Thank you to the following businesses who saw the value in joining the Redlands Chamber today.

The countdown has begun… just check the official Redlands on Ice website ….you’ll see a running countdown clock that ticks away the time until we can all ice skate in Redlands.

On Friday, December 26^th, thanks to presenting sponsor The Rochford Foundation and the City of Redlands, the rink will be open at 12 PM ready for the adventurous athletes that will don the blades for the first time ever or strap them on after a sabbatical from snow and ice elsewhere and years gone by.

The rink is a synthetic product that fits together in sheets not unlike a puzzle fitting together. Topped with e-Z Glide it’s as slick as frozen ice without the need for subfreezing equipment; that means regardless of the southern California temperatures it’s blades on!

The rink will be operational for one week, December 26^th through January 1, ten hours a day, noon to 10 P

You can make reservations for your skating adventure now by logging on to www.Redlandsonice.com  and book your skate time.

“We have been talking about bringing a rink to Redlands for some time.” said Past Chamber President, Daney Bachiu, Redlands Blueprint and Commercial Printing, “This is our pilot program.  We are testing the enthusiasm and support of having a rink in Redlands during the holidays. If it is well received we hope to increase the amount of time we can present a rink in the future, perhaps the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.”

Bachiu noted that the Chamber is encouraging visitors and spectators to the rink to take advantage of the shops and restaurants before and after their fun on ice. They have created a Holiday Shopping Guide that will include ads and coupons from local businesses. The books will be distributed to all the rink visitors.

For more information about Redlands on Ice log onto www.Redlandsonice.com or call the Chamber office at 793-2546.

When fire and water take control of your life, Servpro of South Redlands/Yucaipa help you take it back.

SERVPRO of South Redlands/Yucaipa understands the stress and worry that comes with a fire or water damage and the interruption it causes to your life. The team at Servpro South Redlands/Yucaipa is there to help minimize the disruption to your life and quickly make it “Like it never even happened”.

SERVPRO of South Redlands/Yucaipa specializes in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property after a fire, smoke, or water damage situation. SERVPRO of South Redlands/Yucaipa also mitigates mold and mildew from your home or business. Their staff and crews are highly trained in property damage restoration. From initial and ongoing training at the corporate training facility to regular IICRC industry certification, you can be assured the staff is equipped with the knowledge they need to restore your property.

As a trusted leader in the restoration industry, you can depend on SERVPRO Franchise Professionals, whether you need emergency flood damage restoration or your upholstery cleaned. They have the training, experience, and equipment to make your house feel like home again.

Fire, water, and mold restoration are the cornerstones of our business. SERVPRO Franchise Professionals are dedicated to being faster to any sized disaster. Their focus on training ensures they have the expertise and skills needed to promptly restore your property right the first time. Our restoration services include the following: water damage restoration; fire damage restoration; mold remediation; storm and major events recovery, as well as residential cleaning services.

Life happens. Kids spill drinks, pets have accidents, and homes get dirty. SERVPRO Franchise Professionals offer cleaning services ranging from air duct cleaning to removing biohazard contaminants. Their residential cleaning services will not only ease the burden of the constant maintenance of your home but will also create a safe, clean, and comfortable living environment for your family.

Your commercial property’s appearance speaks volumes to your clients. So when the need arises for professional cleaning or emergency restoration services, SERVPRO Franchise Professionals have the training and expertise to help make it “Like it never even happened.”

No job is too big or too small for the Servpro of South Redlands/Yucaipa from, small office buildings to large office/high-rise office buildings; apartment buildings and restaurants; hotel/motels to large retail/big-box stores, manufacturing/industrial and government/military facilities the team will be there fast with the help you need.

Servpro of South Redlands/Yucaipa are available 24 hours a day to get your business back up and running. Their expertise includes restoration services for fire and water damage, including electronics restoration and document drying.

Whether your need is removing an odor problem or deep cleaning flooring or carpets, you can depend on a SERVPRO Franchise Professional to get the job done right the first time.

Call SERVPRO of South Redlands/Yucaipa for more information about the services they provide, 389-6310

Lately I have not heard a lot discussion about the state of the California economy,  Are we recovering, holding steady, or backsliding?  I decided to do a little digging, and here is what I found.

The short answer is – we are getting better.  We are not as well off as we were 7 years ago just before the housing market bubble burst, but we’re getting there.  Here are some numbers on two key indicators, GDP and unemployment.

First off, I should note that California is now the 8^th largest economy in the world, surpassing Italy and Russia.  I guess that means Governor Brown can take a place at the G8 conference table (now that’s and interesting thought).  For comparison, Texas comes in at 14^th, and New York at 16^th.  So in spite of industries looking to locate or expand in other states, we are still experiencing some economic growth.  A couple of key industries driving this are shipping through our sea ports like Los Angeles and Long Beach, and agriculture.  It’s a lot further to Houston from Asia, so that one is not likely to move out of state soon.  Agriculture, however, has other vulnerabilities to consider such as the drought.  Although agriculture represents about 2.5% of the state economy on the surface, the trickle-down impact is much larger.  My brown front lawn is no longer a big deal.

Another popular economic indicator is unemployment.  State wide it is currently on a down trend, coming in at 7.4%.  This is good, but we have to remember that it is higher than in 2007, and still higher than the U.S. average of 6.1%.  We appear to still be in the midst of a roller coaster ride on this statistic.  Here in the IE, we are coming in at 8.2% for San Bernardino County, and 9.2% for Riverside County.  Similar to the state level, these number reflect a downward trend, but still larger than 2007.  For comparison, Texas comes in at 5.3%, and New York at 6.4%.

The IE is taking a larger hit than the rest of the state.  Ten or so years ago we were supposed to lead the nation in growth, primarily because of cheap land.  We fell harder than other areas, so we have a longer climb back up.  But there is a sign of success.  State wide, the IE leads in property value increase of existing homes; 20% for San Bernardino County and 14.5% for Riverside County.  The next best is LA County at 11.2%.

I’ll stop with the number here, since my purpose is to provide a broad, general picture.  GDP is up, unemployment down.  There is plenty more information out there if you want to really dig into the statistics.  Overall it appears we are on a good course.  One very important message is that past lessons have taught us that the economy is fragile, so we MUST NOT get complacent.