17485 Monterey Road, Suite 105 Morgan Hill, CA 95037 Phone (408) 779-9444, Fax (408) 779-5405 Morganhill.org /
[email protected]
March 2015 Chamber Calendar 1st Thursday Good Morning Morgan Hill @ Community & Cultural Center 3rd Thursday After Hours Networking Mixer @ Residence Inn Every Monday Let’s Do Lunch @ Various Member Restaurants
Committees 1st Friday Education 8am Union Bank Tennant Station 2nd Thursday Ambassadors Noon at the Chamber office 3rd Friday Environmental Affairs 8am Union Bank Tennant Station 4th Thursday Membership Committee Noon at the Chamber office 4th Friday Economic Development & Government Relations
8am Union Bank Tennant Station
“Sustainable Growth” by John Horner, President & CEO
facebook.com/MorganHillChamber
Sometimes it seems like the biggest part of my job is going to meetings. For example, over the past several week’s I’ve participated in Joint Venture’s State of the Valley conference, Colliers Internationals’ Annual Real Estate Trends presentation, the VTA’s Envision Silicon Valley transportation working group, and two each of our local Morgan Hill City Council and MHUSD Board of Trustees meetings. My participation serves to represent the business interests of greater Morgan Hill and to gain a better understanding of what is going on in our region. A few big trends jump out from what I’ve been hearing. First, job growth in greater Silicon Valley is both strong and diversified. Furthermore, that job growth is being driven by real companies with products, revenues and profits. The last time we had similar job growth rates was in the late 1990s, but those were driven by the “Dot Com” boom, and the majority of those companies had shaky revenues and financial losses. Those of us who were around then know that era was followed by a spectacular bust. Today’s boom will surely not last forever, but when it ends it will be for a different set of reasons and that is not likely to be in 2015 or 2016. However, that strong job growth also has negative consequences: Housing costs are skyrocketing, transportation is getting slower and more costly, and our workers are further splitting into the very well off and those who struggle to pay the skyrocketing cost of living. Those factors are driving a big push for higher density housing located around rail transit opportunities. Many “think tanks”, governmental agencies, social service agencies and local governments are pushing hard in that direction. Here in Morgan Hill you will surely have noticed that much of the current construction is multi-story townhome projects and higher density senior living communities. Furthermore, job growth is strongest in cities like San Francisco, Cupertino and Mountain View which already enjoy a massive net-influx of people by day and an outflow by night. Economically this puts those cities in the enviable position of high tax incomes with relatively low public safety and schooling costs per resident. If Morgan Hill is to thrive in the future, it is imperative that we put as much effort and thought into local job growth as we do into housing development, senior services and youth engagement. Otherwise we are setting ourselves up for financial trouble down the road because providing the services to support residents is a net money drain while industrial and commercial users provide a net financial upside in the taxes collected vs. cost-of-services equation. Morgan Hill is in the middle of its significant twenty year land use planning process, the “General Plan Update”. All of the issues above are very much on the table as this plan is being developed. You can follow the General Plan Update process on the city’s special purpose website: morganhill2035.org. This is your community, so make sure to involve yourself in what becomes of it. In order to do so, go to the public meetings, share your views through the city’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/morganhillengage) and/or let us here at the Morgan Hill Chamber know your thoughts. By doing so you will help us be the best advocates possible for your business and/or organization.
2015 Board of Directors Rich Firato
The Many Events of our Growing Chamber
Firato Janitorial Services Chairperson
Wow, how time flies. I cannot believe it is already March! Thank you to all who had a chance to join us at the Celebrate Morgan Hill Awards Dinner. We had a great turnout, wonderful award recipients, terrific food and outstanding auction items donated by the local business community. The event was decorated beautifully, and really made me feel like I was in New Orleans! Thank you so much to all the people who made this happen, especially Janis and Erin. It was a very special night, and I cannot thank everyone enough for their attendance and support.
Robert Airoldi Morgan Hill Life Vice Chair
Phil Couchee Recology South Valley Treasurer
Fawn Myers MHUSD Board Secretary
Dr. Steve Kinsella Gavilan College
Brittney Sherman Marriott Hotel
Jeff Mitchell Morgan Hill Times
Matthew Bowen Intero Real Estate
Ed Machado Commonwealth Credit Union
John Varela Asset Conversion Corp.
