Those handy concrete sacks boast a Los Gatos connection

By Don Callahan

You may have seen Quikrete--those yellow sacks filled with dry concrete--on an Orchard Supply TV ad or at Home Depot. You may have even bought some to support fence posts or other jobs around your home. But did you know that Quikrete-Northern California is owned by three local businessmen? Allen Law and brothers Bill and Tom Albanese. In 1978, the partners bought a dry concrete packaging business known as Sakrete at the plant site on Montague Expressway. In 1978 they bought out the Lone Star Concrete operation in Oakland, and five years ago bought out Valley Crete of Stockton which had plants in Stockton and Porterville.

In 1988, Quikrete, a nationwide company, joined the organization and the name was changed to Quikrete-Northern California. After two years of planning and construction, the company on Oct. 13 celebrated the opening of a new 6,500-square-foot plant in Fremont, which combines the Montague and Oakland plants into a single Bay Area operation; the company also maintains the Stockton and Porterville plants. The new plant is Quikrete's largest, most innovative and most competitive production facility yet. According to Law, the company's president, "We needed to modernize in order to stay well ahead of the competition."

New in town: Genevieve S. Ashcom, M.D., has opened her medical practice at 221 Almendra Ave. Ashcom is associated with longtime resident Doctor of Osteopathy, Rudolph Waiton. Ashcom, who just completed her specialty training in family practice in Voorhees, N.J., is board certified and fully licensed to practice in California. As a holistic physician, Ashcom offers a blend of traditional and alternative medicine according to the patient's desires. Her particular interest is in herbal medicine, having completed a shamanistic apprenticeship with Susan S. Weed, author of Menopausal Years; the Wise Woman Way. Ashcom can be reached at 408.354.2300.

The 600-block Opening: Furbelows Fabrics is scheduled to have its grand opening on Nov. 13 at 634 N. Santa Cruz Ave. In 1997, Alex Shuford bought a seven-year-old company with which he wanted to provide custom decorating services and unparalleled selection, rivaling the similar "old" East Coast companies. Shuford has grown his company from three to 29 employees, including more than a dozen designers and sales professionals and more than a dozen seamstresses and upholsterers. He has retail stores in Pleasanton and Alamo and a production facility in Dublin.

Services at the new Los Gatos store will include fabrication of all types of window dressings from simple draperies to elaborate creations drawing from multiple mediums. Furbelows also will carry brand-name shades, fabrics, trims, accessories and wallpaper, as well as an extensive library of sample books from which to order products.

At the Cornerstone: Real Goods Trading Corp. will fill the slot recently vacated by Los Gatos Cyclery. The new store will have a wide product line, including efficient lighting, heating and water-conservation devices; household, garden and clothing items; and a sophisticated selection of books and educational materials dedicated to the company's mission of environmental responsibility. Real Goods is the largest supplier in the world to consumers of renewable-energy products that convert energy from the sun, wind or water into usable electricity within the home. It has a strategic partnership with Whole Foods Market, which owns 16 percent equity interest in Real Goods. Whole Foods has agreed to construct Real Goods kiosks in its markets and to exhibit Real Goods products on its Internet site. According to Joe Fairman, retail director of Real Goods, the store fixtures will be 100 percent consistent with the company's mission of using sustainably harvested and recycled building materials that "... minimize our footprint on the planet." The scheduled opening date is Nov. 20. A visit to www.realgoods.com will give you a preview of things to come.

Jamie is back: Los Gatos Pet Foods & Supplies at 15695 Los Gatos Blvd., has a new owner, but a very familiar face. Jamie Osborne was an especially well-liked employee of the store from 1991 to 1996. When the owner decided to sell the pet store, the first person he called was Jamie. Osborne said, "Yes," and you can see her sign hanging in the window, "Jamie is back." She plans on creating an old country-store ambiance inside with a porch roof and wooden floor design against the wall, which will display pet food and supplies. In addition, she says, "... the ceiling will be painted to look like a blue sky with white clouds." Phone number is 408.356.6503.

New quarters: Executive Edge of Silicon Valley has moved its offices from 102 N. Santa Cruz Ave. to 18 Park Ave. The move means more space for this growing company, which collaborates closely with clients to develop learning strategies that enhance executive performance. According to John W. Baird, a principal partner, "Our customized materials help clients assess, measure and sustain concrete results. We use these customized learning tools to maximize executive success." Baird, professor emeritus of marketing/communications at San Jose State University, earned a doctorate in organizational communication and management from Purdue University. He has written more than 50 articles related to his degree field and is the author of three books on communication and management.

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Got a business tip for Don Callahan? Contact him by fax at 408.354.2741 or email, decallahan@home.com.

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