DEC 2012 – CITROGRAPH PRINTING CO. CELEBRATES 125 YEARS OF BUSINESS

How many local businesses can celebrate 125 years of service to Redlands and tout being the oldest member of the Redlands Chamber of Commerce? Only one-Citrograph Printing Co., the oldest continuously running business in Redlands, oldest continuously running print house in California and first member of the Chamber.

Citrograph’s story began more than one year before the city of Redlands became incorporated. Owner Scipio Craig founded the company and established the town’s first newspaper, “The Citrograph” in 1887. Though the newspaper presses stopped when Craig passed away, as he had planned, the printing side of the company continued.

It operated in three different locations before it landed on State Street and has had six different owners. After his death, Craig’s family sold the business to Robert Hornbeck, who later sold it to employee Ernest Truesdail, who sold it to his employee Richard Caudle. His son, Richard Caudle, Jr., assumed the business in 1992. When he was ready to retire, he offered to sell the business to current owners Ryan Bailey, who was at the time the company’s graphic designer and Al Hernandez. The duo purchased the business in 2002.

Though the shop’s decor is reminiscent of days gone by, business at Citrograph includes 21st century printing services, promotional advertising, website design/maintenance/hosting and graphic design.
“Citrograph is an institution in Redlands and we will continue to honor the name that has come to mean reliable quality of service while at the same time bringing Citrograph into the 21st century with expanded services and products,” Bailey said.

It wasn’t long after buying the company that Hernandez and Bailey founded the Citrograph Scholarship Fund through the Redlands Community Foundation—a nonprofit liaison between donors and recipients—providing scholarships to students at the University of Redlands. In 2003, the first scholarship was awarded to a University of Redlands student in the music program.

This year, Bailey and Hernandez celebrated distribution of more than $80,000 in scholarships and the 10th anniversary of both events they host annually to fund the scholarships—“Vintage Redlands”, a walking wine tour, and “For the Love of Food and Wine”, a dinner and wine pairing at Farm Artisan Foods.

The duo also serve on boards and committees, including the University of Redlands Town & Gown, Redlands Community Foundation, and Family Service Association of Redlands, and Redlands Sunrise Rotary to name a few.They are proud to be the chamber’s oldest members.

“I don’t think any other business comes close to our 125-year-member standing in the chamber,” Hernandez said. “But I do hope all businesses will recognize our commitment to the chamber, and follow suit by joining or maintaining membership in this important organization. The chamber is as strong as its membership.”

DEC 2012 – CITY AND CHAMBER WORK TOGETHER TO AMEND SIGN CODE

City Council approved an amendment to the Sign Code that would allow businesses throughout Redlands to use A-frame signs and free standing banners. Previously A-frame signs were only allowed in a limited downtown area and completely disallowed elsewhere.

After working with city staff for months the new ordinance allows businesses to use the A-frames and free standing banners, in public right of ways in Commercial Zones C1,2,3,4 & M, Transitional Zone, and AP and APC Zones. The signs would also be allowed in Specific Plan areas, 45 (TC,SC,TC-H) East Valley Corridor Specific Plan (EV/CG, EV/IC, EV/AP, EV/CR, EV/TC) Specific Plan 25 and 33.

The A-frame sign cannot exceed three feet in height or two feet in width. Changeable copy on the sign can include 100% of the face of the sign. The freestanding vertical banner sign cannot exceed six feet in height at its highest point, including structural mechanism, or two feet in width.

An application and permit will be necessary before a sign can be placed in front of any business.

“This is a monumental step in the right direction for the business community.” Said Chamber President, Paul Barich. “So many businesses have asked the Chamber for assistance with this issue. We are so pleased to be able to help deliver customers to all our local businesses. It was gratifying to have the City be so willing to work with us and bring this change to the code. We are especially grateful to city staff and Mayor Pro Tem Foster for seeing this through. “

A complete copy of the new ordinance can be found on the City website at cityofredlands.org.

DEC 2012 – PRESIDENT’S ARTICLE BY PAUL BARICH

I can’t believe this is my last article as your Chamber President. It’s been an honor and a pleasure serving. I would like to thank the Board of Directors, Chamber staff, the members of the Presidents Circle and the entire membership for all their hard work and support.