Sam Kabert Value Business Products
Dusty Perryman Digital View
Sunday Minnich Minnich Productions
Greg Richtarek Morgan Hill Cellars
Danielle Davenport South Valley Angels
Chamber Staff John Horner President & CEO
Janis McDonald Operations
Erin Machado Membership
Holly Horner Publications Page 2
In membership news, we are now over 500 members strong and growing. Thank you so much to all our members, new and old. You are the ones who make the Chamber of Commerce such a vibrant organization. From businesses like Guglielmo, which has been a member for 42 years to Momma's Dolce, who joined us in the new year, I appreciate you all. This newsletter remains a wonderful way to stay informed and engaged. Please use this newsletter to stay up to date on current and upcoming Chamber news and events. If you have anything you would like to submit for publication to the newsletter, please don't hesitate to contact Holly at
[email protected] Planning has begun for my favorite part of being involved with the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce: Friday Night Music Series! Since it's still very early, there's not too much to tell you yet, but it is going to be a very exciting season. Stay tuned for updates. In other events news, the Chamber is exploring the idea of having a Multi-Cultural Event later this summer. If you have ideas for this event and want to get involved, please contact the Chamber at
[email protected]. We would love to have your input. As always, thank you so much for being a member of the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce Sincerely, Board Chair Rich Firato
Groundwater Open House Celebrate National Groundwater Awareness Week with the Santa Clara Valley Water District, our valley’s primary water resources and groundwater management agency since 1929.
Thursday, March 12th, 2015 4pm-8pm Santa Clara Valley Water District 5750 Almaden Expressway, San Jose, CA 95118 Visit stations to learn about groundwater—our valley’s original water source and largest reservoir—and it’s role in sustaining our vibrant, growing community. Tour the onsite Los Alamitos percolation pond. Hear a presentation about the Groundwater Zone of Benefit Study. Learn how you can conserve water and get a free lawn sign and shower bucket. Bring your kids to play with a hands-on groundwater model and attend educational demonstrations. Children are welcome but must be accompanied by an adult. Free onsite parking and electric vehicle charge stations. RSVP to
[email protected] or call (408) 630-2880
Chamber of Commerce February Events After Hours Networking Mixer Sponsored by Residence Inn Thursday, March 19th from 5:30-7:30pm
18620 Madrone Pkway, Morgan Hill, CA Free for Chamber Members!
“Good Morning Morgan Hill” Breakfast Sponsored by The Morgan Hill Community Foundation Hosted at: the Morgan Hill Community Center
Thursday, March 5th 7:30-9am $15 in advance or $20 at the door
Let’s Do Lunch—every Monday @ Noon A casual lunch where as many chamber members that wish to attend can get together for an informal meal together. Everyone orders as they arrive and pays for their own meals. No RSVP, just show up!
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March 2nd March 9th March 16th March 23rd March 30th April 6th
China Palace GVA Café Chili’s Mama Mia’s BookSmart The Good Fork
65 W Main Ave 17400 Monterey Rd 1639 Cochrane Rd 275 E. Dunne Ave 80 E 2nd St 17385 Monterey Rd Page 3
Morgan Hill Community Foundation Accepting Grant Apps The Morgan Hill Community Foundation (MHCF) is now accepting applications for its annual spring grant cycle, which disburses awards to local, qualifying non-profits. The MHCF now also offers scholarships through the Morgan Hill Unified School District’s “Common Scholarship Application” available at each high school. Grants The newly updated 2015 grant application is due Friday, March 20. Submission requirements and application information are available at www.morganhillcf.org/. Completed applications should be sent to MHCF, Attn: Grants, P.O. Box 1974, Morgan Hill, CA 95038. Please note the application is updated for the 2015 grant process; applicants using previous forms will be disqualified. Scholarships The MHCF is proud to add high school student scholarships to its wide range of community funding and involvement. MHCF scholarships are offered through the local school district’s existing scholarship program. The application and guidelines are available through each high school’s career and guidance counseling centers. In addition to its grant and scholarship programs, the MHCF has a number of events in the coming weeks to continue supporting the community. Those include “Rhone Varietals Locally Grown: Taste, Experience, Enjoy!” Monday, March 16, 6-8 p.m., Bubbles Wine Bar; Art a la Carte, hosted by the MHCF’s El Toro Culture and Arts Committee. The event is a free children’s art fair scheduled for Saturday, April 25, from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Lastly, on May 5th, join the MHCF and many Bay Area nonprofits for “Silicon Valley Gives,” the second annual online giving fund drive, led by the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. For more information on other MHCF services and activities, please see www.morganhillcf.org/ Rhone Varietals Tasting To help support those two programs and many others, we welcome the community to an evening of great fun, tasty bites, and some of the best samples of Rhone Valley varietals grown locally. Please join us for “RHONE VARIETALS: TASTE, EXPERIENCE, ENJOY!” The evening is scheduled for Monday, March 16, 6-8 p.m. at Bubbles Wine Bar, 17105 Monterey Street. