1996_05 Insight May 1996

              MAY 15, 1996
Insight
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, FRESNO
VOL. 27, NO. 24
It's BIG
Business
people
^•h>sll
huil.Iu
Dt has long been ihoughl that
the only high stakes game
in Fresno is recruiting lor
next year's basketball team.
Behind the scenes of major
manufacturing is another high
slakes game played hy eily leaders, independeni consultants and
nationally known corporations.
The game is one of attraeting
businesses to Fresno and keeping
them here by ottering the best incentives, including cheaper land,
building upgrades and a trained
labor force.
But some companies make il
easier by slatting their companies
in Fresno.
Keiser Corporation, a Fresno
business lhat started in 1974.
manufactures air-powered exercise
equipment lor customers including the Dallas Cowboy;
ships. Famih Fitness Centers and
children's play sysiems such as
those seen ai Burger King.
Dennis Keiser president and
founder ol" Keiser Corporation.
chose Fresno as the base of operations because he grew up here.
Now he would like to move his
business out of Fresno.
Keiser. who employs about 45
people, wants to expand his busi-
He planned to build a larger
building on the 5 acres he owns at
411 S. West Ave. But. to meet city
zoning regulations, he would have
lo pay more than he can afford.
City regulations affect growth
TEAM
REPORT
David Johnson
Sheryl Loguc
Deborah Sanchez
Douglas StoJhand
Troy Wagner
iiwwiHiii'gjga
the Fresno Count
opment Corpor.
ii IEOC). to attract
fcmsii
olhe.
"The primary function ofthe EDC
is to attract business and help exisi-
Marlene Murphy, economic develop-
,...idm
r fo
the
The
legul.il
businesses handle water, sewer and
expansion directly affect growth,
he said.
According to Keiser. before he
could construct a new building on
his undeveloped property, the city
required that he pay to bring water and sewer lines to the location
at an estimated cost of $200,000.
The city would require him to
build a ponding basin on the property and pay a S35.O0O flood-con-
trol fee if he covered more ground
at the location, he said.
"In the very competitive business market today, those costs become very important." Keiser said.
Fresno.
John E. Quiring, president of EDC.
said the organization also has contracts to bring in business Ion Fresno
County and the cities of Sdma.
Sanger and Clovis.
"We basically work as their marketing arm. as their service arm."
Quiring said.
The EDC received a budget of
S3O*S.000 from the city for 1996.
Murphy said.
The private sector contributed another SI 00.IKX) for this year, according lo ihe EDC's annual report.
Quiring said wiih ihis money the
agency hopes lo attract 800 to 1.000
jobs to the area each year Ihe EDC
does nol try lo work with every business sector but instead has a specific
Base industries pfay a role
"We work wiih base industries,
[which is) any company thai exports
i product outside Fresno
Insight photo by Ryan McKee
After cutting pieces of metal at the Keiser factory in downtown Fresno, employee Daniel Ramirez
uses a belt sander to clean up the piece.
The EDC iries lo seek
justnesses thai offer mid-r;
and blue-collar work. Qui
Sieve Win
llenber.
lid c
y planning
•com
Cm
ty.-he
aid
The EDC also works with large
manufacturers and distributors. It targets businesses that are in an expansion mode or a state of transition.
mends ihe EDC look for a large num
her of small manufacturers to create
a stable, diverse economy.
The city, in conjunction with the
EDC. doc's what it can to help busi
nesses move into the area.
"We help them find propert
locale within ihe enterprise zone.
See MANUFACTURING, page 9
Super
movie
houses
coming
■ Two new theater
multiplexes ready
for construction
by Stefanie Hard
Staff Writer
Imagine walking into a theater
and being able to choose from a
selection of at least a dozen movies, all in one location.
This scene could become a reality for Fresnans by next spring if
two proposed multiplexes are constructed.
Two movie theater companies.
Pacific Theatres of Los Angeles and
Edwards Cinemas of Newport
Beach, are proposing to build
movie complexes with more than
20 screens.
Pacific Theatres wants to construct a 26-screen movie complex
on the site of the Woodw ard Park 4
Drive-ln Pacific owns the
Woodward Park 4. the city's only
operating drive-in.
Edwards Cinemas proposes to
build a 24-screen complex in the
Marketplace at River Park develop-
menl at Blackstone and Necs avenues.
The two sites are less than a mile
apart.