The City of Redlands is a wonderful place to live, but if you have a business here we have our challenges. The Chamber is here to help, support and lobby on your behalf, to be your squeaky wheel to improve conditions and pave the way to success. If you are not a chamber member this is the time to join and give us the help and support that will allow us to continue to assist all businesses in our area. Your voice can make a difference. Please make Redlands a great place to start and grow your business.

The holiday season is in full swing so shop Redlands first…it pays to support local businesses. Remember to bring in your receipt of $25 or more from local shops and receive a chance to win one of 2 $100 prizes from local businesses. (If your receipt is from a chamber member you’ll get two chances at the prizes).

Once again thank you for your support over the year and be assured I will continue to work to make the Redlands Chamber of Commerce one of the best in the region.

 

DEC 2012 – SHOP REDLANDS FIRST…..IT PAYS!!!!

In an effort to encourage customers to Shop Redlands First through the year the Chamber has successfully administered a campaign that has been both fun and fruitful for all the businesses in Redlands especially Chamber members.

Each month the Chamber has offered a prize valued at $100 or more. Shoppers have been encouraged to bring original receipts from Redlands businesses showing purchases of $25 or more to the Chamber office, the date on the receipt reflecting the date of the month of the drawing. The receipts are signed by the Chamber staff and exchanged for a ticket… the customer fills out address and phone number and the ticket is placed in a basket to be a part of the month end drawing. If the receipt is from a Chamber member the customer gets two tickets (Chamber members can be found on the Chamber’s website).

At the end of each month a drawing takes place for the $100 prize and the winner is announced on the Chamber’s website, in an email blast and in the Redlands Quarterly Magazine Chamber page as well as the local press. Shoppers have flocked to the Chamber office each month with receipts vying for gift cards, cash cards, gas cards and more.

President of the Chamber Paul Barich, Barich & Associates Insurance, who originally brought the idea to the organization, said, “It’s a great program that hopefully makes people stop and think about shopping locally first. It’s important to keep the dollars local, to support our local businesses and to champion the small business owners of Redlands.”

Why shop local?

1. Protect Local Character and Prosperity

Redlands is unlike any other city in the world. By choosing to support locally owned businesses, you help maintain Redlands’ diversity and distinctive flavor.

2. Community Well-Being

Locally owned businesses build strong neighborhoods by sustaining communities, linking neighbors, and by contributing more to local causes.

3. Local Decision Making

Local ownership means that important decisions are made locally by people who live in the community and who will feel the impacts of those decisions.

4. Keeping Dollars in the Local Economy

Your dollars spent in locally-owned businesses have three times the impact on your community. When shopping locally, you simultaneously create jobs, fund more city services through sales tax, invest in neighborhood improvement and promote community development.

5. Job and Wages

Locally owned businesses create jobs.

6. Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship fuels America’s economic innovation and prosperity, and serves as a key means for families to move out of low-wage jobs and into the middle class.

7. Public Benefits and Costs

Local stores in town centers require comparatively little infrastructure and make more efficient use of public services.8. Environmental Sustainability

Local stores help to sustain vibrant, compact, walkable town centers-which in turn are essential to reducing sprawl, automobile use, and air pollution.

9. Competition

A marketplace of tens of thousands of small businesses is the best way to ensure innovation and low prices over the long-term.

10. Product Diversity

A multitude of small businesses, each selecting products based, not on a national sales plan, but on their own interests and the needs of their local customers, guarantees a much broader range of product choices.

DEC – 2012 Chamber encourages shopping in Redlands during holiday season

Keeping tax dollars in town is an important part of the equation when talking about the city’s financial well-being, but more importantly shopping locally supports the local businesses, helps retain jobs, and circulates dollars in the community.

Small businesses employ local people local people. They support local charities and offer personal services. Local businesses patronizes local businesses, they join local service clubs and support local athletic programs.

You really can find almost anything you need here in Redlands.