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased through PayPal at www.morganhillcf.org or by check, MHCF P.O. Box 1974, Morgan Hill, CA 95038. Join the MHCF and local winegrower, Jeffrey Fadness from La Vie Dansante Wines, as he shares some of the secrets, surprises, and ins-and-outs of the Santa Clara Valley’s best Rhone varietals. The evening will feature wines from Aver Family Vineyards, Sarah’s Vineyard, and Lion Ranch Vineyard and Winery. The tasting event is not a competition between featured wineries, but a chance to taste and learn about a range of superb local wines within the Rhone varietal category. Fadness will present examples of the above varietals crafted in a “new-world, California” style from wineries located near Morgan Hill. For questions on any MHCF program, please contact
[email protected]. About Morgan Hill Community Foundation The Morgan Hill Community Foundation (MHCF) is a tax-exempt public charity focused on improving the quality of life in the greater Morgan Hill region. MHCF accomplishes this by furthering a culture of giving to address community needs and identifying and acquiring resources that provide support to nonprofit groups and programs. The group meets the breadth of community needs through six funding areas: Arts & Culture, Recreation, Education & Livelong Learning, Health & Human Services, Science & Technology, and Environment & Agriculture. It has an annual discretionary grants process that awards grants to local non-profit organizations and programs, as well as works with donors on an individual basis to assist in philanthropic choices and community investment strategies. It is an affiliate member of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, a tax-exempt public charity with assets of approximately $5 billion. For more information, see www.morganhillcf.org Page 4
A Wonderful Celebrate Morgan Hill This year’s Celebrate Morgan Hill was another beautiful event. The Mardi Gras theme was a lot of fun. This year was the first year to include dancing after dinner, and that was a big hit. We had a DJ who got people hopping, and there was some extra time for networking, which everyone enjoyed. The food, catered by Business of the Year Mama Mia’s, was delicious. We heard passionate speeches from each of this year’s awardees. We are so proud to have these people representing Morgan Hill this year. Many of last year’s distinguished awardees were in attendance to support this year’s honorees. Thank you to everyone who attended to celebrate these wonderful members of the community. Thank you to all the people & businesses who donated silent auction & gift box items. These helped us raise funds to help us enrich our community throughout the year. Thank you so much to our generous event sponsors and amazing event volunteers. We couldn’t have put this on without you. Thank you in particular to the Celebrate Organizing Committee: Erin Machado, Sunday Minnich, Rich Firato, John Horner, Holly Horner and especially Janis McDonald, who worked countless hours making sure the event would be perfect, including putting together the beautiful décor. Finally, congratulations again to our honorees: Man of the Year — Dennis Dal Poggetto Woman of the Year — Janie Knopf Educator of the Year — George Flores Student of the Year — Jordyne Atkins Volunteers of the Year — Terry & Tom Moriyama Business of the Year — Mama Mia’s
Thank You to the Celebrate Sponsors
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New Mobile-Friendly Chamber Website We are pleased to announce that the Morgan Hill Chamber website continues to improve! We now have a fully functional mobile website! Everything on the site is now available on any mobile phone or tablet in any browser. Consumers today spend nearly 60% of their Internet time on mobile devices. Mobile is now the most common way to interact online, with smartphones in almost every pocket. Now any time you want to find a local business or see what events are happening in town, you can go to our site at www.morganhill.org on your phone from anywhere and find out. As your Chamber of Commerce we are committed to helping you promote your business with the latest technology. Our mobile website promotes your businesses & events with pictures, maps & other interactive content. We encourage you to update your business listing on the site. Add pictures, links and videos so that people can get a good feel for what your business does. All of these updates will automatically carry over seamlessly to our mobile site. The same goes for any events you add to our calendar. If you’re hosting a sale, party, or other open-to-the-public event, please add it to our calendar. You can add a promotional video, pictures and detailed information about your event as well. Then when people visit our site on their smartphones they’ll be able to see all of this information. Our goal is to make MorganHill.org the first website people visit when they want to learn about our fine town. And this is another step towards making that a reality. This means we also now have fully functional mobile advertising! All advertisements placed on the main site will now also appear on mobile. If you are interested in advertising on our website & mobile site, please contact Erin Machado at
[email protected]
Scan this QR Code to see our brand new mobile website for yourself! Page 6