The total of 50 screens from the
two theaters'would double the number of screens in the Fresno-CIovis
Getting into the act
The proposed multiplexes are the
latest in a line of deals in the area
by theater companies. Visalia and
Selma also have plans with movie
theater companies to construct a
12-screen and six-screen complex,
respectively.
United Artists theaters added a
ninth movie house to the Fresno-
CIovis area earlier this year w ith the
opening ofthe 10-screcn Broadway
Faire ai Shaw and Valentine avenues in Fresno.
Even Magic Johnson is getting
into the act.
His Beverly Hills movie (heater
company might build a 12-screen
See THEATERS, page 8
Insight photo by Todd Warshaw
As the spring semester wraps up this week, several Bulldog athletic
teams are heading into NCAA playoffs. Junior Shelly Rude (above)
and the third-ranked softball team are hosting an NCAA regional
this weekend. For a look back at 15 weeks of Bulldog athletics,
see the back page.
Asian TV station will make debut
■ KNS0 Channel 51 to serve
Valley minority community
by May Xaykaothao
Staff Writer
Decorated with oriental fans on the walls and1
a cage of finches on each table. Lincoln Broadcast Company and Sainie Limited hosted a media event on April 11 to kick-oil" KNSO Channel 51.
City officials, business professionals and community leaders had an opportunity lo glimpse al
the grow ing Asian market from aiop the Sky room
ofthe Fresno Hilton Inn.
The new television station, featuring Asian
programming including live Cantonese and Man
darin newscasts, became available March 22 lo
ihe Fresno-Merced area.
The Lincoln Broadcasting Network, known as
"Your Window to the World." is the nation's oldest Asian and European language broadcast station.
Il has been pmv iding native language new | and
entertainment programs to the Northern California population since 1976.
A licensee of KTSF Channel 26. the Lincoln
Broadcasting Network serves the greater San
Francisco Bay area.
KNSO brings Asian programs to Fresno
Sainte Limited, licensee of KNSO Channel 51.
serves the greater part ofCentr.il California with
KNSO Channel 51 and Channel 60.
Owned by Chester and Naomi Smith. KN'SO's
four million watts of power elevates Lincoln
Broadcasting Network's coverage lo reach the
Fresno. Visalia and Hanford television market.
Sainte Limited has acquired a low power station to cater to the Sacramento area. By joining
forces. KTSF and KNSO have assembled the widest geographic reach of any Asian broadcaster in
the United States.
Currently, the KTSF broadcast signal, supplemented by all Bay Area cable sysiems. reaches
more than 950.000 Asian-Americans in the
greater Bay Area.
"Bringing Asian programming to thc Sacramento and Fresno is an exciting way lo celebrate
our 20 years of service to the community." said
Brian Holton. general manager of KTSF.
See MEDIA, page 9
New gasoline rules cause rapid price increase
■ Many are angered by
overnight price leaps
by Cathy Isom
Staff Writer
Just as the temperature began to rise, so did
the price of gasoline.
Beginning the week of April 15. pulling up to
the pump lo fill up for a SI.25 per gallon became a memory. 	
Instead, motorists were shelling out 30 to 50
cents more per gallon.
Prices began to climb swiftly.
All stations in California are now required to
carry a new reformulated fuel lor cleaner burning that complies with the California Air Resources Board, in accordance with the Federal
Clean-Air Act.
After June 1. no fuel can be sold in California
unless it complies w ith the Air Resources Board.
Oil companies have spent billions to modify
Iheir refineries, w hich means that they raise Iheir
price for buyers and pass them down at the rate
of about 15 cents per gallon.
Taxes take away profits
Oil companies shouldn't take all of the blame.
Taxes lake most of the percentage w hen it comes
to the price for a gallon of gas.
Wholesale cost, federal excise tax. state ex
cise tax. state sales tax. stations owner's profit,
slate environmental fee. state oil spill surcharge
and state underground tank fee all factor into the
price of each gallon.
Claudia Chandler of the California Energy Commission recognized a slight decline in prices already.
"There has been a significant decline in crude
oil prices," Chandler said. "Whereas on April
12. it was $24 per barrel, it is now SI9."
Chandler also noticed thai wholesale prices
have started to come down, around 03 cents sirye
the beginning of the week.
"Retail prices should slowly start to descend
as well." Chandler said. "CurrenUy. the statewide
SeeGAS.page8