October 2014 - South San Francisco Chamber of Commerce

BUSINESS IN BRIEF
A Publication Of The South San Francisco Chamber Of Commerce
Established 1913
O C T O B E R 2014
Visit Our Website at www.ssfchamber.com
Contents
Executive Director's Message. . . . . . . . . . . 1
Kaiser Article. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
SSF Scavenger Article . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Community Learning Center Article. . . 2-3
Trivia Challenge Article. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Bay Pointe Ballet Article. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
SSF Historical Society. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Grand Avenue Branch Library Article. . . . 3
Chamber Open House. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
New Member Breakfast. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Chamber Picnic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Renewing Members. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
New Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Board of Directors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Mark your Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE
by Maria Martinucci
Time flies when you are having fun! Here at the SSF Chamber time does fly, not only because we are having fun but
also because every day is a new challenge!
With summer officially over, and the end of Genentech
Goes to Town for this year, we are looking forward to a
busy season with lots of chamber events!
Once again, THANK YOU GENENTECH for your support
of our business community
On October 2nd, in partnership with the SF Bay Ferry, Bay Bio, we will be hosting Cocktails and Sunset Bay Cruise following the success of last year’s event.
October 9th marks our Annual Bocce Ball Tournament at Orange Park. If you
have never attended this event or never played bocce, this is the time to do it!
You may register by logging on to our website www.ssfchamber.com
On Thursday, October 30th, in collaboration with First National Bank, we are
presenting a “HAUNTED HOUSE”
7:00 – 10:00 P.M. ~ 211 Airport Blvd., SSF
FREE to the PUBLIC!
Lite trick or treating
First come, first served!
With November around the corner, we are getting ready for our 25th Annual
Taste of SSF Francisco, on Thursday, November 6th, chaired by Jim Metz of
Advanced Business Forms. Stay tuned for more info and for how to register.
We hope to see you all at these events!
Thank you to the following companies for being part of
South San Francisco
213 Linden Avenue
South San Francisco, CA 94080
Tel: (650) 588 - 1911
Fax: (650) 588-2534
The South San Francisco Chamber of Commerce Chairman’s Circle:
First National Bank of Northern California
South San Francisco Scavenger Company
Genentech
Email: [email protected]
or visit our website at www.ssfchamber.com
Printed by MINUTEMANPRESS-SAN MATEO
www.mmpsm.com
Kaiser Permanente
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Chamber of Commerce
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monthly publication of the
OCTOBER 2014
This newsletter is a
KAISER
OCTOBER 2014
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Kaiser Permanente’s Medicare Plans Top-Ranked Again
Kaiser Permanente Medicare plans hold top three spots in rankings; All
Kaiser Permanente Medicare and Private plans are highest-ranked in the
markets they serve
OAKLAND, Calif. — “I’m here because Kaiser Permanente cares.”
Those are the words of Susan Mahler, a San Diego, Calif., heart transplant
recipient and Kaiser Permanente member since 1967. Susan was in her late
50s when she began suffering from serious valve deterioration and it was
determined she needed heart replacement surgery, which she eventually
received. After years of being in and out of the hospital, Susan is back doing “everything I can possibly do within the course of a day. I wouldn’t be
here and wouldn’t be doing anything if it wasn’t for Kaiser Permanente.”
Susan’s story of the excellent clinical and personal care she received at
Kaiser Permanente is a common one. Kaiser Permanente health plans
are the best in the nation for the fourth year in a row, according to the
National Committee for Quality Assurance report ¬— NCQA’s Health
Insurance Plan Rankings 2014-15 — which was published today. NCQA’s
annual report ranks health plans¬ — Medicare, Medicaid and Private
(Commercial) — in three categories: customer experience, prevention,
and treatment. In addition, all Kaiser Permanente plans rank highest
in both Medicare and Commercial in the regions or states they serve.
In the NCQA study, all seven Kaiser Permanente Medicare health plans
are in the Top 10 out of more than 408 Medicare plans ranked by NCQA
and are all above the 97th percentile. Kaiser Permanente Southern California is top-ranked Medicare health plan in the nation for the third
year in a row.
For the second year in a row, Kaiser Permanente Medicare plans hold
the top three spots in the annual national rankings. Kaiser Permanente
Northern California is No.2, followed by Kaiser Permanente Northwest.
In the Commercial rankings, Kaiser Permanente has three plans among the
top 10 nationally for the second year in a row, including the fifth-highest
ranked plan in the U.S., Kaiser Permanente Northwest. Also in the Top 10
are Kaiser Permanente Southern California (No.7) and Northern California
(No. 8). All seven Kaiser Permanente Commercial plans are among the top
30 plans out of 507 plans ranked and all are above the 94th percentile.
