SBC Chamber Lauds Locals For Service

The Free Lance

December 16, 2006 • Weekend Edition

By Staff Reporter

Hollister - The San Benito County Chamber of Commerce announced six of the county's most prestigious awards on Friday, naming the man, woman and businesses of the year.

Each year, the chamber honors local residents who throw themselves into one charitable act after another. The awards, which have been going on since 1978, honor one man, one woman, and four local businesses that go above and beyond to make the county a better place to live.

Local philanthropist Michele Stephenson was named woman of the year alongside man of the year Will Sutton, senior vice president of San Benito Bank. Stephenson has worked for some of the county's most important charity organizations, including the Kinship Center and Community Pantry. In her 22 years in San Benito County, has served as president of the San Benito Concert Association and lent her voice to the Oriana Chorale.

"You're not doing this kind of work to get recognition, but I guess you're bound to get noticed at some point," Stephenson said. "Doing the work was a reward in itself."

Stephenson also worked with the United Way and served on that organization's Earthquake Allocations Committee after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.

She said the getting involved in helping out is "what makes the community."

Sutton, a 17-year San Benito County resident, is a banker by trade, but lends his time to Rotary, YMCA, the Probation Department's IMPACT program and Leadership San Benito County.

Sutton said he has been nominated for the award twice and was surprised when he got a phone call from the chamber Wednesday informing him he had won.

"It's kind of embarrassing, actually," Sutton said Friday.

Sutton said his work with local organizations, especially the IMPACT program, which mentors troubled teens, has been rewarding.

"When I was younger I was in a little bit of trouble myself, so it's kind of like I'm paying it forward," he said.

Downtown clothing stores Drapoel and Teezerz, both of which are owned by Deborah Wood, snagged the chamber's retail business of year award. Wood has been active in several local organizations and donates to local charities with gift certificates and products from her store.

Ridgemark Golf and Country Club, which has been operating in San Benito County since 1972, was named hospitality business of the year.

Ridgemark Chief Operating Officer Eric Dietz said the club is thrilled to receive the award.

"For the last four years our focus has been on building bridges in the community; that's a huge contributing factor to this honor," he said. "I definitely credit my staff with making this happen."

B&R Farms, producers of one of the county's sweetest exports, Blenheim apricots, was named agriculture business of the year. B&R Farms, run by locals Mari and Jim Rossi, started in 1929 with two employees and now has 10 full-time employees and more than 200 seasonal workers.

Rossi said the award meant a lot to the company.

"Actually, I'm still in awe," Rossi said Friday. "We just want to keep agriculture alive in San Benito County."

Rossi credited her family, children, employees and the entire community with making the apricot business a success.

Honor recipients will be presented with awards at a Chamber of Commerce's 86th Annual Dinner Dance on Jan. 20 at San Juan Oaks.

Going for a Night Out

Two years ago, when Theresa Martin and her husband, Jim, started Night Out Limousine in Hollister, they never dreamed of being named one of the San Benito County Chamber of Commerce's businesses of the year.

"I was so surprised - a little overwhelmed, actually," Theresa Martin said Friday after her company was named the chamber's service business of the year for 2006. In addition to providing the usual limo services, Night Out has recently taken a new approach, working closely with other local businesses to promote tourism and highlight the county's diverse array of resources and attractions.

"People create our success," Martin said Friday. "We believe in synergy. The sum of San Benito County is greater than its parts."

When the Martins opened Night Out in 2003, most of the time their limos were busy whisking local residents out of town, but recently they've been bringing more and more people into San Benito County with a variety of locally themed tours, including a popular trip down the county's wine trail.

"When we started we were taking people out of Hollister," Martin said. "Now we're bringing them to Hollister."

Night Out's most popular service is a chauffeured tour of San Benito County's burgeoning wine region.
"We bring in people from all over to go out on the wine trail," Martin said. "Recently we had a group from New York come here just for tour."

Limo-driven tours of the county's wineries start at $75 per hour and include a picnic lunch and wine tasting fees. Martin works with dozens of local companies to make the tours a success. For example, in addition to partnering with wineries, Martin teams up with Running Rooster to provide catered picnic lunches. And Marich Confectionery and De Brito Chocolate are also frequent stops on the company's wine tours.

"We're thrilled to do traditional limo services, but this is a great niche market," she said.

In addition to wine tours, Night Out offers a host of other themed excursions, Martin said. During the Halloween season, Night Out decks out their limos with spooky accents and even the drivers don costumes for a trip to three haunted houses throughout the region, including Swank Farms in Hollister.

And during the festive Christmas season, the Martins offer a tour that includes dinner, a stop at San Jose's "Fantasy of Lights" display and a performance of the "Nutcracker."

Martin credits the success of her business to working with good people and building long-term relationships.

Night Out Limousine is located in Hollister and can be reached at 831-630-3100.