Under the direction of Board Member Jennifer Dobbs the Chamber has established a Small Business Committee that will reach out to the businesses in Redlands connecting with businesspeople and agencies in an effort to improve local economic conditions.

The Small Business Committee will conduct Business Walks throughout the city. Scores of volunteers will hit the streets to visit businesses on fact finding missions, returning to debrief and triage concerns to professionals who can bring solutions as soon as possible.

“Knowledge is power”. Said Chamber President Paul Barich “When Jennifer proposed the idea to the Board and explained the Business Walk concept we embraced it. It was an opportunity for the Chamber to reach out to the business community in Redlands and to get instant feedback.”

The Business Walks will become an integral part of the Chamber’s economic development core competency focusing on keeping businesses strong.

By Paul Barich

The Federal Government is about to decide if it should stay or go, a decision that will effect hundreds if not thousands of residents in the Redlands area. While unemployment in the Inland Empire still hovers at an all time high and the government feigns at efforts to put a finger in the hole of the unemployment dike the U. S. Post Office is ready to drop the axe on hundreds of jobs by closing the distribution center in Redlands and rerouting the mail processing to smaller facilities further south or east.

While meetings have indicated that if Redlands processing is closed a portion of the handling will go to neighboring Moreno Valley, a smaller facility, just twenty miles away, that facility smaller in size will not be able to handle the volume.

While the outrage of no more first class delivery and the inconvenience to bulk rate customers is bad enough the real insult is the hundreds of workers who will have to relocate or lose their jobs should the decision to close be made regarding the Redlands site.

In the real business world it would make better sense to close the satellite offices and bring operations back to the larger base. But trust the Federal Government to over think the solution and impact the lives of hundreds of citizens and leave a gapping hole in the economy of a town that is already struggling to stay afloat.

Should the guillotine fall and the center close yet another building will stand empty and surrounding businesses will be affected. The burger joint and sandwich shops who have served those postal workers breakfast lunch and dinner for years will wonder not where the beef went but where the customers went? The gas stations and retailers will find a significant drop in sales when that many customers leave en mass. The housing market will take a hit as workers will either be forced to relocate, sell or simply walk away.

U. S. Post Office you are talking about hundreds of jobs and impacting thousands of people you need to be very sure you are not making a knee jerk decision but considering the bigger picture and influence on so many lives.

FAMILY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Darryl Evey
Redlands, CA 92374
Phone: 760-843-0701
Fax: 760-843-9551
Web Site: www.familyassist.org

FIVE TEN
Wally Barker
1419 W. State Street Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 798-4222
Fax: 798-5272
Web Site: www.fiveten.com

FOUNDATION FOR CAL STATE SAN BDNO
Richard Jarvis
5500 University Parkway San Bernardino, CA 92407
Phone: 537-7769
Fax: 537-7017
Web Site: www.csvsbfoundation.scusb.edu

NORSEMAN & CO.
Michael Wilke
Redlands, CA 92374
Phone: 809-9573

REDLANDS DENTAL GROUP
Lisa Chatwood
422 Orange Street Redlands, CA 92374
Phone: 792-7500
Fax: 792-7503
Web Site: www.redlandsdental.com

SLEEP NUMBER STORE
Laura Calderon 127 Alabama Redlands, CA 92374
Phone: 792-0195

THE SUN
4030 No. Georgia Blvd San Bernardino, CA 92407
Phone: 386-3990
Fax: 889-3176
Web Site: www.inlandnewspapers.com

In an effort to promote business retention, Redlands City Council recently agreed to provide an 8% preference for goods, equipment, services or construction to local businesses in the procurement processes for the City of Redlands. The intent of the ordinance is to promote economic health and encourage local business participation in the procurement process.

Local businesses are defined as having a valid Redlands Business License and having its principal business operation located in the City of Redlands.

Until the recent decision the local preference was just 1% a small differential that made little or no difference in the bidding process. The move to increase the local preference will encourage local vendors to participate in the procurement process and keep the dollars local.

While the Chamber has been focused on a Shop Redlands Campaign for years the City’s leadership in setting the new 8% preference for local businesses aids in delivering the message of keeping the dollars circulating in town.

To learn more about the procurement process contact the City purchasing department or go on line www.cityofredlands.org.