Kaiser Permanente Hawaii is also No. 6-ranked Medicaid plan in the nation.
Now in its ninth year, the “NCQA’s Health Insurance Plan Rankings” is
based on combined scores for health plans in Healthcare Effectiveness
Data and Information Set®, commonly called HEDIS; the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems®, or CAHPS; and NCQA
Accreditation standards scores. Consumers and employers assess plans
prior to annual enrollment periods.
In the Medicare category, with 408 plans nationally ranked, Kaiser
Permanente had the following rankings:
• Kaiser Permanente Southern California - 1st
• Kaiser Permanente Northern California - 2nd
• Kaiser Permanente Northwest - 3rd
• Kaiser Permanente Hawaii - 5th
• Kaiser Permanente Colorado - 6th
• Kaiser Permanente Georgia - 8th
• Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic States - 9th
Kaiser Permanente Hawaii was the only Kaiser Permanente plan eligible
for the Medicaid rankings. The Hawaii plan ranked sixth in the nation
out of 136 plans. Other Kaiser Permanente regions are not required to
report data on the full set of measures used to calculate Medicaid rankings and were therefore unranked in this category.
Out of 507 nationally ranked Commercial plans, Kaiser Permanente had the following rankings:
• Kaiser Permanente Northwest - 5th
• Kaiser Permanente Southern California - 7th
• Kaiser Permanente Northern California - 8th
• Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic States - 13th
• Kaiser Permanente Hawaii - 18th
• Kaiser Permanente Georgia - 19th
• Kaiser Permanente Colorado - 29th
The rankings and methodology are posted on the NCQA’s website at
www.ncqa.org and on the Consumer Reports website. The rankings
and an article about health plans will appear in the November issue of
Consumer Reports magazine.
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health
care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to
provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve
the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently
serve approximately 9.5 million members in eight states and the District
of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total
health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of
caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and
supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health
promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and worldclass chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to
care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of
community health. For more information, go to: kp.org/share.
SSF SCAVENGER
South San Francisco Scavenger Company to Turn Food Scraps into
Fuel for Collection Fleet
Cutting-Edge Technology Keeps Waste Out of Landfill, Reduces Emissions
On Friday, September 19th, the South San Francisco Scavenger Company (SSFSC) and Blue Line Transfer, the facility that handles SSFSC’s recycling and disposal held a ribbon cutting for their new state of the art
anaerobic digester. The new facility uses dry anaerobic digestion technology to generate clean-burning compressed natural gas (CNG), that
will power the company’s collection fleet. The fully enclosed system is
set to process 11,200 tons of material per year, including food scraps
and food soiled paper collected from businesses in the company’s service area, including South San Francisco, Brisbane, Millbrae, Colma and
San Francisco International Airport. Company President, Doug Button
was assisted by elected officials from South San Francisco, Brisbane,
Colma and Millbrae and the company’s managing partners
“We’re excited about the new digester because it allows us to turn compostable food scraps into fuel for the very trucks that collect those materials. It’s a truly closed loop system,” said Doug Button, president of
South San Francisco Scavenger Company and Blue Line Transfer. “Plus,
the process keeps organic waste out of the landfill and cuts greenhouse
gas emissions—benefitting the communities we serve, the environment and our company.”
Anaerobic digestion is a process that uses microorganisms to break
down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen, resulting in
methane gas. Most anaerobic digesters currently online in California
generate electricity from methane. Blue Line Transfer’s system, made
by Zero Waste Energy, LLC, is the first dry anaerobic digester in the
country to produce CNG transportation fuel. Besides producing up to
500 Diesel Gallon Equivalents (DGE) per day of carbon negative biogenic (renewable) CNG, the process provides digestate, a nutrient-rich substance that will be matured into certified organic compost. Compared
to traditional composting, the dry anaerobic digestion process reduces
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and other air pollutants.
The launch of the facility is part of South San Francisco Scavenger Company’s expanded business collection program for food scraps and food
soiled paper. A campaign is currently underway to increase the number
of commercial customers participating in the program. The company
plans to expand the food scrap collection program to residents as well.
COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTER
A Place to Gather with Family & Friends: The Community Learning Center
Fondly referred to as CLC, the South San Francisco Public Library’s
Community Learning Center (CLC) just celebrated 15 years of delivering quality service to the residents of the historic downtown South San
Francisco. On June 14th, community members held a recognition event
“Showcase of Learning,” honoring the 15 years of contributing to the
community and wishing the CLC 15 more.
