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By RICHARD HALSTEAD | rhalstead@marinij.com | Marin Independent Journal

PUBLISHED: May 31, 2021 at 3:19 p.m. | UPDATED: May 31, 2021 at 3:19 p.m.

Robert Wellbeloved, owner of Magnolia Park Kitchen, prepares outdoor seating at the restaurant as he opens for the day in San Rafael on Friday, May 21, 2021. (Alan Dep/Marin Independent Journal)

Marin businesses, like businesses in other regions of the nation, are being hindered in their efforts to recover from the pandemic-induced recession by a shortage of available workers.

“The trend really is that employers are going to continue to struggle to hire while some of our labor force sits on the sidelines waiting for the right time to come into the market,” Mike Blakeley, chief executive of the Marin Economic Forum, said at the organization’s briefing in May.

Joanne Webster, chief executive of the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce, said “employers are scrambling to fill positions and working hard at keeping the ones they have.”

“In many sectors, workers are not 100% comfortable coming back to work yet,” Webster said. “The pandemic also caused many employees to re-evaluate their past employment, and they either decided to change careers or moved for personal reasons.”

Debi Geller, the Marin business development manager for Nelson Staffing, said the county has “lost a huge percentage of its workforce.

“I think a lot of people took a step back and decided that they didn’t want to do whatever they were doing,” Geller said. “We’ve had people say, ‘I’m out of here,’ and left Marin and moved somewhere else that is less expensive. People have to pay more for the exact same person and skill sets than they did before coronavirus.”

During the Marin Economic Forum briefing last month, Robert Eyler, the organization’s chief economist, noted that a growing number of states have decided to drop enhanced unemployment benefits provided by the federal government because they fear they are rewarding people for remaining out of the workforce.

Eyler said in Marin’s case there might be additional factors at work. He said there is evidence to suggest that the overall size of Marin’s workforce, modest before the pandemic began, has gotten smaller.

Eyler said that while the number of Marin households increased in 2020, the county’s population decreased by 1%, or about 2,614 people.

“It means that households that had more people in them left,” Eyler said, “and we received households that had fewer people. What that should result in is a loss of labor force.”

He said that is one reason that Marin’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 4.6% in March was the lowest of any county in California.

“If you’ve lost labor force, you have a smaller set who are unemployed,” Eyler said. “Unfortunately, Marin County is now estimated to have lost population four years in a row. Sonoma and Napa counties actually lost population five years in a row.”

Eyler said Northern California’s high cost of living and the recent series of devastating fires in the area and their attendant air pollution could be factors.

Robert Wellbeloved, the owner of the Magnolia Park Kitchen in San Rafael, said his restaurant’s traffic has returned to pre-pandemic levels, and he is anticipating demand for his catering services to return by September. He would like to hire three more employees.

“I’ve had a sign posted now for 45 days,” Wellbeloved said, “and I’ve gotten maybe one or two applicants.”

Wellbeloved has heard the speculation about unemployment benefits being the culprit.

“I think the answer is a little more complex than that,” he said.

Wellbeloved said many teenagers in Marin belong to affluent families and feel no pressure to work.

“That cuts a big layer of the workforce out,” he said.

Wellbeloved said in addition there are some people who are still very nervous about the health consequences of returning to the workforce and others who decided Marin was too expensive and moved.

“I think our industry is going to come out of this pandemic with a different landscape,” he said, “and that picture has not yet been painted.”

Supervisor Damon Connolly said that Marin County is seeking federal funding to develop an “economic vitality strategic plan” that will address the county’s need to attract a diverse workforce.

Connolly said solutions will need to be found for longstanding issues such as “reliable and affordable child care, affordable workforce housing, broadband accessibility, transportation and the aging of Marin’s workforce.”

Cynthia Murray, chief executive of the North Bay Leadership Council, said, “Our labor force participation is jeopardized by the high number of Marin residents who are retired or retiring. We are way above average demographically for our region.”

To make matters worse, Murray said, the number of millennials in the county is below average.

“Many of those are departing Marin for a better life with housing they can afford,” she said.

As if that wasn’t enough, Murray said, “Marin’s workforce participation rate is declining, with only about 60% of the working demographic actually participating in the workforce.”

Nevertheless, Murray said, there are several enticements Marin employers can offer to attract workers, “such as higher pay, more remote work and increased benefits.”

She said employers can also consider hiring people who lack necessary skills and training them on-the-job or providing childcare onsite.

“Women have been impacted far greater than men in the loss of jobs,” Murray said, “and we need to do more to help them return to the workforce.”

The Sonoma chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities (SCC), the charitable arm of Sonoma Raceway, is dedicated to raising much-needed funds during raceway major events. As part of this year’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Cup Series weekend festivities, SCC is offering three incredible ways fans can support Sonoma County youth-serving organizations with Laps for Charity, Fan in the Stand Cutouts and an online charity auction.

