Welcome 05

Chamber Board of Directors 06

Chairman’s Circle 06

ApexCare workers provide customers,
families peace of mind 07

Country Bear Electric does the jobs homeowners
shouldn’t do 08

Dawson’s Bar & Grill owners carry on history of
original restaurant 10

Dixon Eyecare Associates expands to meet the
needs of a growing community 11

Premier Commercial helps businesses looking to
reintegrate office space 12

Schroeder Super Laundry serving the
Dixon community for 20 years 14

Living Hope Church looking to grow membership
witn new Dixon residents 16

Membership Directories 17

220 N. Jefferson Street, Dixon, CA 95620

707-678-2650 | dixonchamber.org

facebook.com/thedixonchamberofcommerce

This is a Town Square Publications, formerly MetroMedia (since 1997), publication created and produced for the Dixon Chamber of Commerce

220 N. Jefferson Street, Dixon, CA 95620

707-678-2650 | dixonchamber.org

Copyright © 2023 Town Square Publications

P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006

(847) 427-4905 | marketing@tspubs.com

www.TownSquarePublications.com

Every effort has been made to ensure the Accuracy of the information in this publication. The Chamber and Town Square assume no Responsibility for misinformation. Please contact the Chamber with any additions or corrections. Reproduction in whole or in part without Permission of the Chamber and Town Square Is prohibited.

Chairman, CEO and Publisher | Douglas K. Ray

President and Chief Operating Officer |
Scott Stone

Vice President / Director | Scott Ray

Managing Director | David Small

Director of Production | Ryan Moore

Sales Executive | Barry Kenis

Editor | Bob Oswald

Design Project Manager | Mike Nickells

Welcome!

We are pleased to offer the Fall 2023 issue of the Dixon District Chamber of Commerce Connections magazine.

Featured in this issue are articles about more of our Chamber members. As part of our member benefits, the articles and the ads in this issue will also be posted to Facebook, Instagram, and Google My Business.

We will continue to promote our members in future issues for the significant contributions they make to the economic well-being of our community. They have invested in our community – please support them.

The Membership Directory contains the list of all Dixon Chamber of Commerce members as of August 31, 2023. There are two lists – one alphabetically and one by category, making it easier to find the goods and services you might need.

Check out our website – www.dixonchamber.org. There you will find information as to what we are all about – our members! You can also find information on our history, our directors, and Ambassadors, our committees, and activities.

Please explore the Member Benefits section to find out how the Dixon Chamber can help your business or organization be more successful. We are always looking for more ways to provide the tools that will help our members.

Plus, check our official Facebook page – facebook.com/thedixonchamberofcommerce where you can find even more information about our members and events.

All prior issues of Connections are archived on our website, so you can browse past feature articles about our members.

For more information about how membership in the Dixon Chamber of Commerce can benefit you, call 707-678-2650 or email info@dixonchamber.org.

Respectfully,

Shauna Manina

President/CEO

2023 Board of Directors

Haley Andrew

Chair of the Board

Dixon Wellness Collective

Joe Bruch

1st Vice Chair

Dixon Grocery Outlet

Ted Jorgensen

Treasurer

Dixon Tire Pros

Robin Tully

Immediate Past Chair

Tully Consulting Group

Ben Ernest

Director

Montessori Charter School

Kathy Ernest

Director

Ramtown Karate

Kristina Fink

Director

Lemuria Nursery

Jennifer Huff

Director

Silveyville Cemetery District

Rodolfo Pineda

Director

Universal Services

Crystal Rico

Director

Farmer’s Insurance

Karstin Stranger

Director

Almond Tree Mortgage

ApexCare workers provide customers, families peace of mind

By Mike Danahey

Jason and Irene Wu already owned and managed several companies in 2016, when they bought ApexCare, one of Northern California’s biggest and most-respected homecare agencies.

The move was based on firsthand experience Jason Wu said provided him with a deep respect for caregivers and the positive impact they have on those they assist.

“At a young age, I was exposed to the importance of homecare after my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. I witnessed the devastating effects of this disease on not only my grandmother, but also on my immediate and extended family that assumed the significant responsibility of caring for my grandmother,” Wu said.

“This experience also served as the driving factor for my decision to pursue a new career in the home care industry, when one of the original owners of ApexCare was retiring.”