The Community Learning Center offers a wide range of programs to all
members of the community. There are computer classes for adults who
want to learn the basics. For those who need a quick tech solution to
a specific problem there are drop-in times available. Opportunities are
offered to help the job seekers develop their resume and complete the
job application online. English classes help those from other countries
feel part of South San Francisco, helping them increase their English fluency and improve their understanding of the language. In collaboration with SSF Adult School, citizenship classes are offered for those who
already speak basic English and want to realize their American dream of
becoming U.S. Citizens. The Spanish Literacy class is offered to the Spanish speaker who needs additional support to increase literacy in the native language. In addition community members can participate in parent
groups, attend meditation sessions, participate in nutrition workshops,
and get some legal aid. An added benefit to parents participating in CLC
activities and classes is that child supervision is provided for their own
BAY POINTE BALLET ANNOUNCES SPECIAL OFFER FOR SOUTH SAN
FRANCISCO RESIDENTS
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA (September) – In appreciation of the city
of South San Francisco, Bay Pointe Ballet Artistic Director Bruce Steivel
has announced a special ticket offer for residents of South San Francisco. Residents are offered a 15% discount off ticket prices on select
performances throughout the company’s 2014/15 season productions
held at the newly renovated San Mateo Performing Arts Center. Performances include Peter Pan, a full length ballet with Flying by Foy;
the holiday season favorite, Nutcracker; and the classic comedy ballet,
Coppelia. Tickets are available for purchase online at http://baypointeballet.org. Residents may claim the special offer by entering a custom
discount code, below, during ticket checkout.
South San Francisco Special Offers:
Bruce Steivel’s Peter Pan
November 2, 2014 at 2:00 PM | San Mateo Performing Arts Center
Enter Code PP94080 during checkout to save 15%.
Bruce Steivel’s Nutcracker
December 13, 2014 at 7:00 PM | San Mateo Performing Arts Center
Enter Code Nut94080 during checkout to save 15%
Bruce Steivel’s Coppelia
February 21, 2015 at 7:00 PM | San Mateo Performing Arts Center
Enter Code Cop94080 during checkout to save 15%*
*Effective January 1, 2015
Call 650-835-1035 for special VIP tickets.
Bay Pointe Ballet, located in South San Francisco, is led by internationally acclaimed choreographer and director Bruce Steivel. Prior to Bay
Pointe Ballet, Bruce Steivel served as Artistic Director at several major
companies around the globe including Bern Stadt Theatre, Hong Kong
Ballet, Universal Ballet of Korea, Nevada Ballet Theatre and Serbian
National Ballet. Bay Pointe Ballet, featuring 30 professional dancers,
performs locally and tours regionally and aims to provide accessible
family-friendly dance performances to the Bay Area and the Western
United States.
The Grand Avenue Branch Library, a “Carnegie Library” and icon in the
community, has offered a wealth of programs and services to the South
San Francisco community. However, the electrical, technological, and
space capabilities of the current building no longer meet the needs of
our growing community.
The South San Francisco Public Library has been awarded $400,000 in
San Mateo County Measure A monies which has been combined with
local funding to allow for the remodel of the 8,000 square foot main
floor of Grand Avenue Branch Library. This remodel will allow the library to meet the growing demand for family programs and computer
access as well as promote the library collection emphasizing current
topics, homework support and popular items, displayed in user-friendly and accessible mobile shelving.
WE NEED YOUR HELP! Share your ideas and help create the vision for
the South San Francisco Grand Avenue Branch Library Renovation by
participating in upcoming community needs sessions. Your input and
involvement counts!
Participate in any or all of the following events:
COMMUNITY NEEDS:
Wednesday, October 8, 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. & 3:00-6:30 p.m.
Open House at Grand Avenue Branch Library, 306 Walnut Avenue, SSF
Saturday, October 11, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
South San Francisco Farmer’s Market at Orange Memorial Park
Tuesday, October 14, 6:00 p.m.
Friends of the Library Meeting, Main Library Auditorium, 840 West Orange Avenue, SSF
DESIGN OPTIONS:
Between October 15 and October 24, we will be bringing proposed
space planning design options to the community, both in the Library
and in the community. Please check in with us to help define the final
space plan.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014, 6:00 p.m. Grand Avenue Branch Library
Joint meeting of City Council and Library Board – presentation of design options
We want to hear from you! You can also participate through our online
survey. Link to the survey at home or at the library:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/visionssfgrandavelibrary
For more information, please call (650) 829-3876
OCTOBER 2014
BAY POINTE BALLET
GRAND AVENUE BRANCH LIBRARY
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TRIVIA CHALLENGE
Are You Up for the Challenge?
