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Ojai Community Bank is about to break into the Santa Barbara County market, with plans to open Santa Barbara Community Bank in October.
The new bank is under construction at 21 E. Carrillo St. in the former downtown offices of Brownstein Farber Hyatt Schreck, and officials hope to officially open Oct. 1, according to Eloy Ortega, who will head up the Santa Barbara Community Bank after leaving the Bank of Santa Barbara — another bank he helped start — earlier this year.
Ojai Community Bank, which has locations in Ojai, Ventura and Santa Paula, focuses on small and midsize businesses and nonprofits, he said.
The bank had been thinking of opening a fourth bank farther south, but Ortega said he showed them the potential and wealth in Santa Barbara.
Deckers Rebrands at Stock Exchange
Deckers Outdoor Corp. has unveiled a new brand identity and corporate logo under Deckers Brands, although it will retain its corporate name.
Goleta-based Deckers, a leader in designing, marketing and distributing innovative footwear, apparel and accessories, visited the New York Stock Exchange to ring the opening bell Thursday, celebrating the company’s recent listing on the exchange and announcing the brand change.
The company also commemorated the growth and expansion of its direct-to-consumer footprint and evolution of its Omni-Channel resources and product portfolio, which includes lifestyle brands UGG, Teva, Sanuk and HOKA ONE ONE, among others.
The company will be referred to as Deckers Brands in all new marketing materials.
Sansum Clinic Opens Café 154
Santa Barbara’s Sansum Clinic has opened Café 154 at the new Medical and Surgical Center at 4151 Foothill Road.
Café 154 offers artisan sandwiches, bistro salads, smoothies and more, featuring indoor seating and a spacious outdoor patio with free WiFi access.
The eatery is open to the public from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays.
Santa Barbara County Offers Jobs Program
Santa Barbara County offers a variety of free employment services through a collaboration with partner agencies, including the JOB$ subsidized employment program, which offers job-ready staff for a business, generous cash incentives and employee bonding and support services.
The county bills the “On-the-Job Training” program as hassle-free, reimbursing employers up to $5,000 of their payroll costs for qualifying workers during the agreed-upon training period.
In addition, the county provides extensive recruitment services ranging from access to its online recruiter and resume database, to assistance in posting jobs and providing support in the screening and hiring process.
For more details, locals can contact Yolanda Salgado-Tovar with Santa Barbara County Employer Services at 805.884.6823 or Y.Salgado-Tovar@sbcsocialserv.org.
— Noozhawk staff writer Gina Potthoff can be reached at gpotthoff@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.