While driving through a pleasant subdivision in south Lodi, you may come across quite a surprise.  One driveway will have a Camry, the next will host a Ford F-150 and then HOLY WHAT THE HECK BATMAN!  Yes, you’ve just driven past David Dickson’s house and yes, it is a Batmobile!  You can’t miss it.

In 2010 the California Recreation Vehicle Association reported that only 2148 motorhomes sold in a population of over 37 million people.  Previous year’s sales had exceeded 10,000 motorhomes sold in our state.

You don’t have to look far to find the challenges facing trucking companies today.

A woman recently bought a small car from a Modesto car dealer. Her husband liked the car so much that he came back the same day and bought the same model. Not long after, the same thing happened at a dealership in Stockton.

Despite the continued lull in the Central Valley’s heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) business sector, a monthly survey by the Air Conditioning Contractors of America shows that in July contractors continued to maintain a positive outlook regarding short-term growth over the remainder of 2011.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) is guaranteeing loans for some businesses even though total loan production is down since 2007. One such is the Estate Crush in company in Lodi.

The adage “Waste not, want not,” applies to Central Valley waste disposal and recycling companies that manage a goodly portion of the 92.2 million tons of household and municipal solid waste produced annually in California, according to the latest figures available from the California Department of Resources, Recycling and Recovery.

How is the manufacturing sector faring in California and the Central Valley?

Kristi Davis is an embalmer. Several funeral homes pay her to prepare the deceased for visitation and interment. The job is unusual and the vibrant young woman belies the morbid aura that surrounds her profession.

While San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and Yosemite National Park enjoy the notoriety of being among California’s tourist hotspots, the Central Valley boasts its own treasure chest of visitor attractions.