22nd Project Read Trivia Challenge
Join the fun and competition at Project Read’s 22nd Trivia Challenge at
the South San Francisco Conference Center on Friday, November 14th .
Last year 34 teams fought for the trophy which was won by Zap Think
Tank from Los Altos, and more than 400 trivia buffs and literacy supporters enjoyed drinks, dinner, wonderful gifts at the silent auction,
and an exciting evening.
It’s time to pick your experts and form a team – in addition to the winner’s
trophy, prizes will be given to the best costumed team and the 2nd and 3rd
finishers. For more information and to register your winning team, contact
Judy Klikun at Project Read at [email protected] or 650-829-3871.
All proceeds from the event benefit Project Read and support the Adult literacy services for North San Mateo communities and South San Francisco.
HISTORICAL ARTICLE by Jacquelyne Kious, Historical Society Member
Kaiser Hospital, which gets it’s name from industrialist and shipbuilder
Henry J. Kaiser, has been a fixture in SSF since 1953 when it took over
SSF General Hospital. Henry Kaiser is best known in the Bay Area for the
four shipyards he operated during WWII.
Kaiser health plan roots date back to the industrial health care programs in the construction and shipbuilding industries of the 1930s and
40s run by Dr. Sidney Garfield. With the scarcity of jobs during the depression, Garfield, a young surgeon from Los Angeles, saw an opportunity - in the Mojave Desert. The Colorado River Aqueduct was under
construction with much of the work occurring in the vast desert east of
L.A., far from medical care. Garfield was able to get a loan to build a
12-bed hospital in the small town of Desert Center and began treating
sick and injured workers.
As the aqueduct project came to an end in the late 1930s, Henry Kaiser convinced Garfield to re-locate to Washington state and care for
the construction workers building the massive Grand Coulee Dam, the
biggest of the many depression-era projects undertaken by the government to provide jobs. As the Grand Coulee Dam project neared
completion, the US had entered WWII.
Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, an unprecedented shipbuilding effort had begun which brought tens of thousands of people to California to
work in the shipyards. Once again Kaiser and Garfield teamed up to provide
health care to the workers and their families at Kaiser’s Richmond shipyard.
Kaiser knew he needed a healthy workforce in order to meet the immediate demand for ships. He came up with the idea of a pre-paid medical
care system known as Permanente Health Plan, a precursor to the health
maintenance organization (HMO) system. Permanente Health Plan had a
92% participation rate, that is until mid-1945 when the war ended and the
number of workers dropped from 90,000 to 13,000 in just a few months.
Garfield and Kaiser wanted the plan to continue, but how? On October
1, 1945, Permanente Health Plan opened to the public. By the mid-1950s
there were over 300,000 members in northern California.
Following SSF’s population boom through the 1950s and 60s, it became
apparent that a larger medical facility was needed. Kaiser Hospital and
Medical Center on El Camino Real opened in 1977.
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children 3-12 years of age while parents are engaged in learning.
CLC also offers interesting and engaging options for children. The Homework Club and Start Now programs are popular after school programs
that give children the opportunity to develop and reinforce reading,
writing and math skills to ensure their success in school. The children enjoy outside physical activity as well as enrichment programs that expand
their computer skills, introduce animation and robotics, and provide opportunities to experiment with science and many other areas of interest.
Children are constantly encouraged hearing from staff and volunteers,
“You can do it!” The CLC offers the high school youth an opportunity
to learn how to interview and work as volunteers. By giving back to the
community, they learn how the world of work operates and are able to
use their service toward credit for graduation or for college applications.
Some of them begin as students in the homework program and come
back as tutors during their college years. At the Community Learning
Center we continue to be learners and teachers together.
Recently Judy Klikun started as Manager of the Community Learning
Center. She brings years of experience administering adult education
and family literacy programs throughout the United States. She loves
the South San Francisco community and looks forward to continuing the
variety of CLC services. Judy hopes to expand programs that meet the
needs of the families and community members in South San Francisco.
CHAMBER OPEN HOUSE @ SSF CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ~ Thursday, September 18, 2014
NEW MEMBER BREAKFAST @ PRODUCE ALLEY SPORTS TAVERN ~ Wednesday, September 24, 2014
OCTOBER 2014
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OCTOBER 2014
SSF CHAMBER PICNIC @ ORANGE MEMORIAL PARK ~ Sunday, September 21, 2014
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RENEWING MEMBERS
NEW MEMBERS
September 1, 2014 to September 30, 2014
September 1, 2014 to September 30, 2014
ASF Electric, Inc.
Acutech Autos, Inc.
Allied Security Alarms
Ben Tre Vietnamese Homestyle Cuisine
Bickford Accountancy Corp.