SCC will offer Laps for Charity on Friday June 4, the first ever event of its kind during NASCAR weekend, which runs June 5-6. This lead-and-follow session will consist of three spirited laps in the participants own vehicle across the Start/Finish line and through the Carousel on the 12-turn, 2.52-mile road course. Cost is $225 per car and eight sessions are available between 10:20 a.m. and 12:40 p.m. The event will be held adhering to COVID-19 protocols, including social distancing and facial coverings.

The 2021 Sonoma Charity Online Auction features a Zoom chat with NASCAR Cup Series driver and Elk Grove native Kyle Larson, hot laps in Sears Point Racing Experience race cars, Jeff Gordon-signed bottles of wine, autographed memorabilia by 2018 and 2019 race winner Martin Truex Jr. and three-time Sonoma polesitter Larson as well as a Jimmie Johnson-signed mini-helmet. The auction, which runs through Thursday, May 27 at noon PT, is at www.sccauctions.com.

Fans can also participate in a fan cutout program at the Toyota/Save Mart 350.  The fan cutouts, which will be interspersed with race fans at the race on Sunday, June 6 will be located in the main grandstand overlooking the start/finish line.

Fans can purchase and upload their image by visiting shop.fancutouts.com/products/sonoma-toyota-save-mart-350. Cost is $100 for a “Super Fan Cutout” and includes a personalized image placed in the main grandstand as well as access to Virtual Victory Lane, which grants preferred digital access to watch the race winner celebrate in Sonoma Raceway’s Victory Lane.  Fans can also purchase the “Fan in the Stand” general cutout option for $75. The deadline to order your fan cut out for race day is May 28.
The Sonoma chapter of SCC has distributed more than $6.8 million to Sonoma County youth groups since 2001. For more information or to make a direct donation, visit www.speedwaycharities.org/Sonoma or contact Cheri Plattner (cplattner@SonomaRaceway.com or 707-933-3950).

Sortable and searchable tables of winners are available on the CNPA website:

Campus
Digital
Print
Open

Winners galleries with links to the winning entries are also available online:

Campus
Digital
Print

This year’s California Journalism Awards Gala is canceled because of the pandemic. In lieu of the Gala, CNPA will publish a glossy magazine honoring the winners in June.

Award plaques will be shipped directly to publications that placed first and second in the contest categories.

Certificates will be mailed to all individual winners who placed first through fifth.

Timing of the shipments and mailings will occur as circumstances permit and will be announced later.

This year’s contest received 3,036 entries from print, digital and campus publications.

Print Contest entries totaled 1,927, down from last year’s 2,006.

The Digital Contest, now in its third year, saw the number of entries increase to 699 this year from 597 last.

CNPA Campus members sent in 410 entries, up from 383 last year.

Last year overall, the contests received 2,972 entries from print, digital and campus publications.

Under Barry Friedman, the third generation of his family to run Friedman’s Home Improvement, the retailer last month reached the milestone of 75 years in business.

The regional business has grown from its flagship store in Santa Rosa to stores in Petaluma, Sonoma and Ukiah, as well as a distribution site in Windsor.

To coincide with the anniversary, the company has chronicled its history in a book called “The Friedman’s Way.”

Company leader Friedman, 42, owns the operation with his father, Bill Friedman, the chairman. In June, it’ll be eight years since the younger Friedman was promoted to CEO of the family business started by his grandfather.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the company was able to continue annual revenue growth. It posted revenue of $203 million in 2020, followed by $194 million in 2019 and $190 million in 2018.

In a recent interview with the North Bay Business Journal, the leader of the family enterprise who holds an undergraduate degree in business from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, talked about managing during the pandemic, his career and prospects for the next generation of the company. Friedman lives in Santa Rosa with his wife, Heidi, and their four children, aged 7 to 13.

The interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

How have your employees responded during the pandemic?

Some people were not comfortable, especially at the beginning when there was not a lot of information. So one of the things that we did for those that were not comfortable was offer them extended leave. We reduced our store hours at the beginning, so that we knew we could still remain open with fewer workers.

Some people did return once they felt comfortable and saw we put safety at the forefront, and some people, for whatever their circumstance was, decided that maybe retail wasn’t for them.

How would you describe yourself as a leader and decision-maker?

I’m very collaborative. I want to hear other people’s perspectives, and I want to understand. I try to look at all aspects of decisions that I make and be thoughtful in how we approach them.

I also think because I’ve been in this business a long time, I have a strong gut feeling. I see things or sense things. But I also love to balance that with data.

When did you first get involved in the family business?

I remember being 8 years old and wanting something from a store at one point and my mom saying that maybe I should go to work with my dad and then I can have that thing. I would spend either weekends or breaks from school working at the store in Santa Rosa. I was bagging for customers and getting carts out in the parking lot, and then doing other small tasks. I was taking it seriously and getting paid, which was awesome.

As I grew older, I took on different roles within the organization, working in our lumber yard and as a cashier. And then in college, when I would come home from school, I would take on even more roles.

What did you do after college?

I always knew from a young age that someday I would be a part of Friedman’s. I just didn’t know when.

I wanted to work at Nike after graduating from college, but when I graduated in 2001 there was a hiring freeze. So I decided to take a leap of faith, and I drove out to Montana.

