northern-california
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KZFR gave Chico the microphone
It began with a plan to relay somebody else’s radio. Thirty-six years after its first broadcast, KZFR is still teaching its neighbors how to make their own.
Lucky 7 Casino started in a trailer. It built reasons to stay.
On California’s far northern coast, a Tolowa-owned casino grew from 60 slot machines into a place to eat, sleep, gather, and fill the tank. Its most useful business lesson happens beyond the gaming floor.
West Advertising knew where the neighbors were looking
For 35 years, the Alameda agency connected local businesses and public institutions with the people around them. A $200,000 campaign and a rescued newsstand reveal what that work actually meant.
NorCal Cannabis Company
NorCal Cannabis Company is a vertically integrated, seed-to-sale cannabis operator based in Northern California. Founded in 2014, it grew out of the region's long, pre-legalization cannabis culture into a licensed holding company spanning cultivation, manufacturing, distribution, a portfolio of consumer brands, and retail dispensaries. The company scaled revenue from roughly $2M to over $70M in a few years and raised more than $50M in capital, positioning itself as one of California's more compliant, operationally mature cannabis businesses.
California Drywall Co.
California Drywall Co. is one of the largest wall-and-ceiling specialty contractors in the United States, building interiors and exteriors across Northern California since 1946. From its San Jose base it delivers drywall, lath and plaster, metal framing, cold-formed steel engineering, fireproofing, acoustical ceilings, rainscreens and prefabricated wall panels for landmark projects including Apple Park, Levi's Stadium, SFO Terminal 2 and major hospitals. In August 2023 it became a 100% employee-owned company through an ESOP, putting equity in the hands of its roughly 700 team members.