We have:

  • Retail and wholesale
  • Restaurants and caterers
  • Printers, writers and designers
  • Gift shops, ice cream and toy stores
  • Bike shops and car dealers
  • Home improvement stores and maintenance servers
  • Photographers, artisans and musicians
  • Pet stores and services
  • Gourmet food and wine
  • Personal and professional services

So before you make a purchase ask yourself if you can Shop Redlands first.

 

DEC 2012 – Chamber offers privilege to Presidents’ Circle Members

Each year the Redlands Chamber of Commerce offers a program composed of a select group of business and community leaders who believe in the important mission of the Chamber as an invaluable business resource and marketing conduit as well as an agent of economic development and business advocacy. The program called The President Circle, allows business to augment their marketing plan with the important components of community involvement, target advertising and unique visibility and recognition.

Through annual investment members receive;

  • Name and  company name listed on Chamber Letterhead
  • Name and  Company logo listed in the Directory and on the chamber website
  • Name on plaque proudly displayed in Chamber office
  • Name in each edition of chamber electronic newsletter
  • 1 E-blast semi annually
  • 2 tickets to each Chamber mixer
  • 2 tickets to State of the Community luncheon
  • 2 tickets to Annual Installation Dinner
  • Press release announcing President’s Circle appointment
  • An ad in both the official City Street Map and the Chamber’s Business Directory and Visitors Guide

 To become a member of this very prestigious group of business leaders contact the Chamber at 793-2546

 

DEC 2012 – Conversion of downtown streetlights to LED nearly complete

The City of Redlands has begun the first phase of a project to eventually convert all of the City’s street lights to more efficient, longer-lasting Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting, beginning with some 250 street lights in the historic downtown.  Meeting a commitment to the City Council last summer to complete the first phase of the lighting conversion before the Dec. 1 Redlands Christmas Parade, City staff began work Nov. 12 and have replaced high pressure sodium bulbs in more than 200 decorative “acorn” street lights downtown with the new LED lights. In addition, almost 50 cobra head street lights downtown have also been converted from HPS to LED lights. The remainder of the Phase I conversion is expected to be complete by the end of November.

On July 26, the City Council awarded the contract for Phase I of the LED Streetlight Conversion Project to Chino-based Flatiron Electric Group. Phase I included the area of Orange Street from Pearl Avenue to Citrus Avenue, State Street from Orange Street to Redlands Boulevard and Fifth and Ninth Streets from State Street to Citrus Avenue.

The decorative acorn lights found in downtown Redlands used a 70-watt HPS light. A 55-watt LED light provides the same luminance using 21 percent less energy. Similarly, 200-watt and 150-watt HPS cobra heads can be converted to 106-watt and 67-watt LED lights, providing the same luminance at an energy savings of 47 percent and 55 percent respectively.

While the luminance of the lower watt LED lights is the same as the higher watt HPS bulbs, in some areas the new lights may appear even brighter because the more focused beams of the LED lights throw more light directly on the ground.

In addition, LED fixtures have a longer useful life than HPS fixtures. The life expectancy of an LED light is 50,000 hours, vastly exceeding the life expectancy of HPS, between 7,000-15,000 hours. With the City typically powering its streetlights for 11 hours per day, HPS lights would need to be replaced every 5 1/2 years, while LED lights would last more than 12 years.

The $211,000 Phase I conversion project is partially paid for through more than $61,000 in Southern California Edison rebates, including more than $11,000 for LED rebates. In addition, the City estimates nearly $20,000 in annual energy savings and $30,000 in one-time salary savings as part of the project.

In comparison to HPS streetlights, LED streetlights are innovative, energy efficient, environmentally friendly and in-line with the City of Redlands’ goal of being a progressive and sustainable city.

Few municipalities have even considered LED technology for their street light program. By developing and implementing a comprehensive master plan for conversion of HPS to energy-saving LED lighting, Redlands is leading the way in taking advantage of this advanced technology.

Additional areas will be converted as the City realizes savings from the LED conversion and other funding becomes available.

