct commercial and retail entertainment district that at one time was to have included a minor league baseball stadium.

Survey: Farmers keen on eco-friendly practices

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 21:50:39 PDT

As Earth Day approaches, a new survey found a strong majority of U.S. farmers and ranchers are moving toward sustainable agricultural practices.

Nearly 70 percent say they are incorporating eco-friendly methods into agricultural operations, according to a recent survey paid for by Rabobank N.A., and released Monday.

Federal crackdown causes local bank's stock to fall

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:07:18 PDT

State and federal regulators cracked down on Bakersfield’s San Joaquin Bank Thursday, demanding tougher oversight, improved risk management and urgent deadlines for cleaning up troubled loans.

Raceway gets 30-day sigh of relief

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 17:36:40 PDT

Developers of the unfinished Kern River Raceway southwest of Bakersfield got a 30-day extension on a foreclosure auction scheduled for Thursday.

Tim Elrod, speaking for the Destefani farming family developing the NASCAR track, said the auction has been postponed until early May after talks with lenders.

Has your company gone green?

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 16:21:42 PDT

With Earth Day approaching, The Californian would like to hear from local businesses and organizations that have invested in ways to reduce pollution, waste or energy and water use.

It doesn't matter how big or small the change, as long as it has some noticeable impact on the environment.

Leadership Bakersfield professionals mentor emancipated foster youth

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:27:05 PDT

Matthew Maldonado has long had an interest in working in a field related to mechanical engineering, but until recently never thought the education and opportunities to achieve this goal were within his reach.

Now he does. "For the first time in my life I feel like I have a chance," he said.

Business roundup: Local economy news and information

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 18:01:51 PDT

Valley Republic Bank, Bakersfield’s newest bank, will celebrate its grand opening April 13 to 17 with a series of free luncheon business seminars; an art show featuring scenes from local artists; and product demonstrations aimed at improving your cash management.

The festivities will begin at 11 a.m. Monday with a ribbon cutting with Mayor Harvey Hall and the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce.

Law firms position themselves to weather economic downturn

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 18:17:03 PDT

Enough with the lawyer jokes. In this economy, once-comfortable law firms are learning they have to react quickly to changes around them or risk suffering like so many other businesses.

The good news is, Bakersfield's situation appears much less dire than what some of the country's biggest firms are experiencing: mass layoffs, furloughs, pay cuts, even closure.

People in Business: A who's who for April 3

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 11:46:22 PDT

BARBARA RYEA has earned the Advanced Paralegal Certification in Trial Practice designation, something achieved by only 14 people in California and 158 nationwide. Ryea, who is also certified as a legal assistant and as a California Advanced Specialist in Civil Litigation, works as a legal assistant with the Bakersfield law firm of Chain Cohn Stiles.

Gottschalks: Over and out starts now

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 18:46:37 PDT

After a failed attempt to sell itself to investors who would have kept bankrupt Gottschalks Inc. open, a group of liquidators has emerged as the winning bidder and will shut down the department store chain founded in Fresno in 1904.

Job recruitment hits the road

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:21:58 PDT

A small bus carrying the avant-garde of Kern’s job creation efforts buzzed with numbers talk Thursday as it bumped along the back roads linking partly developed industrial sites north of Bakersfield.

A commercial real estate broker at the front of the bus ticked off triple-net leasing prices, acreage measurements and development schedules as he pointed to warehouses and soon-to-be-cleared agriculture fields along the route.

Out of work? Some strike out on their own as entrepreneurs

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:21:57 PDT

After more than a decade with a home builder, Russ Johnson found himself out of work.

It was 2007. The real estate market had gone belly up, and his employer didn’t need a vice president of land acquisition anymore.

State education budget forces internship program cuts

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:22:15 PDT

Mayra Rodriguez was looking for a way to save on car repairs, so she signed up for an auto tech course at the Regional Occupational Center.

The West High junior took basic auto mechanics courses and did an internship with GM at Motor City, then moved on to Bakersfield College for advanced training.

People in Business: A who's who for March 27

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:22:27 PDT

Valley Republic Bank, a new commercial bank in Bakersfield, recently announced five additions to its management team.

Conference shows women options truly are unlimited

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:22:28 PDT

Options Unlimited, The Bakersfield Women’s Business Conference turns 20 this year. And while a lot of things have changed in that time, the goals of the conference have not.

Women leave the conference feeling empowered — to explore every option available to them, whether it’s changing careers, returning to school, starting a business or making major decisions in their personal lives.