Wu, who serves as ApexCare president, said in-home care is one of only a few fields where you can be a hero to your customers each and every day.

“When our customers call to inquire about services, it is often because they are in a truly difficult or desperate situation. Our services not only enable individuals to live safely and comfortably in their homes, but also provide peace of mind to family members,” Wu said.

Thanks to the amazing work of ApexCare employees, clients often refer to them as heroes, Wu said. After eight years of running ApexCare, he hasn’t found anything as rewarding as hearing that.

Wu noted that homecare is a challenging business because it is a service that is 100% dependent on the quality of its people.

“In other words, our product is our people,” he said.

ApexCare has worked hard to develop a culture of excellence by promoting integrity, positivity, accountability, and respect. Its core values influence everything that it does, which Wu believes helps overcome any challenges that arise.

One of those challenges was the COVID-19 pandemic, which hit healthcare and homecare especially hard.

“Because many of our clients could not survive without our care and services, we had no option but to find solutions to the staffing shortages and complexities that were caused by the spread and dangers of COVID-19,” Wu said.

ApexCare survived the crisis with its sheer focus and dedication towards getting the job done, he said.

“This meant that all of our teams worked harder and longer under higher levels of pressure. We were also forced to become more creative and flexible when trying to solve difficult situations that required us to balance client needs with caregiver resources,” Wu said.

For those who are looking for in-home care for a loved one, Wu’s advice is to do research.

“There are a lot of homecare companies in the marketplace, but they are not all the same. You want to move forward with companies that have strong reputations in the community and that are used and referred to by industry professionals who have had experiences with various agencies,” he said.

ApexCare has more than 250 employees that work with clients in their homes every day and an office team of 16 professionals. It has four offices that serve seven counties throughout Northern California.

As for Dixon, Wu said it has always been a special community for ApexCare.

“The Dixon Chamber of Commerce is one of the most welcoming and active chambers of commerce that we have been a part of. Their focus on building ongoing relationships with businesses and introducing these businesses to the Dixon community is really special,” Wu said.

In addition to Dixon’s central location between Davis and Vacavillle, Wu said ApexCare has had some of its most-treasured client relationships with Dixon residents.

“We have also had countless caregivers and office professionals who have lived and raised their families in Dixon,” Wu said.

For more information, see apexcare.com.

Country Bear Electric does the jobs homeowners shouldn’t do

By Mike Dahahey

Country Bear Electric, Inc. owner Mark Jones turned a part-time, high school job into a full-time career.

“I started out as a shop boy. After a while, the owner asked me if I wanted to work for him full-time,” Jones said.

Jones and Pat Burley, who died in 2021, were working for another company in 1985 when they saw an opportunity to branch out together to start their own business. The men had been doing electric work for apartment complexes in the Dixon area when another complex reached out to them, which led to Jones and Burley forming what they first called Golden Bear Electric.

“We found out that someone already had that name, so about a year later we changed the name to Country Bear Electric,” Jones said.

Jones said Burley’s wife, Glenda, who died in 1992, came up with the name after a visit to Disneyland and seeing the Country Bear Jamboree attraction there.

Today, the Dixon-based business has 10 employees.

Country Bear Electric is a full service electrical contractor that provides the highest quality service to residential, industrial, and commercial clients in Northern California. From remodeling to new construction, from a high tech office to LED retrofit, the company works with clients to meet their needs.

For homeowners, Jones said that there are a lot of electric-related projects a good many people can do for themselves. But if they start to feel uncomfortable or that the project will be too complicated, then they should call a professional electrician.

“You should always put safety first, and that’s why it can be important to use a professional,” Jones said.

When looking for a pro, he said to make sure a contractor is licensed and bonded. Word of mouth from friends and associates can point you in the right direction, he said.

As for what he likes about his line of work, Jones said he enjoys seeing projects from start to finish.

“I like completing projects,” he said.

Jones and his family also enjoy being involved in the Dixon community. They provide their services and wire up Dixon’s annual Grillin’ & Chillin’ gathering. That event features a cook off, car show and competition, food trucks, raffles and other attractions.

Jones said his business takes part in the town’s annual May Fair parade. He supports local FFA and 4-H youth by bidding on the livestock they show at the May Fair.