Morgan Hill Economic Development The 2013 Economic and Fiscal Impact Analysis of Industrial Areas prepared by Strategic Economics identified that Morgan Hill has a significant and diverse employment base that has expanded rapidly over the past two decades, with strong prospects for growth. The report identified Industrial and R&D as the two primary sectors that Morgan Hill has historically attracted. The report identified a building inventory of industrial, office, research and development, and warehouse of approximately 5.6 million square feet. Based on 2014 data, the total actual base inventory is 6.1 million square feet of Industrial, R&D, Office and Ware house. 82% of the inventory is industrial and research and development (R&D). The Study identified 294 acres of vacant industrial land within the city limits located in four distinct industrial subareas ranked by their employment concentrations and existing and future importance to the City (see map below). Additionally, the industrial vacant land was color coded with dark red for large parcels of 15-41 acres in size and the lightest pink for smaller parcels under 2 acres. Since the Study was completed, the City of Morgan Hill has approved several industrial land conversions that have reduced the total supply. These conversions include the most of the 20-acre parcel known as the South Bay parcel on the SE corner of Cochrane and Butterfield from industrial to commercial. The second conversion was for the 14-acre parcel on Butterfield Blvd. and Central Avenue from industrial to residential. It is important to note that in addition to the reduced inventory of industrial land, the inventory of large parcels under common ownership is rather limited. Presently, there are several users looking for large parcels for industrial or commercial uses, with limited opportunities that meet the required specifications. According to Colliers, one of the most active real estate firms in South County, the industrial availability of space in Morgan Hill is at a record low of less than 3%. This is in great extent due to the economic upturn and companies getting priced out of areas in the Peninsula. The growing market has been dominated by companies making purchases or expanding their business as they identify newer building inventory at lower prices in Morgan Hill. The Research and Development sector in Morgan Hill is also doing well with a record low vacancy of 4.2%. The graphs below show the historical available space in the last four years in Morgan Hill and vacancy in the Industrial and R&D sectors at a record low. In addition to this activity, a number of companies are exploring expansions like Tencate, Flextronics, and Specialized Bicycles. In recent months, several large users have been working with the City to identify sites for their industrial and commercial expansions. These include manufacturing, lodging, office/warehouse, cold storage, mini storage and the auto-related industry, all looking for sites of 2.4-20 acres in size. Several of these users are at various stages of land acquisition. If all of these users locate in the next months, the City can expect a further reduction of industrial land of approximately 67 acres (20, 18, 7, 5, 5, 4.2, 3, 2.5 & 2.4 acres for each potential user). Morgan Hill has approximately 1.3 million square feet of retail inventory. Shopping centers in Morgan Hill range in size of 16,500 SF to 266,600 SF. Two shopping centers have the ability to expand, providing an additional retail capacity of 425,000 SF. Morgan Hill shares a retail trade area with South San Jose and Gilroy, which means that virtually most retailers are already represented within the trade area. This coupled with a shrinking retail market has created a vacancy rate as high as 10% in recent years. Recent activity in the commercial/retail arena has been predominantly auto sales, with the recent expansions of the Ford Store and Honda, both acquiring 2.1 and 4.6 acres respectively, for their current expansions. Based on conversations with auto dealers, hotels developers, retailers and retail brokers, even the retail market in Morgan Hill seems to be changing. Shopping centers like the Cochrane Plaza and Cochrane Square that have had high vacancies are reporting leasing activity. Read the full report: www.morgan-hill.ca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/15318 (Economic Development Memorandum begins on page 97 of the PDF)
Make Fitness a Family Affair Habits can be difficult to break - and Carol Kromer of The Little Gym of Morgan Hill says that can be a very good thing when you are talking about the kinds of healthy habits that parents can help their children develop right from the start. The key to getting those healthy habits to "stick," says Kromer, is to make certain that they are actually rewarding and enjoyable for your children. What can you do to encourage your child to develop healthy habits? Kromer says, "As a parent, you pass more than genes down to your children - you pass down your habits too! If you make healthy food choices, your children are more likely to do the same. And if you make fitness part of everyday family life, your children are more likely to regard being active as fun, and not a chore." Kromer offers these suggestions to help parents get the whole family up and moving. 