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Friday, Mar 29, 2024

United Chambers Honors Small Businesses

Small businesses make up more than three-quarters of all business in the United States and are a driving force of the economy. The people who run them often risk everything to go into business and many combine long hours running their businesses with community service. But all too often, these community leaders aren’t given the proper recognition for their efforts, said Debi Schultze, president and chief executive officer of the United Chambers of Commerce. “A lot of them work every day just to keep their heads above water and they’re still out there trying to help our community,” she said. For that reason, the United Chambers have, for 25 years, been honoring outstanding small business owners for their companies’ growth and success as well as for their community service. The idea for the awards was conceived by former assemblyman Richard Katz in the 1980s, who was in attendance at this year’s event. The 2007 Annual Small Business Awards Breakfast was held earlier this month at the Beverly Garland Holiday Inn. Sixteen members and affiliate members of the UCC nominated an outstanding small business owner or manager to receive the award. <!– Honoree: Dentist James Pasternak feels strongly about giving back to the community. –> Honoree: Dentist James Pasternak feels strongly about giving back to the community. The selection criteria for the award winners included providing increased employment opportunities, substantial community involvement and increased sales at their company, Schultze said. The businesses that were honored included: Jose N. Rivera, The UPS Store; Les Sumpter, A Rental Connection; Joe Andrews, Tom Morehouse, Ed Wankovsky and Bruce Mulhearn, Prudential California Realty Mulhearn Group; Juli McKitterick, New York Life Insurance and NYLIFE; Laura Andrews Clemens, Andrews & Van Lohn Insurance; Gina Uzunyan, Exclusive Escrow; Em M. Roberts, Roberts & Roberts Enterprises World Financial Group; Mel Powell and Yoko Matsui, Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc.; Tiran Ajemyan, Al Investments, Inc./Integrated Wireless Solutions; Allen Budzichowski, EA$Y Tax Accounting Services; and Kirk Jaffe, Academy Mortgage Group. Brothers Alex and David Lovi, owners of Agoura’s Famous Deli and also Pickles Deli in Newbury Park, were honored with a small business award by the Agoura/Oak Park/Conejo Valley Chamber. The brothers, originally from Transylvania, Romania, took over Agoura’s Famous Deli in 1995 and started Pickles Deli a year ago. The duo started Pickles because “Newbury Park needed a deli. There aren’t too many family restaurants in the Newbury Park area,” David Lovi said. The Agoura deli, which David Lovi said is the only kosher-style Jewish deli in Agoura Hills, was originally opened in 1990. “When we took over, the place was losing money,” he said. Now, the Agoura deli serves between 400 and 500 people a day and millions of customers a year. The deli is also consistently listed as one of the top 10 delis in L.A. in restaurant reviews. David Lovi said the turnaround is owed to a new menu and the “personal touch” the brothers brought to the restaurant. But the Lovis weren’t just honored by the chamber for their business finesse. The deli donates food and gift certificates to various community causes and events, including area schools and walks to raise money to fight breast cancer. “We are very much involved in the community with schools, churches, temples, helping the needy,” David said. “We want to give back to the community. They support us.” Diane and Stewart Deats, owners of Deatsdesign in Woodland Hills, were honored with the small business award by the Woodland Hills/Tarzana Chamber. The husband-and-wife team started their graphic and web design company in 1982. “We’ve changed through the years with different companies,” Diane said. When the Deatses started their home-based business, they had to perform graphics layout functions via typesetting machines. Once computers came along, they had to relearn their trade. “It all changed from 1980 to 1990,” she said. Other things have changed as well. In the 1980s, the Deatses designed record and LP covers. They now design packaging for compact discs. Today, the couple also designs print and digital brochures, book covers, Web site banners and ads. Their past and current clients include Johnson & Johnson, Hewlett Packard, Warner Music Group and AIG Sun America. During the Deatses first year in business, their gross sales were only $10,000. Since then, they have sold millions of dollars’ worth of graphic design products, Diane said. The couple still finds the time to give back to their community. They directed the Web site design for the Woodland Hills/Tarzana Chamber when the chambers merged, and they designed the program for the chamber’s inaugural celebration in January. Diane also serves as the chairwoman of the Public Relations and Marketing Committee for the chamber. As longtime parishioners of St. Bernardine of Siena in Woodland Hills, the Deatses donated part of the services for the church’s new brochure and dedication materials when the church was rededicated in 2001. Dentist James Pasternak of Chatsworth Cosmetic Dental Care was honored by the Chatsworth/Porter Ranch Chamber. Pasternak founded the Chatsworth-based dental practice in 1979. He is the sole dentist there, and he has seven other employees, including two hygienists. Although Pasternak has seen several dental practices come and go and change ownership in the region, his has thrived. He sees 12-15 clients a day, and his hygienists see about nine patients a day. His practice has a couple thousand active patients, he said. Pasternak said he was one of the first dentists to use Invisalign, or “invisible,” braces on patients and a significant amount of his practice is dedicated to cosmetic dentistry. Pasternak is also heavily involved in the community. He is a 30-year member of the Chatsworth/Porter Ranch Chamber. He also serves on the board of the Business Improvement District, which is dedicated to improving business in Chatsworth, and he served as charter president of the local Kiwanis Club, in which he helped raise funds for the United Cerebral Palsy organization. He also served as president of the Optimist Club. He donates all of his fees for whitening patients’ teeth to Smiles for Life, which raises funds for at-risk children. To date, he has raised more than $150,000 for the charity. “I feel strongly about giving back to the community,” he said. “There’s not a lot of volunteerism anymore. People are really wrapped up in themselves.” Barry Wise, publisher of Studio City Lifestyle Magazine, was selected for a small business award by the Studio City Chamber of Commerce. Wise founded the magazine 11 years ago. “I wanted to start my own business,” he said. “I love to write. I love to promote. I love to sell. I wanted to incorporate all those things I love to do into one business.” The magazine is mailed to 6,500 homes in Studio City and is placed in 5,500 businesses. It features columns by Second District Councilwoman Wendy Greuel and by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and covers local schools, events and celebrities. The publication was originally 16 pages and is now 28-pages thick. In an industry that can be particularly unforgiving, Wise says his business is profitable. “We went into the black before the end of our first year,” he said. Wise serves on the Studio City Chamber board of directors, on the Studio City Improvement Association board and the Outreach Committee for the Neighborhood Council in Studio City. Noemi Prado, owner of Southwest Moulding, Inc., in Sun Valley, was nominated for a small business award by the Valley Economic Development Center. The center is a strategic partner with the United Chambers of Commerce. Prado was honored by VEDC for buying the once-troubled moulding business last year, thus saving it from closing and laying off more than five dozen employees. Prado had worked for Southwest Mill and Lumber for more than a quarter of a century when she learned in 2006 that the owners of the business were going to retire and shut it down. Prado, who was the vice president of operations, wasn’t just concerned about losing her job. Fifteen of her family members were employees there as well. Since she was already running the business for the owners, she thought purchasing it would be a natural next step. “I just bought the assets,” she said. She also changed the name to Southwest Moulding, Inc. Although the company had been losing business to China, where manufacturing costs are often cheaper, it still had a strong customer base, which is why Prado decided it was worth saving, she said. The company specializes in house mouldings and also manufactures picture frame mouldings. After the purchase, Prado still had to downsize. She moved into a smaller building in the same city and now employs 48 workers out of the company’s original 65 employees.

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