For more information about Country Bear Electric, call (707) 678-1869 or see https://cbearelectric.com/.

Dawson’s Bar & Grill owners carry on history of original restaurant

Born and raised in Dixon, Jill Orr is a fourth generation resident of the city whose family has lived here since the 1800s. She believes that preserving history is an important asset to any community.

“I want people to have memories like the ones I have,” Orr said.

So, when the doors of Dawson’s Bar & Grill were threatening to shut — and eventually did in January 2017 — Jill’s goal was to save it and its history from being gone forever.

In November 2017, Jill and her husband Greg purchased the establishment, which had been a fixture in town since the Dawson brothers first opened the spot 1908, originally as a Cigar Store.

With help from friends and family, the couple worked like the wind and did everything necessary to reopen the doors as quickly as possible. Five short weeks later, thanks to that help, Dawson’s Bar & Grill opened to the public again.

This restaurant was renovated with just a few modern touches that keep its history intact, creating a trendy, comfortable ambiance, rustic vibe and unique experience.

Now, having owned Dawson’s for nearly seven years, Orr said she and her husband are very proud of what they have done with their pub, making it a catalyst for Dixon’s downtown and its redevelopment.

“Our improvements and vision have had a positive impact on the downtown,” Orr said.

Toward making that positive impact, Orr has been a member of the Dixon Chamber of Commerce since the 1980s and has served as the organization’s president. She’s also at the helm of the Dixon Downtown Business Association, serving as the group’s president.

Orr believes that when everyone participates in the community it brings synergy to Dixon.

“It takes a lot of hands to keep a boat afloat. So the more hands you have, the more the boat floats,” Orr said.

She invites all to Dawson’s, which is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Menu items include a variety of breakfast dishes, sandwiches, burgers, salads, pizzas, pasta dishes, fish, ribs, salads, steaks and mouth watering desserts.

Orr said patrons will find great customer service, along with Dawson’s amazing menu of drinks and food, open seven days a week, it is a place where good friends come to eat and drink.

“Your taste buds will be wanting more,” Orr said.

Dawson’s Bar & Grill is at 105 N. 1st St. in Dixon. For more information, see https://dixondawsons.com/.

Dixon Eyecare Associates expands to meet the needs of a growing community

By Mike Dahahey

During his childhood, Dr. John Rosten received excellent eyecare from his family’s optometrist, and he knew then and there that it was a field he would pursue as an adult.

A dream made true, in November 1980 Rosten opened his optometric practice in the Dixon Professional Building along North Lincoln Street.

In 1991, Rosten and 10 other healthcare providers joined together to build the Dixon Medical Center Building, where Dixon Eyecare Associates have been practicing for the past 32 years.

“We enjoy providing care to our patients, to help them to see at their very best and to maintain their very best eye health,” Rosten said.

In fact, staff’s commitment to the practice and to patients was the important key for weathering the COVID-19 pandemic.

“During this challenging time, we maintained excellent communication with our patients, and we took extraordinary steps through office disinfection and social distancing to keep our patients safe,” Rosten said.

Today, Dixon Eyecare Associates’ biggest challenge has been meeting the eye care needs of the many new people moving to Dixon.

“Because of this growth, we have invited Dr. Tyler Spilman to join our practice, to expand the care we’re able to provide to the community. He graduated at the top of his class and has a special interest in children’s vision and ocular pathology.” Rosten said.

Along with Rosten and Spilman, the Dixon Eyecare Associates practice includes Dr. Edward Andersen. All three doctors are graduates of the UC Berkeley School of Optometry.

“We have seven trained optometric staff to assist our doctors in many different ways, including pre-examination of patients, training of patients in the handling and cleaning of contact lenses and helping patients to select eyewear and appropriate ophthalmic lenses for their prescriptions,” Rosten said.

As the population ages, there are more eye health-related conditions that need to be evaluated and treated.

“We are able to provide comprehensive eyecare, including prescription of medications for treatment of glaucoma, monitoring the development of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, and regular monitoring of our patients with diabetes to detect early changes within the eye,” Rosten said.

Dixon Eyecare Associates are fully certified in medical therapeutics to provide for a patient’s needs. They have the newest technology, including OCT (optical coherence tomography) that allows for assessing early changes for many eye diseases.

