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In this week’s roundup of Santa Cruz County business news, Jessica M. Pasco reports on Scotts Valley-based Ambient Photonics’ plans to replace small batteries with low-light solar cells, the owners of English Ales are putting the brewery up for sale, and Santa Cruz County Bank rebranding as West Coast Community Bank.
Every week we take a closer look at the economic drivers, growth industries and real drivers of Santa Cruz County’s economy. Every Wednesday we’ll shine a spotlight on the areas of greatest opportunity, the latest in local developments and all that supports our local business scene.
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Ambient Photonics Imagines a Battery-Free Future
What if, instead of disposable batteries, you could power your laptop with a tiny solar cell that could charge even in indoor lighting conditions? That’s the theory behind Scotts Valley-based Ambient Photonics’ low-light solar technology. CEO and co-founder Bates Marshall stands in Ambient Photonics’ Scotts Valley factory space, which is designed with future growth in mind. Photo by Kevin Paineshaw/Lookout Santa Cruz
“The villain in our story is the battery,” CEO Bates Marshall said. “People don’t really think about it, but batteries have a huge impact on the environment.”
Founded in 2019, the Scotts Valley-based company aims to reduce the need for disposable batteries to power small devices like computer keyboards and mice. Ambient Photonics, a spinout from a Boston-area lab, has been steadily perfecting a proprietary technology that enables tiny solar cells to collect and store energy under low-light conditions.
The company opened a fully automated manufacturing facility at the former Fox Shock manufacturing plant last year and has been ramping up production since then. After more than a year of making batteries for testing with early adopters, Marshall said the company expects to begin mass production this fall. Though it’s still early days, the company has already landed some big names, including Google, as partners and its first customers.
Marshall, a Santa Cruz native, said he is committed to keeping his company’s operations as local as possible, even as many other solar-tech companies are adding production facilities overseas. Scotts Valley is the company’s headquarters and manufacturing facility, and currently employs more than half of Ambient Photonics.
For more information on Ambient Photonics’ work, please click here.
In case you missed it: Woodhouse Brewing wins Outdoor Music OK Award
After a year-long hiatus, Santa Cruz city officials have given the go-ahead for Woodhouse Blending & Brewing to host live music outdoors. Last week, the city’s Urban Planning Commission voted to expand the brewery’s permit to host live music until 10 p.m. Woodhouse Blending & Brewing owner Will Moxham has weathered a year of what he describes as frustrating and sometimes dehumanizing city bureaucracy in order to host live music outdoors. Photo by Kevin Paineshaw/Lookout Santa Cruz
The brewery regularly hosted live entertainment until last October, when city officials canceled the events after receiving an anonymous complaint, citing the brewery did not have the proper permits. Read more in Lily Berri’s article here.
Changes: Store openings, closings, and other trends
Santa Cruz County Bank to Become West Coast Community Bank: As part of a planned merger with First Capital Bank of Salinas, the combined entity will be renamed West Coast Community Bank next year. The new name reflects the parent company of Santa Cruz County Bank and is expected to become effective sometime next year. The merger, approved by shareholders this week, will expand the bank’s footprint in Monterey County. Additionally, bank officials announced Gerald Stuart as a new senior business banking officer based in the company’s Cupertino office. Climatize Announces New Platform and New Hires: Climatize, a Santa Cruz startup that backs renewable energy projects, recently launched a new web platform. Investors can now review and fund available projects through the company’s iOS and Android apps, as well as a browser-based platform. Additionally, the company announced three new hires: Jim Goldman as finance director, and Oscar Garcia and Sean Lattin as senior software engineers. Capitola’s English Ales taproom is for sale. Marina-based brewery English Ales is putting the business up for sale after 24 years in business and selling its Capitola Village location separately as its owners prepare for retirement. The Capitola Avenue taproom opened in February 2020, just weeks before the pandemic shut down the county.
Tell us about a job offer, promotion, or departure by sending it to news@lookoutlocal.com with the subject line “Career Change.”
Looking at the numbers
$184.8 million: This is the estimated total production value of the county’s strawberry crop in 2023, which represents a 19% decrease from 2022. Strawberry fields in the area were heavily damaged in the 2023 winter storm and subsequent flooding. Read Tania Ortiz’s full story here. County Agriculture Commissioner David Sanford spoke with me last year about the challenges 2023 posed for the region’s farming community. 5.8%: This was Santa Cruz County’s August unemployment rate, which has remained steady for two consecutive months. This is up slightly from 5.3% statewide and at 5.2% for the third consecutive month, according to the latest data from the state Employment Development Department.
Save the Dates
Wednesday, September 25: The Aptos Chamber of Commerce will showcase local businesses at Marketplace on the Green from 4 to 7 pm at Seascape Golf Course in Aptos. More information here. Saturday, September 28: El Pajaro Community Development Corporation and Area Women’s Business Center will host the Latina Entrepreneurial Leadership Conference from 9 am to 2:30 pm at Watsonville Civic Plaza. Tickets and registration available here. Thursday, October 3: The Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce will host a “Business After Hours” event at Abbott SPI Inc., a local security guard service. The networking event will be held from 5 to 7 pm at Abbott’s offices at 2030 North Pacific Ave., Suite A in Santa Cruz. Participation is $20 for nonmembers and $10 for chamber members. More information here. Saturday, October 5: Santa Cruz Community Health will host a fundraising gala celebrating its 50th anniversary from 6 to 10 PM at Hotel Paradox in Santa Cruz. The event will feature speakers, a sit-down dinner, and a cash bar. Tickets start at $150. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here. Sunday, October 6: Santa Cruz Works and UC Santa Cruz’s Seymour Marine Discovery Center will host Blue Innovation 2024. The event will feature exhibits throughout the day from corporations, small businesses, nonprofits, artists, and researchers addressing water and ocean challenges. For more information, click here. Thursday, October 10: Workforce of Santa Cruz County will host a job fair from 4 to 6 PM at Coconut Grove in Santa Cruz. For more information and to register, click here. Thursday, October 17: The Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce will host a Women’s Leadership Summit from 9:30 am to 3:45 pm at the Mount Hermon Conference Center. The agenda will include keynote speeches, breakout sessions and networking opportunities focused on empowering women in their professional and personal lives. Register and learn more here. Friday, November 8: The Monterey Bay Economic Partnership will host its annual State of the Region in 2024 event from 9 am to 5 pm at the CSUMB University Center in Seaside. Representatives from Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito counties will speak about economic development and other important issues in the region. Register here.
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Business news worth reading
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