Cable Car Café
Chemux Bioscience, Inc.
Cheung Hing BBQ Restaurant
El Faro Mexican Food
Giorgi Brothers Furniture
Grand Palace Restaurant
Grand 76
Home Maid Ravioli Co., Inc.
Information Imaging Corp.
Mark Barradas, D.D.S.
Moss Rubber
Ocean Star International, Inc.
Peninsula Family YMCA/Gateway Child
San Mateo County Supervisor, Dave Pine
South City Band Guild
Systems Designers Group
Taqueria La Morena
UTI, United States, Inc.
El Mezcal Mexican
Bistro
319 Baden Ave
South San Francisco,
CA 94080
(650)636-4496
2014 BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
PRESIDENT
Rob Wood
Hypergold Web Services
1ST VICE PRESIDENT
Dean Grubl
SSF Conference Center
2ND VICE PRESIDENT
Nicholas Cheng
State Farm Agent
TREASURER
Paul Formosa
SSF Scavenger Company
PAST PRESIDENT
Jim McGuire
BEST WESTERN PLUS Grosvenor Hotel
Paris Baguette
2278 Westborough
Blvd. #202
South San Francisco,
CA 94080
(650)952-0404
BOARD MEMBERS
Mike Brosnan ( Ex officio)
City of SSF
Sylvia Chu
Aegis SF
Tony Clifford
FNBNORCAL
Sheila Fusaro
Kaiser Permanente
Mark Harris
Food Service Partners
Jim McGuire
BEST WESTERN PLUS Grosvenor Hotel
Jim Metz
Advanced Business Forms
Rick Ochsenhirt
Better Homes & Gardens
Jeanne Ramirez
Simply Floors
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
OCTOBER 2014
The San Francisco Bay Ferry, BayBio, and
the South San Francisco Chamber of
Commerce
Cordially Invite You
Cocktails & Sunset Bay Cruise
Thursday, October 2, 2014
5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Cruise from 6:00 to 7:00 PM
8th Annual Bocce Ball Tournament
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Orange Memorial Park
Bocce Ball Courts
3:30pm to 8:00pm
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Haunted House
At First National Bank
Thursday, October 30th
7:00pm to 10:00pm
211 So. Airport Blvd., SSF
Taste of South San Francisco
Thursday, November 6, 2014
SSF Conference Center
11:30 AM to 1:30 PM
Holiday Mixer and Toy Drive
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Holiday Inn Hotel
275 So. Airport Blvd, SSF
5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Gus Shihadeh
Amoura
Karen Sumner
Peninsula Traffic Congestion Relief Alliances
AMBASSADOR
COMMITTEE
Boon Pankaew
Thai Satay Restaurant
Dat Phan
Zarc Recycling
Gus Shihadeh
Amoura Cafe
Nicholas Cheng
State Farm Insurance
Sylvia Chu
Aegis San Francisco
Jason XU
New York Life
Ricardo Valencia
Wells Fargo Bank
Dudley Perkins Company
Harley-Davidson & Buell
®
Philip D. LaChapelle
President & Chief Executive Officer
Since 1914, a family tradition of four generations
500 Linden Avenue • South San Francisco, CA 94080
(650) 871-2400 FAX (650) 871-0345
[email protected]
COMPUTER PROBLEMS?
1st Techs will �ix them!
Tech Support for Home and Business
650.722.1086
[email protected]
www.1stTechs.com
CHARLES SECURITY
OCTOBER 2014
333 Corey Way
South San Francisco, CA 94080
650●PERKINS (737-5467)
Fax 650●737●5599
[email protected]
www.dpchd.com
State Lic No. PPO 10057
Subran S. Chahal (Charlie)
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USA
®
®
President
306-A, Baden Avenue
So. San Francisco, CA 944080
Tel. (650) 876-0130
Fax (650) 876-0131
www.ssfchamber.com
SF
LAW OFFICES OF
ROSS, HACKETT, DOWLING, VALENCIA & WALTI
A PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION
DONALD J. DOWLING
MICHAEL J. VALENCIA
PAUL J. WALTI, JR.
GORDON W. HACKETT (1925-1996)
SAUL N. ROSS (1917-1997)
600 EL CAMINO REAL
POST OFFICE BOX 279
SAN BRUNO, CA 94066-0279
(650) 588-0367
FAX (650) 588-3413
E-mail:
[email protected]
We operate a safe, secure, and solid community bank.
Assisting today’s small businesses, individuals and corporations.
To speak to a senior bank representative, call (650) 588-6800
fnbnorcal.com
OCTOBER 2014
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