Getting an eye exam also can help detect health issues.

“A comprehensive eye exam allows direct visualization of the health of blood vessels, as changes related to hypertension and diabetes can be detected with an ophthalmoscopic exam,” Rosten said.

As for trends in eyewear, Rosten said daily disposable contact lenses and multifocal contact lenses are great options for people who desire corrected vision without wearing glasses.

“Designer eyewear is a fashion accessory, and new cutting-edge materials are allowing frames to be made much lighter and stronger,” he said.

Dixon Eyecare Associates has worked with local schools to ensure that the visual needs of students are met.

Rosten has served on both the Dixon Family Services Board of Directors and the Dixon Library Commission. He has assisted the Dixon Lions Club with their many vision projects, by providing recycled glasses to be given to others who haven’t had access to comprehensive eye and vision care.

Rosten also is a past president of the Dixon Chamber of Commerce, and personally understands the value of the organization.

“The Chamber of Commerce supports local businesses in our community, which is critical both during good times and during bad times,’’ Rosten said. “It’s done extremely well with its promotion of local businesses,and provides many materials and services for keeping our businesses strong.”

For more information, see www.dixoneyecare.com.

Premier Commercial helps businesses looking to reintegrate office space

By Mike Danahey

Premier Commercial, Inc. in Fairfield was founded in 1995 by two local commercial real estate professionals who, with their clients’ best interests in mind, saw a need for a local commercial brokerage in Solano County.

“They created a company that has been proud to meet those needs for the last 28-plus years,” said office manager Megan Nunes.

The firm’s website notes that its direct involvement in Solano County’s daily events, years of collaboration with Solano County’s key players, knowledge of businesses, land and resources makes Premier Commercial, Inc. a valuable partner.

“I enjoy working with the community to help fill the needs of local businesses as well as helping those who are looking to invest,” Nunes said.

In addition to Nunes, the Fairfield office has three licensed brokers, two licensed sales agents and a marketing assistant. That staff has more than 100 years of combined experience.

Premier Commercial, Inc. provides services that include: industrial, office and retail leasing; investment property sales; subdivision land sales; real estate investment opportunities; development consulting; business opportunities; apartment sales; property management and real estate lending.

“Currently the challenges that commercial real estate faces are reintegrating office and retail spaces after the COVID-19 pandemic,” Nunes said.

Due to the amount of office space shutdowns and employees working from home, leases needed to be renegotiated, Nunes noted. At the same time, some businesses have decided to keep their workforce remote and are vacating their office spaces.

“Premier has not only been able to help those landlords who are looking to lease these newly vacant spaces, but also to help tenants who are looking to move into new locations or start new businesses.”

Nunes said Premier Commercial, Inc. was able to survive the pandemic by continuing to provide its clients with the service they have come to know and expect from the firm as a local commercial real estate brokerage.

“Premier was available to continue assisting clients in lease negotiations and purchasing/selling properties during this difficult time by not changing the way we have done business for the last two decades,” she said.

Weathering the crisis, Nunes said Investment properties are on the rise, now that the market is beginning to stabilize after the pandemic, with investors once again feeling comfortable in purchasing properties to add to their portfolios.

Premier Commercial, Inc. lists properties in the Dixon area and assists clients in acquiring locations within Dixon.

“Premier Commercial, Inc. is proud to be a member of all local Solano County Chambers and participate in events as well as receive and refer clients within the network of the Chambers’ other members,” Nunes said.

For more information,
see www.pcres.net.

Schroeder Super Laundry serving the
Dixon community for 20 years

By Mike Danahey

Schroeder Super Laundry opened in March 2003 with the intent to offer a clean and well-maintained coin laundry for Dixon and the surrounding community.

Located at 1150 North First, Suite A, Dixon, the laundry has 23 washers, 28 dryers and is open seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., with the last wash each evening by 7 p.m.

“In addition to self-serve washers and dryers, we offer wash and fold services. Items are weighed, and the cost is $2.50 per pound with a 10 pound minimum,” Diane Schroeder said. This price includes the cost to operate the washers and dryers, plus soap, softener, bleach and folding. Drop off hours for Wash-N-Fold services are 7 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.