DEC 2012 – Chamber Members Renewing November 2012

A BETTER CLASS LIMOUSINE
Scott Shamblin
P. O. Box 7942
Redlands, CA  92375
Phone:  792-5356
 
BORTON PETRINI, LLP
Norma Grosjean
1461 Ford Street, Suite 201
Redlands, CA  92373
Phone:  381-0527
 
BRASWELL’S CHATEAU VILLA
Art Braswell
620 E. Highland Avenue
Redlands, CA  92374
Phone:  793-0433
 
BRASWELL’S COLONIAL CARE
Johannes Simanjuntak
1618 Laurel Avenue
Redlands, CA  92373
Phone:  792-6050
 
P & R PAPER SUPPLY
Joseph Maiberger
1898 E. Colton Avenue
Redlands, CA  92373
Phone:  794-1108
 
PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZING
Cathy Bates
Redlands, CA  92373
Phone:  8l10-3719
 
REDLANDS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
Shirley Byma
1145 No. Church Street
Redlands, CA  92374
Phone:  793-5172
 
REDLANDS DENTAL GROUP
Lisa Chatwood
422 Orange Street
Redlands, CA  92374
Phone:  792-7500
 
REDLANDS POOL SERVICE
Matt Arth
700 E. Redlands Blvd, Suite U PMB 322
Redlands, CA  92374
Phone:  792-4500
 
SALON SUCCESS ACADEMY
Susan Turner
1915 Redlands Blvd.
Redlands, CA  92373
Phone:  982-4200
 
SAN BERNARDINO SCHOOL FCU
David Justice
2441 No. Sierra Way
San Bernardino, CA  92405
Phone:  882-2911
 
SOMERFORD PLACE
Jennifer Castaneda
1319 Brookside Avenue
Redlands, CA  92373
Phone:  793-9500
 
STOR-N –LOCK SELF STORAGE
Del and Pam Armstrong
1006 No. Wabash Avenue
Redlands, CA  92374
Phone:  389-7867
 
THE GAS COMPANY – A SEMPRA ENERGY CO.
Kristine Scott
155 South “G” Street
San Bernardino, CA  92401
Phone:  335-7941
 
THE REAL ESTATE GROUP
Carol Meulenkamp
208 E. Olive Avenue
Redlands, CA  92373
Phone:  747-0505

DEC 2012 – New Chamber Members for November 2012

Welcome to our newest Chamber members:
 
HORIZON SOLAR POWER
Luis Estrada
1105-A West Park Avenue
Redlands, CA  92373
Phone:  951-926-1176
Web Site:  www.horizonsolarpower.com
 
KINETIC THERAPY
Stephanie Carper-Smith
101 E. Redlands Blvd, Suite 184
Redlands, CA  92373
Phone:  645-9936
www.kinderconsulting.com
 
PAT GILBREATH
35 Cajon Street
Redlands, CA  92373
Phone: 793-7057
 
REGIONCY REAL ESTATE
Nathan Diones
33111 Yucaipa Blvd
Yucaipa, CA  92399
Phone:  800-793-4249
Web Site:  www.regioncy.com
 
THORNES & ASSOCIATES
John Thornes
412 E. State Street
Redlands, CA  92373
Phone:  335-7440
Web Site: www.thornesinvest.com

DEC 2012 – W.I.T. Windows & Doors saving energy while updating the look

W.I.T. Windows and Doors, located at 402 W. Colton Ave. can turn your home into a showpiece and increase the value at the same time. Imagine your home with new replacement windows and a beautiful new energy efficient front door.

Replacement windows are one of the easiest ways to increase the value of your home and increase energy efficiencies at the same time. Upgrade to the latest innovations in energy efficient technology including double pane, triple pane, low-e and argon gas with leading brands such as Simonton, Ply Gem and Milgard.

Replace that old sliding door with one that rolls with ease. Patio doors are also available in the French door style and in various configurations. You can even accommodate the pets with a pet door that integrates into the new replacement door.

Your front door is your homes first impression. Give your house a fresh look with a new Entry Door system. Hundreds of designs to choose from can take your front entry from drab to fab.

The friendly, professional, helpful team at W.I.T. Windows and Doors will guide you through the process from start to finish, from choosing just the right design to cleaning up after installation.

Call for a hassle free estimate! (909) 792-6587 or stop by the show room.