Fresno snack-maker P*DE*Q wins entrepreneurship competition

Flavia Takahashi-Flores and her Fresno snack company, P*DE*Q, won top honors from a panel of judges from the business and venture capital communities at the Valley Entrepreneur Showcase, a highlight of the Central Valley Venture Forum last week in Clovis.

P*DE*Q, which manufactures bite-sized, tapioca-based bread snacks inspired by Takahashi-Flores’ native Brazil, received the Best of Show award, besting four other entrepreneurs who made investment pitches to the judges. P*DE*Q is short for pão de queijo, the Portuguese name of the gluten-free cheese-bread snacks.

Takahashi-Flores launched P*DE*Q in early 2011 and quickly built a following among the region’s gluten-free community. The company has since introduced new flavors and new products, including frozen pre-baked and ready-to-bake snacks, pie crusts, and more.

The business opened a storefront and manufacturing space near Fresno High School in 2012 and established a second location in Clovis in 2013. The Fresno location closed last December after the company contracted with Wawona Frozen Foods to provide enough manufacturing capacity to serve a growing number of retail stores.

The Clovis bakery and storefront closed several months ago, but P*DE*Q products are sold by a number of local retailers and about two dozen Costco stores in the western U.S.

Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/news/business/article46052485.html#emlnl=Afternoon_Newsletter#storylink=cpy

Central Valley Fund II Exits Investment in Resourcing Edge

Davis, CA, – Central Valley Fund II (“CVF II”) announced today it has exited its investment in Texas-based Resourcing Edge Human Resources (“REI”), an industry-leading HR management solutions provider. REI was sold to the large Midwest-based insurer, Assurity Life Insurance Company, based in Lincoln, NE. The terms of the transaction were undisclosed.

CVF II invested $3.65 million of growth capital into REI in late 2013 to finance the company’s strong growth trajectory, resulting from the increasing complexity of HR management practices in the United States. CVF II’s capital has allowed the company to further expand its product capabilities and scope of operations.

REI has experienced significant and consistent growth, with revenues increasing by more than 50 percent since 2013. This growth is attributable to REI’s recognized leadership position in the PEO and ASO market and the high demand for increased organizational efficiencies in the HR management process from small businesses.

“Resourcing Edge is transforming the way companies manage their HR,” said Ted Crawford, CEO, and founder of Resourcing Edge. “The Central Valley Fund team recognized the tremendous opportunity to provide HR management services for small businesses. With their investment, we expanded our product offering to deliver leading-edge technology that makes the HR management process more efficient, compliant, and a better experience for our customers.”

Ted Crawford, further commented, “We’re incredibly excited about this new phase of REI’s development with the Assurity Life team, who bring a national footprint and great industry reputation for quality products and services. We’re growing and scaling to meet the specific HR needs of small businesses in any industry.”

According to Jose Blanco, a partner at CVF, “What impressed us most about Resourcing Edge was their strong management team and solid operating performance that cemented the Company’s position as an industry leader. Our investment helped accelerate Resourcing Edge’s growth and allowed Ted and his team the resources to build the company and capitalize on market opportunities.”

About Resourcing Edge

Resourcing Edge, LLC (Resourcing Edge) is headquartered in Rockwall, Texas. The company has offices in Colorado, Arizona, California, Oklahoma, New Jersey, Texas, and Georgia, and an extensive team of service professionals that support over 1,500 companies throughout the country.

10th Annual Central Valley Venture Forum

Buy Tickets Now!

When: November 19th, 2015

Where: Clovis Veterans Memorial District Auditorium. 808 4th St. Clovis, CA 93612

Featuring: Ashley Swearengin. Mayor, City of Fresno. The Central Valley Investment Ecosystem – Celebrating 10 Years of Progress

Pam Marrone. CEO & Founder of Marrone Bio Innovations. Lessons learned from Start-up to IPO

The 10th Annual Central Valley Venture Forum (CVVF) will include a “Shark Tank”-like competition and panels highlighting Agriculture & Water Technology, Raising Investment Capital, Valley Hispanic Business Success, and California & Mexico Trade.

This event will bring more than $1 billion of investment capital into one room. It is designed to provide Valley business leaders with relevant, useful information to help them survive and thrive in today’s economy.

The CVVF is a partnership between the Lyles Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship and the Central Valley Fund.

General admission is $75. Purchase your ticket prior to November 1 to receive the early bird rate of $65. Student tickets are $25.

http://valleyventureforum.com/