“Our attendant Gloria has been with us for 20 years, and she is outstanding. She has excelled at our two most important requirements — attending to the customers’ needs and maintaining a clean laundry. She pays special attention to every detail and is very helpful to all customers,” Schroeder said.

Like all businesses, revenues at the Schroeder Super Laundry decreased during the pandemic, and expenses increased, especially electricity and water, which are essential to the operation of a coin laundry.

“We survived as our business offered something that people needed, and now we are bouncing back,” Schroeder said.

Schroeder’s family has deep ties to the Dixon community.

The Schroeder family settled in the Silveyville area in the 1860s. After the California Pacific Railroad purchased 10 acres of land from Thomas Dickson and completed the railroad in 1868, the inhabitants of Silveyville moved their homes, businesses and the Methodist Church to what is now known as Dixon, Schroeder said.

“The Schroeders, however, remained in Silveyville, farming the land and attending the country school until all children were required to go to school in Dixon in 1948. Our family is now in its eighth generation as a Dixon family,” she said.

Schroeder said the family is more than happy to call Dixon home and home for its laundry business.

“We are extremely grateful to the Dixon Chamber of Commerce for its support via advertising and online information. We also truly appreciate our faithful and wonderful customers — new customers are always welcome — and are happy to provide this service to our beloved community that our family has called home for over 150 years,” Schroeder said.

Schroeder Super Laundry is closed on Easter Sunday, the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

For more information, call 707-693-1430 or text 707-685-0802.

Living Hope Church looking to grow membership witn new Dixon residents

By Mike Danahey

Jeff Myers has been lead pastor at Living Hope Church in Dixon since February 2008, settling into a place he sees as a great home for him and his family.

“I love Dixon. I’ve fallen in love with the town. It’s a fine place to raise a family — a one high school town, where people pull together,” Myers said.

Myers’ own path to Dixon involves meeting his wife Jamie at a teen leadership conference when they were 17 years old. They began dating in college and were married in 1995.

Jamie serves as worship pastor at Living Hope Church. The couple now has five children, one daughter-in-law and a grandson. Myers’ “grandpa name” is Grumpo.

Myers served as a chaplain assistant in the U.S. Army and was selected to be a member of the 3rd U.S. Infantry, the official escort to the President of the United States.

After completing his B.A. in Theology at Randall University in Oklahoma, Myers served as youth pastor for multiple churches for 15 years before coming to Dixon.

Living Hope Church came to be more than 20 years ago when some Dixon residents who had been attending Valley Church in Vacaville decided they would like to have a congregation closer to home. They worked with Valley’s pastor, Raleigh Galgan who helped them establish Living Hope.

“Living Hope’s first services were held the Sunday after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001,” Myers said. More recently, the Living Hope Church, like the rest of the world, weathered the COVID-19 pandemic.

Myers recalled the pandemic’s first wave hit just a short time before Easter 2020, with Living Hope winding up taking its services online. In prior years, an Easter egg hunt would draw 1,500 or so people.

“We learned to get creative in making connections and how to become way more intentional,” Myers said.

For example, Myers said the egg hunt became a scavenger hunt. Participants wouldn’t seek eggs, but egg-themed posters put up through Dixon they could spot more safely, without being in a crowd.

Post-covid times have provided other challenges for Living Hope Church. These days, about 150 people attend its 10 a.m. Sunday services, Myer said, which is about half of what it was before the pandemic.

With the erratic economy, inflation, high housing prices and high rents, Myers noted that many people have been moving out of California. Some of those people, looking to stay in the state, have been moving to the Dixon area, he said.

So Living Hope Church is working to make connections with new arrivals and to provide services to those who find themselves in need during what have been tough times for many.

“Dixon is a great community, where there is unity among the churches,” Myers said.

To that point, Myers mentioned Innerstate 180, a multi-church youth group for kids in 6th through 12th grade that meets at Calvary Chapel Church in downtown Dixon Tuesday evenings.

Dixon’s churches, nonprofits, social service agencies and government work together to meet needs, Myers said. In turn, Living Hope has partnered on community projects with the local Kiwanis and Rotary Club and with the Dixon Police Department on its teen center.

Toward that shared mission and sense of one heart, Myers said the church’s website says Living Hope “feels a strong sense of partnership with other Dixon churches to share Jesus together in love and cooperation.”

For more information, see livinghopedixon.com.