1. Incorporate physical activity into the family routine with a nightly family walk or bike ride. 2. Train as a family for a charity run or walk. 3. Celebrate special occasions-like birthday or anniversaries-with something active such as a hike, a basketball or soccer game or a bike ride. Helping your children develop healthy habits early on in life may even help them do better in school over the long term, according to a New York Times article* that highlighted the findings of a study** published in Pediatrics. The results of that study demonstrated a strong link between physical activity and development of the part of the brain that controls "executive functions" like mental multitasking and concentration. These executive functions are the thinking skills that have the strongest influence on your child's academic performance. "Children like to play. That's why making physical activity fun is the best way to encourage children to get and stay active," said Kromer. "Like family bike rides and games of tag, the programs at The Little Gym focus on fun-filled ways for children to burn off energy and make new friends while they develop self-confidence in their physical abilities. And that's a great start on a lifetime habit that pays dividends in both physical and mental health." For more information about the fun fitness programs for children at The Little Gym of Morgan Hill please contact Carol Kromer, owner of The Little Gym of Morgan Hill, located at 15750 Vineyard Blvd, Suite 190, at 408-776-8125 or
[email protected], visit them at www.TheLittleGym.com. or go to www.thelittlegym.com/MorganHillCA Page 8
The Most Complete Morgan Hill Event Calendar For many years, people in Morgan Hill have been talking about how to put together a truly complete Morgan Hill Events Calendar. Here at the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce, we’ve decided to create it. There is no other calendar in Morgan Hill that has so many local events listed on it. The calendar is searchable, by date, keyword & category. It also has tabs across the top which filter you down to types of events such as Entertainment, Seniors or Business events. It can be viewed as a list of events (either A-Z or by date) or you can look at a full month at a time. Listed on the calendar are all the major live music events, business events and other activities going on in Morgan Hill. Whenever possible we add photographs to give a better feel for the event, and for many live music events & movie events we’ve included videos. While we do our best to get everything put on the calendar, the best way to make sure your events are listed is to add them yourself! As a Chamber Member you can log in to the website and add information about your upcoming events (please check and make sure we haven’t already listed them first). Or you can always email Holly Horner at
[email protected] and let her know about your upcoming event and she will add it to the calendar. Please email the details at least two weeks before your event to ensure that it makes it onto the calendar. f you have any suggestions for how to improve our calendar, we’re happy to hear them. But we are very proud to announce that our calendar is the most complete, and we’re always working to improve it.
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Does your business host live entertainment?
Did you know?
If you are a Chamber Member, simply email your entertainment schedule to Holly at
[email protected] and we will add it to our online calendar!
Your Chamber of Commerce Membership includes FREE
Please email at least 3 weeks in advance of the event date to guarantee it’s placement on the calendar.
Business Counseling? Call the Chamber at 408-779-9444 to sign up!
Kevin P. Courtney Attorney At Law Licensed before the U.S. Tax Court Providing business, litigation, estate planning and tax-related legal services since 1977.
17415 Monterey Road, #204 Morgan Hill, CA 95037 (408) 779-5101
www.KPCLaw.com Page 10
Thank you to our Raffle Donors! Thanks to all who donated to the Breakfast & Mixer Raffles BookSmart
Recology South Valley
Bella Terra
Heritage Bank
Realty World P2P Suzanne Barrett/Shaklee Products
Advertising Opportunity! If you would like to advertise in future copies of this publication, please contact our office at:
(408) 779-9444
Edward Boss Prado Foundation Rich Firato/Morgan’s Cove On the Road Again Colonial Life AAUW David Cohen
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Business Card size advertising One month $100.00 Three months $250.00 Six months $550.00 Twelve months $800.00 Loose Flyer Insert information 500 flyers, double sided, space available basis $150.00/issue
Welcome New Members! Momma’s Dolce 408-779-4549
Extreme Properties 669-888-3233
Lin Engineering 408-919-0200
Global Solutions 650-390-3251
Prestige Promotions 408-300-7670
Thomas Cowley & Associates 408-500-1413
Edward Jones—Marissa Otto, CFP 408-778-4400
Silicon Valley Business Journal 408-295-3800
Thank You Renewals! Gavilan Community College Members 29 Years Law Offices of Kevin P. Courtney Members 26 Years Flooring America Cottage Floors Members 21 Years The UPS Store Members 21 Years Make It Mine Members 20 Years Affordable Solar Roofs Members 19 Years Cochrane Road Self Storage Members 18 Years Realty World People to People Members 17 Years
Jon Y Hatakeyama DDS & Don Nguyen DDS Family Dentistry Members 16 Years Shaklee Products—Suzanne Barrett Member 16 Years Santa Clara County Farm Bureau Members 14 Years JJH Realty & Consulting Co. Members 10 Years Stems Floral Boutique Members 9 Years Oak Valley Consulting, Inc Members 8 Years Infinity Staffing Services Members 3 Years Technology Credit Union Members 1 Year
Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Members 17 Years Page 11
P. O. Box 786 / Morgan Hill, CA 95038
facebook.com/MorganHillChamber
Thank you for being a member of the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce !
Thank you to everyone who attended & supported Celebrate Morgan Hill!
