11th Annual Central Valley Venture Forum

California State Controller Betty Yee and Fred Ruiz, Chairman Emeritus of Ruiz Foods, will be the featured speakers at the 11th Annual CVVF – Nov. 3,

Scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 3, the forum will be held at Clovis Memorial District Auditorium in Clovis, Calif. CVVF is a collaboration between the Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the Craig School of Business at Fresno State, and the Central Valley Fund.

State Controller Yee will deliver the luncheon keynote address “The State of the State: 2016 California Business & 2017 Business Forecast & Beyond.”

Mr. Ruiz will share his success story building a business from a garage in Dinuba into the largest Hispanic frozen food manufacturer in the United States. The session will be hosted interview-style with several audience questions to give attendees an honest look into what it takes to build a business from inception to national success.

The forum will include multiple panels throughout the day. The morning session will feature Central Valley business leaders and CEOs in the areas of agriculture and technology. Also highlighted will be the topic of growing a world-class business in the Central Valley, and California/Mexico Trade: How Your Firm Can Export to Mexico. The session “Life or Death by PowerPoint” will give attendees guidance on their pitch decks at every stage of the funding level.

“Presenters will include public policy leaders, angel investors, venture capitalists, Central Valley entrepreneurs, business owners, lawyers, accountants, bankers, and community leaders. We have an action-packed day filled with some of the most successful business leaders in California exploring best practices, shared advice and insight into how to navigate and survive as an entrepreneur or business owner in the Central Valley”, said Dr. Robert Harper, Dean of Craig School of Business.

The conference is the only venue where growth companies can demonstrate their readiness for private equity investment in the ABC’s Shark Tank inspired annual Valley Entrepreneur Showcase. Five new or early-stage businesses will present in front of attendees to a panel of investors and compete for best in the show. Businesses interested in participating are welcome to apply on www.ValleyVentureForum.com.

“This conference is a powerful, yet informal, setting that will give entrepreneurs the tools to thrive in our fast-paced and ever-changing economy,” Harper said. “We’ve seen several companies make valuable connections, raise capital and discover tips on business success to catapult their business forward.”

Individual tickets, which include a continental breakfast, lunch, and afternoon reception, are $65 before Nov. 1, and $75 after. Students can attend for $25. Tickets and more details are available via the event website: www.ValleyVentureForum.com.

Additional information is available by contacting Anna Gonzalez at anna@jpmktg.com or 661.238.9289

Please Join Us for the 2nd Annual Sacramento Business Transition Seminar

Register Today!

Someday you will transfer your business to the next generation of family members or new owners.

The resulting transition may be the single largest financial transaction of your life.

Now is the time to start planning.

October 6, 2016

7:30 – 10:00 AM

Hyatt Regency Sacramento

The Central Valley Fund invites you to attend this educational event to learn more about planning a successful transition. Featuring 2-panel discussions, this seminar will provide the guidance and resources to ensure your business has a seamless transition.

• Advisor Panel – Hear professional advisers share information on the importance of planning, and leave with materials to help guide your business transition – whether that be a family member, a management group, or an individual.

• CEO Panel – Hear directly from CEOs who have successfully transitioned their business, or are currently in the process.

Register at bizjournalevents.com

Central Valley Fund exits logistics company investment

California private equity firm has agreed to sell its ownership in the logistics service provider

The Central Valley Fund (CVF) announced today the exit of its investment in Source Logistics, www.sourcelogistics.net. CVF invested $3.36M in March 2008 as part of the company’s rapid expansion plan. Financial terms have not been revealed.

Source Logistics provides warehouse management, distribution solutions, and other value-added logistics services through a network of more than 8 locations and 1.5 million square feet of warehouse space throughout the entire country.

Source Logistics CEO Marcelo Sada said, “We appreciated CVF’s support these last 8 years. They helped us execute on our business plan, facilitate access to capital, and provided added value in many ways, facilitating our growing revenue 7x during this period of time”.

Its achievements under CVF also include buying the fulfillment and digital print company – Fulfillment Corporation of America, www.sourcefca.com, in December 2012 which allowed the company to expand its customer base with U.S. utilities, retail, and healthcare companies.

CVF partner José Blanco said, “We achieved everything we set out to, supporting Marcelo and the Source Logistics team become an industry leader with a great management team, a strong corporate culture, and all the tools it needs to continue succeeding long term”. “We are pleased with the value created on behalf of the company’s employees, customers, and shareholders.”

About Source Logistics

Founded in Montebello, California in 1997, by Marcelo Sada, Raul Villarreal, and Fernando Ramirez to provide logistics services to the growing volume of imports from Mexico’s leading food and beverage firms. The company grew quickly and established warehouse locations throughout the U.S. and expanded its services to provide fulfillment and digital print to a variety of U.S. customers in apparel and numerous consumer segments. For more information, please visit www.sourcelogistics.net