I wanted to do something other than retail, and I wanted to do something more adventurous. So I got a job at a guest ranch, which is kind of like a dude ranch. I actually worked in the food service side at first, and then I got into the business side and was doing vacation sales, which was fun. That summer, I was also a whitewater raft guide on the Gallatin River.

That is definitely adventurous. Where did you head next?

I worked on a NASCAR pit crew out in North Carolina for Biagi Brothers Racing, which is a local connection. Fred Biagi of Biagi Brothers, who lives in Santa Rosa, had a racing team and had offered for me to go and help out. I thought it was going to be a short-term gig but ended up staying two years.

How did these experiences help shape your future?

I got to see the country by traveling with this racing team and learned about an industry that was totally foreign to me. But I was able to apply some of the things that I had learned either in school or working at Friedman’s, and was able to be an asset to the team. I was the jackman on the pit crew and then worked in the shop.

I think being on this racing team allowed me to get a perspective on the life that I wanted to live. I wanted to have a family, and I wanted to work in the family business.

When did you start your career at Friedman’s?

I came back in 2004 and basically started back at square one in the business. I went through the new hire orientation, and I did everything that a new team member would go through. I continued to work my way up and then started to be involved in some leadership conversations, being more exposed to some of the higher level decision-making and strategies.

What piece of advice would you give to a business owner?

It’s all about people, no matter what business you’re in. One of the things I’ve learned is to make sure that the talent in the people you bring into your business are aligned with your values.

What about your children one day taking over the family business?

My kids actually have shown interest in wanting to get involved. They like going to the stores and have helped out for special events. But I have not involved them in the same way that I was when I was a kid, and I think part of that is times have changed.

But my 13-year-old son wants to save up for his first car, and he’s champing at the bit to get involved and wants to work. So I’m trying to figure out the best way to help introduce him to the business.

How do you view Friedman’s at its 75-year anniversary?

There are a lot of people that helped Friedman’s get to this point. It started with my grandfather and his brother, and there’s so many people along the way that helped us get here.

It’s still family owned, which is great. Whether or not my family wants to be involved, it’s important to perpetuate this legacy that started for the community, for our team members and for our customers that rely on us.

I happen to be the steward right now helping to bring Friedman’s into the next era and help define that for us, but there will be people after me. We’re not done.

Star Staffing is proud to be recognized as a Forbes Best Recruiting and Temporary Staffing Firm for the second consecutive year. This recognition wouldn’t be possible without our dedicated team, clients, and employees who helped us receive this honor. Star Staffing is one of 150 companies that ranked as a five-star temporary staffing firm in America.

Forbes is a global business, branding, and technology company with a focus on news and information. Every year, Forbes ranks a variety of different organizations based on pre-determined categories and topics.

Forbes partnered with market research company Statista to coordinate the ranking of America’s best temporary staffing firms. This recognition is based on over 26,000 nominations from survey participants. The three target groups include external recruiters, HR managers/hiring managers, and candidates. View the complete list of 150 Temp Staffing firms on the Forbes website here.

Star Staffing President Nicole Serres shares, “It’s a distinct honor to be recognized by Forbes as one of the Best Recruiting and Temporary Staffing Firms in America.  This title is a testament to the tremendous job our team has done in building a strong reputation as a company that provides excellent guidance to its clients and employees. Despite this past year presenting us with turbulent changes and adversities in our global and local economies, we were able to step up for our community at a time when our company was needed more than ever. We helped numerous companies with situating to remote work, overcoming the various challenges posed by the pandemic, and provide employers with much-needed resources and additional support. We’re grateful to our employees, clients, and team members for their resiliency and continued trust.”

A DEDICATED COVID-19 RESOURCE

With strong ties to essential industries, Star Staffing worked to support essential business early into the COVID-19 pandemic. Our staffing firm stepped up to aid jobless hospitality workers to find temp jobs in diverse industries.

Some companies needed even more workers during the pandemic. In those cases, we made sure to get employees into roles and meet production goals. With the help of Star Staffing’s recruiting expertise, local employers hired employees and hit business goals during Covid-19.

As part of the Covid-safe transition process, Star Staffing launched a virtual webinar series with critical information employers needed to know including topics on Covid-19 Vaccine Policies in the Workplace and more. To date, our staffing firm hosts informational webinars and provides rich resources for both employers and job seekers. A 2021 new website revamp and Star Staffing job seeker app launch further sets Star Staffing apart as a thought leader and recruiting differentiator in the Covid-19 landscape.

ABOUT STAR STAFFING

With over 20 years in the industry, Star Staffing has thrived as a top temporary staffing agency supporting multiple industries including wine, manufacturing, finance, warehouse and distribution, and more employers. As the economy heals, we looking forward to maintaining our promise: we are here when you need us.

Star Staffing is a full-service workforce solutions firm. We focus on making the best match between employee and employer. With offices throughout Northern California including Lodi, Sacramento, Fairfield, Napa, Hayward, Petaluma, and Santa Rosa, Star Staffing is just a phone call or click away.